Augustine's Confessions 'And The Phaedrus'

The Soul: Good or Evil? There is a constant misconception about the nature of good and evil, what it means, and how it affects one’s soul. However, human nature is much more complex than that, as good and evil cannot be easily defined. Throughout the years, writers and philosophers have been unable to come to a conclusion about the idea, which leads to a variety of standpoints. In Augustine’s Confessions and Plato’s The Phaedrus, we see good and evil through different perspectives. Augustine, for example, both uses and challenges Plato’s ideas of the nature of the soul. He also challenges and transforms the ideas of the Manicheans, a religious group who strongly believed in the influence of outside forces. In George Lucas’s Star Wars, there
is a significant opposition of good and evil represented by the opposing forces, which is influenced by all three theories: that of Augustine, Plato, and the Manicheans. Although there is no one definition, the nature of good and evil can be more easily understood by looking into these philosophies and pieces of literature. Augustine challenges Plato’s concept of the dual-natured soul, as he believes that God created everything, and therefore everything must be good.
As stated in Augustine’s Confessions, “Where then does evil come from, if God made all things and, because he is good, made them good too?” (37). He had come to the conclusion that everything in the universe is good, even that which appears to be evil. Plato however, believed something different, that all good and evil is innate in man. The dual-natured soul is based upon a chariot and categorized into three different parts. The good horse, which is the good part of the soul, is what moves one towards heaven. Then there is the bad horse, or bad part of a person’s soul, which brings you closer to earthly desires. Lastly there is the charioteer, which acts as both the driver and intellect. In Plato’s thoughts, there are equal parts of the soul that are good and bad, whereas Augustine strictly believed that the soul is totally good, simply because God created it. As written in Confessions, “For there is no means whatsoever by which corruption can injure our God, whether by an act of will, by necessity, or by chance. This is because he is God and what he wills is good and he is himself that same Good: whereas to be corrupted is not good” (Augustine 36). Contrary, Plato asserts that we are in control of our actions, those of which will determine how pure or impure our soul is. Both Augustine and Plato have contrasting ideas on the
nature of the soul and how it is created. In his writings, Augustine also uses Plato’s ideas; specifically the idea that people must live by doing what is right in order to receive good karma. As Plato states in The Phaedrus, “When a soul is perfect and has its wings, it travels through the sky and takes part in the governance of the entire cosmos, but if it loses its wings it drifts along until it can grasp onto something secure and settle down” (28). Plato believes that one’s soul must be good in order to get to heaven. A person must be knowledgeable, truthful, and full of wisdom. Similarly, Augustine uses Plato’s idea of the soul either residing on earth or being brought to the heavens. As he says in Confessions, “For I wondered how it was that I could appreciate beauty in material things on earth or in the heavens, and what it was that enabled me to make correct decisions about things that are subject to change and to rule that one thing ought to be like this, another like that” (43). Augustine knew that a person must make the right decisions in life in order to achieve fulfillment. A lack of good only resides in one who makes bad choices or carries earthly desires such as greed, pride, and selfishness. Augustine uses Plato’s ideas on the nature of good in one’s soul and how it can move a person throughout the different stages of life. Throughout Confessions, we see Augustine challenging the Manichean idea of outside forces. While Augustine had been a Manichee himself for nine years, he ultimately began to question the integrity of Manichaeism’s dualism. As stated on Reasons.org, “He [Augustine] questioned whether his chosen religion system could provide the adequate explanation of ultimate truth and reality he sought” (Samples, par. 4). The Manicheans believed that evil was created by a force parallel to God. This idea gives the full power of creation to someone other than God, which contradicts Augustine’s idea that God created everything. As written in Confessions and opposing the Manichean thoughts, Augustine writes, “But although I declared and firmly believed that you, our Lord God, the true God who made not only our souls but also our bodies and not only our souls and bodies but all things, living and inanimate, as well, although I believed that you were free from corruption or mutation or any degree of change, I still could not find a clear explanation, without complications, of the cause of evil” (36). Augustine believes that God created everything and therefore, there would be no outside force to acquire power over one’s soul. In Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, certain themes emerge that relate directly to the ideas of Plato in his Phaedrus. For example, Plato uses the idea of a dual-natured soul, where there is one side representing good and one side representing evil. In the film there are both sides, that of good which is known as the Force and that of evil, which is known as the Empire. The Force is a bond that brings everyone together and is said to present within all creations. However, the Empire is said to be manipulative and controlling. It’s the side of aggression, anger, hatred, and most earthly desires. The ruler of the Empire is known as Darth Vader, one who has been controlled by all things evil. Throughout the film, we see a constant confliction between the opposing sides, both of which are equally powerful. As Darth Vader says to Governor Tarkin, “Don’t underestimate the Force…Obi-Wan is here. The Force is with him” (Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope). Throughout the film, Obi-Wan and Darth Vader are at a constant confrontation. Luke, however, wishes to help his father Anakin, as he believes that the forces of evil are controlling him and there is hope to save him. This idea shows a close relation to Plato’s thoughts of a dual-natured soul. One can choose their own path in life, based upon how they act. If a person is filled with earthly desires such as greed and selfishness, they will remain evil. However, if a person shows qualities of justice, truth, and wisdom, their soul will be good. If Darth Vader was to let go of his earthly desires, he could possibly become good and join his son on the Force. However, as long as he continues his acts of selfishness he will remain on the dark side. Both George Lucas and Plato have comparable views on the dual-natured soul, which is portrayed throughout their works. In George Lucas’s Star Wars, Han-Solo challenges Augustine’s views on the ultimate creator. Han Solo believes that everything is motivated by self-interest, and that people must rely solely on themselves. In other words, Hans-Solo is seen as greedy and self-centered at times, although he is not all bad. When Luke asks Han if he believes in the Force, Han replies, “Kid, I’ve flown from one side of the galaxy to the other, I’ve seen a lot of strange stuff, but I’ve never seen anything to make me believe there’s one all-powerful force controlling everything. There’s no mystical energy field that controls my destiny!” (Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope). Contrary to this belief, Augustine is a firm believer in one ultimate creator. Throughout the film, Hans-Solo changes from a man that tried to resist commitment to anyone and anything, to a man who had fallen in love. This goes to show how it was easy to change his belief; he wasn’t as devout as he thought. Augustine, on the other hand, is extremely committed to his own beliefs on religion and God. If he were to change his beliefs he would ultimately be changing everything about himself in becoming a new man. Ideas of Augustine differ from the ideas of Hans-Solo in Star Wars. Star Wars creates a universe that is completely similar to a Manichean world. Manichaeism is both a philosophy and religion that believed in a strong differentiation between light and darkness, or good and evil. Manicheans believed that humans are inhabited by this struggle, and that there should be a balance between both. According to New World Encyclopedia, Manichean culture is summarized as “The realm of light lived in peace, while the realm of darkness was in constant conflict with itself. The universe is the temporary result of an attack from the realm of darkness on the realm of light” (“Manichaeism”). In Star Wars, there is the conflicting forces, that of good and that of evil, known as the Empire. Luke Skywalker is drawn into these opposing forces, as he must decide whether to join his father on the dark side or remain good and pure. Throughout the film, we are able to clearly distinguish between the characters of both sides. For example, Luke Skywalker wears all white while Darth Vader wears all black, along with a mask that hides any emotion. Also, because the Force existed in all of life, Obi-Wan felt a disturbance whenever something went awry. The Empire was able to weaken the power of the Force through evil deeds, such as the Destruction of Alderaan. Simply watching this film will prove many ways in which the themes and motifs relate to that of a Manichean culture. In conclusion, it’s easy to see how these writers and philosophers have both comparing and contrasting views on the nature of good and evil.
Whether Augustine is using or challenging the ideas of Plato and the Manicheans, or whether George Lucas is using or transforming ideas from all three theories, there is a similar connection between all that is prominent and easily distinguished. Regardless, there is still no accurate definition of good and evil and how it affects the human soul. It’s a compex topic that is mainly based off of opinions and ideas, but still has a heavy influence on human nature. These writers and philosophers have been using and transforming each other’s ideas for centuries and will continue to do so for years to
come.

Works Cited
Augustine. Confessions. Tempelton, 34-46.
"Manichaeism." Manichaeism. New World Encyclopedia, n.d. Web. 16 Mar. 2014.
Plato. Phaedrus. Tempelton, 28-31.
Samples, Kenneth R. "Reasons To Believe: Exploring Manichaeism: St. Augustine, Part 3." Exploring Manichaeism. 26 June 2012. Web. 17 Mar. 2014.
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. Dir. George Lucas. Perf. Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher. Twentieth Century Fox, 1977. Film.
Tempelton, Janet, Ed. RWS200 Course Reader. San Diego: KB Books, 2014. Print.