Augustine: Earlier Writings
bidding we shall find, as far as that can be done in this life, and by people such as we are. And he himself will demonstrate it to us. We must believe that these things are perceived and possessed by people of superior character even while they dwell on earth, and certainly, more clearly and perfectly, by all the good and pious after this life. So we must hope it will be with us, and, despising earthly and human things, we must in every way desire and love heavenly things. iiij 7Let us discuss these three questions, if you please, and n 6^ ) f • V - jjj |.jig order. First, how it is manifest that God exists. Secondly, whether all good things, in so far as they are good, are from him. lJ)?\ I z"^
Lastly, whether free will is to be counted among the good things. When these questions have been answered it will, I think, be evident whether free will has been rightly given to man. First, then, to begin with what is most obvious, I ask you: "Do you exist?" Are you perhaps afraid to be deceived by that question? But if you did not exist it would be impossible for you to be deceived. Ev.—Proceed to your other questions. Aug.—Since it is manifest that you exist and that you could not know it unless you were hving, it is also manifest that you live. You know these two things are absolutely true. Ev.—I do. Aug.—Therefore this third fact is likewise manifest, namely, that you have intelligence. Ev.—Clearly. Aug.—Of these three things which is most excellent? Ev.—Intelligence. Aug.—Why do you think so? Ev.— To exist, to live and to know are three things. A stone exists but does not live. An animal lives but has not intelligence. But he who has intelligence most certainly both exists and lives. Hence
I do not hesitate to judge that that is more excellent, which has all these qualities, than that in which one or both of them is absent. That which lives, thereby exists, but it does not follow that it has also inte Uigence. That is a life like that of an animal. That which exists does not necessarily have either life or intelligence. Dead bodies must be said to exist but cannot be said to live. Much less can that which has not life have inte Uigence. Aug.—We gather, therefore, that of these three things a dead body lacks two, an animal one, and man none. Ev.—That is true. Aug.—And of these three things that is most excellent which man has along with the other two, that is intelligence. Having that, it follows that he has both being and life. Ev.—I am sure of that.
8. Aug.—Tell me now whether you know that you have these common bodily senses—seeing, hearing, smelling, taste, touch.
Ev.—Yes I know. Aug,—What do you think belongs to the sense
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