Augustine

The second volume in the Blackwell Great Minds series, Gareth B. Matthews’s Augustine offers students, scholars, and interested readers new insights into one of antiquity’s most important and influential philosophers. This lucid survey takes readers on a thought–provoking tour through the life and work of Augustine. Topics discussed include skepticism, language acquisition, mind–body dualism, philosophical dream problems, time and creation, faith and reason, foreknowledge and free will. The book concludes with a consideration of how Augustine could be both a religious believer – indeed, a prominent theological dogmatist – and also a Socratic philosopher.

Acknowledgements. Translations Used. 1. The First–Person Point of View. 2. Augustine’s Life. 3. Skepticism. 4. Language. 5. The Augustinian Cogito. 6. Mind–Body Dualism. 7. The Problem of Other Minds. 8. Philosophical Dream Problems. 9. Time and Creation. 10. Faith and Reason. 11. Foreknowledge and Free Will. 12. The Problem of Evil. 13. Wanting Bad Things. 14. Lying. 15. Happiness. 16. The Socratic Believer. Index

Gareth B. Matthews is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Massachusetts. His publications include Socratic Perplexity and the Nature of Philosophy (1999), The Augustinian Tradition (ed., 1999) and Augustine: On the Trinity – Books 8–15 (ed., 2002).

"...we are all indebted to Matthews for continuing to draw attention to Augustine′s philosophical range and relevance." Sarah Byers, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews “Matthews is one of the world’s leading authorities – perhaps the leading authority – on Augustine the philosopher. In this book, he provides a series of vignettes of Augustine in philosophical action: arguing against the skeptics, worrying about the nature of time, trying to dissipate the tensions between foreknowledge and free will, and trying to figure out what counts as a lie. There is no one better equipped to spot these issues and subject them to sensitive, sympathetic, yet critical analysis.” William Mann, University of Vermont “Matthews’s beautifully clear voice, penetrating eye, and delicate touch bring Augustine’s puzzles and arguments vividly to life for twenty–first–century readers. While there is no better general introduction to Augustine’s philosophical ideas, Matthews’s Augustine holds treasures for scholars and specialists as well.” Scott MacDonald, Cornell University. "Matthews style throughout the book is very easy to read. He includes many lengthy quotations whether this be Augustine, Hume, or Zeno... This is a very good book. It will prove useful for all graduate and post–graduate students, as well as any armchair philosopher and theologian!" Themelios