St. Augustine Confessions Analysis

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The words, “truth” and “piety” are two terms Augustine demonstrates throughout the book, St. Augustine Confessions. While reading this book it becomes evident that there is not one but two types of truth; these are: the truth that can be found in God and the truth that one can find in their self. The truth that can be found in God and through trying to understand him is rather obvious throughout the entire book. However, the truth in oneself requires a little deeper thinking and review of the book. It slowly becomes evident that in order to find the truth you must first develop self-knowledge. You not only have to be true to God buy you also need to be true to yourself. If you have self-knowledge about yourself it can reveal your true beliefs …show more content…
Augustine first believed in the Manichee but it seems that he switched because a main disagreement, “philosophers who they called academics were shrewder than others. They thought everything was a matter of doubt, and that an understanding of truth lies beyond human capacity” (84-85 x 19). Also, his host put “excessive trust…in the fabulous matters of which Manichee books are filled” (84-85 x 19). After he realized that Manichee was not right for him he revisited Catholicism but he realized that he could not return to it because when he wanted to think of his God he “knew of no way of doing so except as a physical mass.” (pg 85 x19). It required him to “think in parts limited to the shape of the human body” (85 x 20). He also could not think of anything that existed that is not material. Augustine realizes that what he was being taught was not true and that he is making a mistake by seeing God as human and by only seeing things as material, “that was the principle and almost sole cause of my inevitable error” (pg 85 x 19). In realizing this it is clear that he is on the right path towards finding the truth. Knowledge, and

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