O mal, a vontade e a liberdade humana em Santo Agostinho

Abstract

The aim of this study is to analyze key themes in the thought of Saint Augustine (354–430)—such as evil, human freedom, and freedom of the will—and to examine how his ideas were, in certain respects, innovative for his time, exerting an influence that extends beyond theology into philosophy to the present day. Of the vast array of topics raised by Augustine, this study focuses specifically on evil, its effects on the will, and the possibility of the will's restoration. Primary sources will consist mainly of Books VII and VIII of the “Confessions” (400) and Book III of “On Free Choice of the Will” (388–395). Regarding secondary literature, the study draws upon commentaries by Étienne Gilson, Johannes Brachtendorf, Moacyr Novaes Filho, Walterson José Vargas, and Marcos Roberto Nunes Costa.