The Nature of Good

I don’t agree with all things the philosopher/theologian Augustine had to say, but recently I read his work “On the Nature of Good.” He has a interesting take on what good is and what evil is. I don’t think it is perfect, but it does provide a thoughtful perspective.

Augustine’s Thought Process Oversimplified:

God is the ultimate good. All creatures are flawed by nature but inherently good because they are from God.

Sin is not a step toward evil as much as a step away from the greatest good(God). Sin is the corruption of the inherent good of mankind. Much the same way that darkness is the absence of light; sin(evil) is the absence of good.

All mankind has some level of good. If we allowed for the complete corruption of our good (which Augustine views as impossible) we would seize exist as a creation of God.
The knowledge between good and evil(the apple) is not a bad thing, however the knowledge of the greatest good is best.

God, as the infinite good, does not allow for the corruption of our good by sin, but does give us permission to choose between the greatest good(God) and smaller levels of good. The more you sin the more you corrupt the good inside...the less you become like God. God wants us to choose the greatest good.

Takeaway:

All people have some good inside.
Loving the person as God’s creation is more important than trying to fix the problem.
We are prone to choose good over great. Choose the greatest good.