A Review of Saint Augustine’s Virtue and the Human Soul Essay

In Augustine’s article â€Å"Virtue and the Human Soul,† happiness is discussed in great detail. What makes a man happy? How do we obtain this happiness and where does happiness reside? Can this happiness be lost? Augustine answers these questions by the notion of one’s â€Å"chief good.† He explains that a man’s chief good is the reason behind all happiness. If one is not happy, it is because they have not found their chief good, and therefore cannot be happy until they find it (Augustine 264-267). â€Å"Happiness is in the enjoyment of man’s chief good. Two conditions of the chief good: 1st, Nothing is better than it; 2nd, it cannot be lost against the will† (Augustine 264-267). As human beings, we all want to be happy and live enjoyable lives. However, Augustine believes that only one type of person can fully achieve happiness, the man who both loves and possesses their chief good (Augustine 264-267). He describes three other cases when happiness is not obtained. First, one who seeks what he cannot obtain suffers torture (Augustine 264-267). This means that someone who strives for something that they will never be able to reach is not happy. Secondly, one who has got what is not desirable is cheated (Augustine 264-267). This is saying that someone who has received happiness in a way that they do not like, or has received happiness that they do not want, can never be happy. Thirdly, one who does not seek for what is worth seeking for is diseased (Augustine 264-26 7). This final case is when someone seeks happiness through things that are wrong and not worth having. In all of these three mentioned cases, one’s chief good has not been found. Augustine continues in the article by discussing how man’s chief good is not inferior to man itself, but more as an equal to man. The chief good then must be something that is never lost against the will (Augustine 264-267). The chief good, once properly in the heart of a man, can never be taken away. It resides fully in the inner workings of man and is buried so deep within that nothing could ever take away the happiness. â€Å"For no one can feel confident regarding a good which he knows can be taken from him, although he wishes to keep and cherish it. But if a man feels no confidence regarding the good which he enjoys, how can he be happy while in such fear of losing it?† (Augustine 264-267). For example, when you go to a pet shop and see all the cute puppies. You want to hold them and pet them, and it makes you so happy for that brief period. However, you know that the happiness can be taken away from you, because you don’t own the puppies, you don’t get to take them home. Ultimately, you walk away sad, and wishing you could hold on to that happiness just a little longer. It is hard to be confident in a happiness that you know can be taken away from you at any time, and it’s equally as hard to have no confidence in your happiness because you live in fear of never being happy. Augustine continues his discussion of what makes a man. The question lies in the discussion between man being of the body only, of the soul only, or both. He talks about this to determine where man’s chief good resides, and from where it is discovered. â€Å"Man’s chief good is not the chief good of the body only, but the chief good of the soul† (Augustine 264-267). Augustine states that a person’s chief good is found in the soul and that the soul gives life to the body. The soul provides bodily pleasure, pain, strength, beauty, swiftness, etc. Without the soul, there would be no body, and without the body, no soul. They work together in order to achieve the chief good for man. Augustine gives the example of a coachman who works for him. The coachman does the most satisfactory job of caring for the horses, all because Augustine has provided the funds and bounty to the coachman. Can any one deny that the good condition of the horses is due to Augustine? (Augustine 264-267). His point is that without his money and horses, the coachman would never be able to do the job he was assigned, and because of Augustine in this example, the coachman can provide the happiness and care to the horses. This relates to the body being a direct worker of the soul. The body is the outward laborer of the soul’s control. Augustine’s article is summed up in the discussion of virtue. â€Å"Virtue gives perfection to the soul; the soul obtains virtue by following God; following God is the happy life† (Augustine 264-267). Augustine debates whether or not virtue exists on its own, or if it can only exist within the soul. He says virtue must exist on its own because the soul must have something to follow after in order to attain that virtue. Virtue must be gained; it is not already contained within the soul. This virtue, according to Augustine, belongs in the pursuit of God. As mentioned before, Augustine believes that one’s chief good cannot be taken away against one’s will. Therefore, it must remain that God is the virtue one seeks. Through following God, one’s chief good, happiness, and virtue can be both loved and possessed (Augustine 264-267). After reading and re-reading this article, I feel I have finally found the true meaning of what Saint Augustine was saying. Happiness cannot just be attained by the snap of a finger, by a simple glimpse of hope. Happiness must be sought after in a way that completely fills the soul and in a way that one can feel they are completely confident in their happiness. I agree with Augustine’s argument for the pursuit of God in finding happiness. I believe that God is the creator of happiness and virtue, and that through him anyone can find their chief good. My question to the class is this: do you agree with Augustine’s argument of happiness only coming from within the soul and God, or do you believe happiness can be obtained to its fullest potential in a different way? Work Cited Augustine, Saint. â€Å"Virtue and the Human Soul.† Vice and Virtue In Everyday Life. Comp. Christina Hoff Sommers and Fred Sommers. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2010. Print.