DESPRE NATURA RĂULUI – SOLUȚIA SFÂNTULUI AUGUSTIN
ON THE NATURE OF EVIL (AND) THE SOLUTION OF SAINT AUGUSTIN

Summary/Abstract: The problem of Evil always fascinated both the philosophers and the theologians. The solutions given to the problem of Evil were almost all the time different in form, but similar in their content. Augustin gives in an unique way a sui generis solution. The question in this case can be formulated: where does Evil come from, given the fact that God exists, or where does Good come from, if God didn't existed. Augustin has his starting point in manicheism, according to which Evil actually exists and is grounded in an active spiritual principle, opposed to the principle of Good. Then he inquires the neoplatonists, the only ones to reach the conclusion that Evil doesn't actually exist, being only a privation of Good. What is certain is that Augustin knew two solutions to the problem of Evil: the manicheistic dualism and the immanentist pantheism. He is the first to see the problem in metaphysical terms, considering metaphysics as the only way towards a reasonable solution. In what follows we will see how.

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