Augustine and Plato held several different views regarding the role of philosophy, especially in regards to the use and method of questioning. Plato’s approach to philosophical questioning was through the Socratic method. The Socratic method is a teaching style where the teacher does not directly give information, but instead asks a series of questions which lead the student to uncover the desired knowledge by completing the series of logical questions. The Socratic method is the basis for many of the philosophical conclusions reached in Plato’s Phaedo. As Socrates questioned his students and friends they came to many different deductions, ranging from the theory of forms

Augustine’s beliefs on this issue are much the same. Joy seems to be the universal feeling that people seek, and for Augustine, that joy is God. Even those who do not pursue God, “their will remains drawn towards some image of this true joy.” (Confessions 199) Happiness is found in the joy of truth, yet many still try to find happiness through the senses and materialism. Unfortunately, Augustine felt horrible guilt and sin because of erotic images in his mind. Similar to Plato’s present that evil does not really exist, Augustine believes that wickedness is not a flaw in God’s creation, but instead a misdirection of human will to recognize God’s perfection.

Despite their many differences, Augustine and Plato share a number of philosophical views. One such view is Plato’s theory of recollection. The theory claims that thoughts considered to be recollections are really bits of knowledge brought by a soul from a previous life. Socrates argues this point by using the theory of forms. He argues that from birth the senses derive information from the world, such as two equal objects. However, compared the concept of the Equal, the objects are still different. The perception of equal is gained from the senses, but the concept of the Equal can not be gained from any of the senses. Therefore, “we must have possessed knowledge of the Equal itself if we were about to refer our sense perceptions of equal objects to it, and realized that all of them were eager to be like it, but were inferior.” (Phaedo 113) The knowledge of the Equal, along with much more, were possessed before birth.

Augustine and Plato were both brilliant philosophers with many ideas. They had many differing views, ranging from Plato’s theory of forms and arguments from opposites and affinity to Augustine’s search for the form of God. However, not even eight centuries could sever the many similarities that these two great thinkers share.

Plato and Augustine also share the position that life is really a kind of death. As shown in Plato’s Phaedo,

Some topics in this essay:
Augustine Plato, Plato’s Phaedo, Augustine’s Confessions, Phaedo Socrates, Gods Phaedo, Plato Augustine, , Similar Plato’s, Saint Augustine, Christ God, * *, socratic method, soul searching, theory forms, role philosophy, plato augustine, equal objects, augustine plato, * * *, plato’s phaedo, * augustine plato, series questions, equal gained senses, * * augustine,