MEMORY AND MIND: AN INTRODUCTION TO AUGUSTINE'S EPISTEMOLOGY
1. INTRODUCTION
The central point of this paper is to elucidate Augustine's
notion of memory found in Augustine's *Confessions 10*. The
topic is far too complex to do it justice in an hour. Also, the
Augustinian corpus is vast, so of necessity the talk will involve
some oversimplification and glossing. I focus on several themes
Augustine pursues: the imagistic nature of memory, how knowledge
is sometimes achieved without images, the relationship of memory
to mind, skeptical problems that lead to a Christian
epistemology. Along the way I compare, very briefly,
Augustine's views with those of his philosophical ancestors and
with a recent philosopher of mind.
Throughout *Confessions*, Augustine relies on memory; the
work is an example of the functioning of memory. *Confessions*
can be understood as an epistemologically oriented text.
Knowledge of God is sought, and the ostensible route to this goal
is through self-knowledge. The book opens with its author
seeking God and wondering whether God can be sought if God is not
already known. The answer to this initial and central question
of how a mere human can know God lies in memory. That is,
Augustine will find God (and himself), and the answers to all of
his questions, and the font and guarantee of all knowledge by
turning inward and reflecting ...