Ideas from 'City of God' by Augustine [427], by Theme Structure

[found in 'City of God' by Augustine (ed/tr O'Meara,John) [Penguin 1984,0-14-044426-2]].

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11. Knowledge Aims / B. Certain Knowledge / 4. The Cogito

3912	I must exist in order to be mistaken, so that even if I am mistaken, I can't be wrong about my own existence

			Full Idea: Since therefore I must exist in order to be mistaken, then even if I am mistaken, there can be no doubt that I am not mistaken in my knowledge that I exist…. I know that I exist, and I also know that I know.
			From: Augustine (City of God [c.427], Ch.XI.26)
			A reaction: Fine, but the main problem is his over-confidence about a stable personal identity that does the thinking.

17. Mind and Body / A. Mind-Body Dualism / 2. Interactionism

6683	The contact of spirit and body is utterly amazing, and incomprehensible

			Full Idea: The manner of contact of spirit with body, which produces a living being, is utterly amazing and beyond our powers of comprehension
			From: Augustine (City of God [c.427], XXI.10)
			A reaction: This leads to a rather clear objection against a theory which needs a miracle to explain a common natural phenomenon. At least Augustine was beginning to recognise that interaction is a bit of a problem.