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What did St. Augustine teach about the relationship between the body and the soul?
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St. Augustine
Saint Augustine, oil on wood panel by Justus of Ghent, c. 1475; in the Louvre Museum, Paris.
St. Augustine viewed human beings as composites of two distinct substances: the body and the soul. Influenced by Neoplatonism, he maintained a form of mind-body dualism that emphasized the soul's superiority, independence, and immortality.123
Key aspects of his teaching include:
- Hierarchy of Reality: Augustine argued that the soul is superior to the body, and because the inferior cannot act upon the superior, the body cannot act upon the soul. Consequently, he believed that metaphysical or religious truth is accessed through the mind rather than through sense experience.31
- Instrumental Use: He taught that humans are essentially souls that use their bodies as a means to achieve spiritual ends.4
- Status of the Body: While he emphasized the soul's dominance, he did not exclude the body from human nature. He affirmed that the body is a part of the human composite and that its future resurrection is guaranteed by Christian faith.12
- Ethical Implications: Augustine adopted the Platonic view that bodily pleasures are inferior to spiritual ones, often regarding them as a potential threat to spiritual bliss.4