Augustine’s Account Of Evil As Privation Of Good

Transcript

This article examines St. Augustine’s concept of evil as privation of good. The goal is to clear up misunderstandings of this concept and to defend its adequacy. The goal shall be attained by analyzing Augustine’s concept of evil in relation to his understanding of good, which is inseparable from the relationship between the Creator and the creatures. Seen from this perspective, a created thing is said to be good because (1) it is created by God who is supremely good; (2) it perpetually depends on God as the source of its goodness; and (3) it keeps the order or form which God has established for it. On the contrary, (1’) evil is not created by God, hence it is not a substance; (2’) a thing is said to be evil when it does not depend on God as its source of goodness; and (3’) when it perverts the order or form which God has established for it.