CHAPTER I

Anti Thesis of St. Augustine against Solipsism

Introduction

The theory of solipsism is the theory that states that you are only the one person
who is existing in the world and the entire object in this world is something that you
imagined. Solipsism is the metaphysical position or relating to things that are thought to
exist but cannot be seen. Solipsism is the ultimate originating theory of human
existence it is also the philosophical idea that is ones’ mind is sure to be exist. This is an
extreme form of subjective idealism or that is based on idea that is accepted as being
true. It denies that the human mind has any valid ground for believing in the existence of
anything but itself. The weak form says that you can’t say no whether or not anything
else exist without your own experience and the strong form says that anything beside
you and all the object in this world is existing. St. Augustine is a fourth century
philosopher who fills Christian doctrine with Neo-Platonism. He became famous in
philosophy for many contributions. There are 3 philosophers that are connected to
solipsism. Gorgias was the first solipsist to document solipsism. He says “that nothing
exist, even if something exist, nothing can be known about it and even if something
could be known about it, knowledge about it cannot be communicated to others and
even if it can be communicated, it cannot be understood.” Berkely: argued that “The
physical objects do not exist independently on the mind that perceives them and that an
item truly exists only so long as it is observe”. Descartes: in his method of Cartesian
skepticism led him to doubt the existence of the world he perceived and in his famous
formulation “Cogito Ergo Sum” or in English “I think therefore I am” he change his
opinion to the only thing he could not doubt, his own conscious self. The theory of
solipsism has a good quality of examination because it relates and connected to three
philosophical presuppositions.
Statement of the Problem

This study will then so resolve on the following questions:

1.) What is your perception about solipsism?

2.) How do St. Augustine affect you perception to solipsism?
3.) How individual do believes in reality with solipsism?

Objectives of the Study

This study aims to show the readers the particular effects of Anti thesis of St.
Augustine about solipsism. Its objectives include:

a.) To identify the perception about solipsism.

b.) To identify how do St. Augustine affect you perception to solipsism and

c.) To identify how individual do believes in reality with solipsism.

 CHAPTER II

2.1 The Meaning of Solipsism

Solipsism is the position in Metaphysics and Epistemology1. This states that the
mind is the only thing that makes you believe for what is true and a thing that can be
known to exist and that knowledge outside our mind is considered not true or
unjustified. It is a skeptical hypothesis. A skeptical hypothesis is a hypothetical situation
which can be used in an argument for skepticism. It leads to the belief that the whole
reality and the external world and all the people are just a representation of an individual
self, having no independent state of living of their own and in fact of not even exist. 2

2.2 History of solipsism

The history of solipsism lies with the great pre-Socratic sophist, Gorgias. While to
some expanse only an ironic state of theory and imitation of the position
of Parmenides and the Eleatic philosophers (that all being is one), however Gorgias
captured at least the spirit of Solipsism.

Descartes also involve in the history of solipsism. Descartes view that the all
beings analogy of his own philosophical states by abstraction from inner experience,
Descartes in his method of Cartesian skepticism led him to doubt the existence of the
world he perceived and in his famous formulation “Cogito Ergo Sum” he change his
opinion to the only thing he could not doubt, his own conscious self.

1
Solipsism. https://www.philosophybasics.com/branch_solipsism.html/sept.22, 2018

1 Solipsism. www.thefullwiki.org.sept. 22, 2018

 Also Berkerly, Berkely argued that “The physical objects do not exist
independently on the mind that perceives them and that an item truly exists only so long
as it is observe”. He stated that there must be a god. So his position is not one as pure
solipsism.

2.3 Types of solipsism3

a) Metaphysical Solipsism – it is a type of idealism (a metaphysical philosophies

that assert that reality) which keeps the individual self of an individual is the reality and
that outside world and other individual are the model of that self and have no
independent existence.

b) Epistemological Solipsism – is also a type of Idealism based on to which only

the directly entered mental contents of an individual can be known. The existence of an
outside world is considered as an not resolvable question or an unnecessary hypothesis
than actually false.

c) Methodological Solipsism - it is an old idea that psychology should concerned

in what is taking place in a individuals mind it is also the epistemological thesis (a thesis
that is relating to the theory of knowledge) that the every individual self and its state of
mind are the right starting point for philosophical construction. For that reason, all other
truths must be founded on unquestionable facts about an individual's
own consciousness, and someone's beliefs.

3
Types of solipsism. https://www.philosophybasics.com/branch_solipsism.html/ sept.22, 2018
2.4 Solipsism Syndrome

Solipsism syndrome refers to a mental state in which one being feels that the
world is not outside to a beings mind. Periods of extended isolation may make vulnerable
people to this condition. This syndrome is identified as a possible concerned for
individuals living in outer space for extended periods of time. A being that have a
solipsism syndrome feels that the world is not real even if that being is in this world. That
being who always feel loneliness and not counted and indifferent to this world.

2.5 St. Augustine

St. Augustine is a philosopher in a fourth century who innovating philosophy filled

with Christian doctrine with Neo-Platonism4. He is famous for being a fixed Catholic
theologian and for his doubter contributions to Western philosophy. He claims that
skeptics have no beginning for stating to know that there is no knowledge. Skeptic is an
ancient philosopher who denies the possibility of knowledge. He is the first Western
philosopher to encourage what has come to be called "the argument by analogy"
against solipsism. St. Augustine believes a reason to be a unique individual learning
capacity that understands deductive truths and logical basic. Augustine assume a
personal view of time and says that time is not true and says that it only exist or became
true in ones minds concerned with reality. And he believes that time is not infinite
because it is created by our god.

Augustine tries to restore his beliefs about freewill mostly his belief that humans
are morally responsible because in his statement one’s mind is fated. Since, Augustine
is confident about the behavior of humans to behave morally, it is still fated whatever
happens and thinks that the original sins of human makes their moral behavior nearly

4
Augustine. https://www.iep.utm.edu/augustine/#H6. September 27, 2018.
impossible. Augustine’s religious discussion of freewill is applicable to a non-religious
discussion without paying attention of the religious-specific language he uses.5

2.6 The Arguments of St. Augustine

St. Augustine is the first Western philosopher to actively encourage what has
come to be called "the argument by analogy" against solipsism.

“There are bodies external to mine that behave as I behave and that appear to
be nourished as mine is nourished”

- St. Augustine

By analogy, St. Augustine is justified in believing that those bodies have different
life or similar intellectual life to him.6 St. Augustine believes that every individual have
different characteristic. St. Augustine claimed that there is natural bodies existed that
moves and act the way you behave that do the things as they are. It is a reflection of
yours. It act how you acts or move with the behavior you have, showing your behavior
to yourself. If good, natural bodies existed will show you the way you do and if bad,
natural bodies existed shows the way how you react to be bad.

“Understand so you may believe, believe so that you may understand”

- St. Augustine

5
Augustine. https://www.iep.utm.edu/augustine/#H6. September 27, 2018.
6
Augustine. https://www.iep.utm.edu/augustine/#H6. September 27, 2018.
 In this statement of St. Augustine, every human being has their own
understanding skills. As they know what it is, as they know how it exists. The moment
they understand is the moment that they believe of what they thought they know. This
statement is how St. Augustine wants us to understand the way of how we believe to
understand and how us understand to believe.

“The mind commands the body and is instantly obeyed. The mind commands itself and
meets resistance”

- St. Augustine

This statement states that the mind is the one who controlled our entire body.as
a being believes that it can, it instantly know what to do or what’s the thought it can
make. When the mind thinks an action the body automatically obeyed our mind wants.
This mind command itself. The mind knows everything, the right and wrong. So when
the minds always do what it wants it will meet its resistance.
 Conclusion

There are many proverbs but there’s only one meaning. The readers have
different mind that makes them believe to what they want. Just like in some arguments
of St. Augustine, the readers will make the decision to lead their ways on their own.
Solipsism is what is a being eyes actually see and that being will know that it is true and
accept it is real. And if those beings don’t see any object that is not in their mind nor that
object is unjustified the being will not accept that object as true. The theory of solipsism
makes a being believes that is he is the only being existing in this world and that objects
around you is just a thing that you imagined. The idea to all certain knowledge of a
being will be real if that being is proving real details about a certain object around. So
that, the thing or the certain object is proven real or that being is having the idea and
providing evidences that a certain object is existing.
Anti Thesis of St. Augustine against Solipsism

A Philosophical Paper

In

Introduction to Philosophy of the Human Person

Submitted to:

Mr. Albien Rynel Bautista

Submitted by:

Christian Jedryc C. Villanueva

Grade 12 – STEM D

September 2018