Perception, Imagination and Memory in St. Augustine’s Thought

Subject Areas : Epistemological researches

سیدمصطفی شهر آیینی ¹ (استادیار فلسفه دانشگاه تبریز)

Received: 2015-05-22 Accepted : 2015-05-22 Published : 2012-06-21

Keywords: Self, Imagination, Memory, perceptual recognition, forgetfulness, remembrance,

Abstract :

The first and main preoccupation of St. Augustine, like other Christian philosophers of medieval ages, is religion not philosophizing. It is clear that the central part of religion is faith in God not acquiring a rational cognition, however, every pious should try to obtain a rational cognition in order to defence his own faith. Augustine, like Neo-Platonists, believes that the recognition of God is beyond the men’s abilities, nevertheless, since “God created man in his own image” (Genesis 1:26) self-understanding is the best way for obtaining His recognition. Perceptual recognition is the first step for self-understanding and going towards imagination and memory are the next steps. This article tries to clarify the place of perceptual recognition, imagination, memory, forgetfulness and remembrance in the St. Augustine’s theory of recognition. It studies the influence of Plato and Neo-Platonists in Augustine’s thought and also surveys his own innovations.

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