Simulation, Human Nature, and Search for Truth in the Thought of Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, and Bonaventure of Bagnoregio
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.34096/petm.v46.n2.17831Keywords:
Simulation , Human Nature, Human Being, Truth , Knowledge, Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, BonaventureAbstract
In this article we analyze the reflection pursued by Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, and Bonaventure on the relation between simulation, human nature, and search for the truth. In his commentary on the “fall” of the Progenitors, contained in De Genesi contra Manichaeos, Augustine sees in the simulation of the condition of nudity as the reason for hiding from God not only a simple going away from truth, but a far more dangerous detachment from the simplicity and, at the same time, from the high dignity of the human being. In the great medieval Scholasticism, both Thomas and Bonaventure resume Augustine’s reflection, adapting and systematizing it within their own reflection on the human being and on the Church. Thomas Aquinas puts in relation simulation with hypocrisy, underlining how the fact of pretending to be someone else leads to the wilting of the awareness of being God’s creature; in this sense, the sinner who simulates integrity loses himself and becomes unaware of himself. In the Collationes in Hexaemeron, Bonaventure compares the abandonment of simplicity and the going away from the source of truth by the Progenitors to the Church going away from its original simplicity: just like Adam and Eve preferred simulation to truth and knowledge to beatitude in Eden, so the Church abandoned its original simplicity by assuming a posture of false zeal for the Law, driven by a sterile science that tends towards the search for God.
Downloads
References
Augustinus Hipponensis (1841). Sermones ad populum. Ed. Migne, J.-P. (PL 38: 613-616).
Augustinus Hipponensis (1844). Contra Iulianum. Ed. Migne, J.-P. (PL 44: 641-784).
Augustinus Hipponensis (1900). De agone christiano. Ed. Zycha. Tempsky-Freytag. (CSEL 41).
Augustinus Hipponensis (1954). In Johannis evangelium tractatus. Ed. Willems, R. Brepols. (CCSL 36).
Augustinus Hipponensis (1955). De civitate Dei. Ed. Dombart, B. e Kalb, A. Brepols. (CCSL 47-48).
Augustinus Hipponensis (1956). Enarrationes in Psalmos LI-C. Ed. Dekkers, E. e Fraipont, J. Brepols. (CCSL 39).
Augustinus Hipponensis (1962). De doctrina christiana. Ed. Martin, J. Brepols. (CCSL 32).
Augustinus Hipponensis (1962). De vera religione. Ed. Daur, K. D. Brepols. (CCSL 32).
Augustinus Hipponensis (1967). De sermone Domini in monte. Ed. Mutzenbecher, A. Brepols. (CCSL 35).
Augustinus Hipponensis (1968). De Trinitate. Ed. Mountain, W. J. Brepols. (CCSL 50-50A).
Augustinus Hipponensis (1969). De symbolo ad cathecumenos. Ed. Vander Plaetse, R. Brepols. (CCSL 46).
Augustinus Hipponensis (1970). De magistro. Ed. Daur, K. D. Brepols. (CCSL 29: 157-203).
Augustinus Hipponensis (1975). De diversis quaestionibus octoginta tribus. Ed. Mutzenbecher, A. Brepols. (CCSL 44A).
Augustinus Hipponensis (1981). Confessionum libri tridecim. Ed. Verheijen, L. Brepols. (CCSL 27).
Augustinus Hipponensis (1998). De Genesi contra Manichaeos. Ed. Weber, D. Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften. (CSEL 91).
Augustinus Hipponensis (2004a). Epistulae I-LV. Ed. Daur, K. D. Brepols. (CCSL 31).
Augustinus Hipponensis (2004b). Epistulae CI-CXXXIX. Ed. Daur, K. D. Brepols. (CCSL 31b).
Augustinus Hipponensis (2020). Sermones de Novo Testamento (LXXI-XCIV). Ed. De Coninck, L. Brepols (CCSL 41Ab).
Biblia sacra iuxta vulgatam versionem (1975). Ed. Weber, R., Fischer, B., Gribomont, J., Sparks, H. F. D. e Thiele, W. Württembergische Bibelanstalt.
Bonaventura (1882-1883). Commentarium in quattuor libros Sententiarum Magistri Petri Lombardi. (Opera Omnia I). Quaracchi.
Bonaventura (1891). Collationes in hexaemeron. (Opera Omnia V). Quaracchi.
Bonaventura (1893). Commentarius in librum sapientiae. (Opera Omnia VI). Quaracchi.
Girolamo (1879). Adversus Iovinianum. Ed. Migne, J.-P. (PL 23: 221-352).
Hildegardis Bingensis (1978). Scivias. Ed. Führkötter, A. e Carlevaris, A. Brepols. (CCCM 43-43A).
Petrus Lombardus (1854). Commentarium in Psalmos. Ed. Migne, J.-P. (PL 191: 55-1296).
Ruusbroec, J. v. (2004). De ornatu spiritualium nuptiarum Wilhelmo Iordani interprete. Ed. Schepers, K. Brepols. (CCCM 207).
Thomas de Aquino (1897). Summa theologiae. Pars secunda secundae partis (Opera omnia 9). Editio leonina.
Thomas de Aquino (1970). Quaestiones disputatae de Veritate (Opera omnia 2.1). Editio leonina.
Benešová, H. (2021). “The Transformation of Desire in Saint Augustine’s Confessions and the Sermones ad populum as a Paradigm of our Pilgrimage”. In: Vinzent, M. (ed.). Papers Presented at the Eighteenth International Conference on Patristic Studies held in Oxford 2019. Peeters, 147-156. (Studia Patristica 118).
Bös, G. (1995). Curiositas. Die Rezeption eines antiken Begriffes durch christliche Autoren bis Thomas von Aquin. Friedrich Schöning Verlag.
Bougerol, G. (1964). Introduction to the Works of Bonaventure. Saint Anthony Guild.
Chan, J. (2021). “Living with happiness in a Troubled World? A Critical Exploration of Augustine’s Reception of Stoic Emotions in De civitate Dei”. In: Vinzent, M. (ed.). Papers Presented at the Eighteenth International Conference on Patristic Studies held in Oxford 2019. Peeters, 181-202. (Studia Patristica 118).
Chiarinelli, L. (2014). “Il Lignum vitae di San Bonaventura”, Doctor Seraphicus 62, 65-72.
Claes, M. (2021). “Reflections on Augustine’s Evaluation of the Body in his Later Comments on Genesis: A Christological Perspective”. In: Vinzent, M. (ed.). Papers Presented at the Eighteenth International Conference on Patristic Studies held in Oxford 2019. Peeters, 81-90. (Studia Patristica 118).
Clark, M. T. (2001). “De Trinitate”. In: Stump, E. e Kretzmann, N. (ed.). The Cambridge Companion to Augustine. Cambridge University Press, 91-102.
Cullen, C. M. (2006). Bonaventure. Oxford University Press.
Del Nevo, M. (2010). “Living Towards the End of Time: St. Augustine’s The city of God”. In: Cristado, W. e Wong, H. W. (ed.). St. Augustine: His Relevance and Legacy. ATF Theology, 55-85.
Denifle, H. e Chatelain, É. (ed.) (1889). Chartularium Universitatis Parisiensis. Vol. 1. Delalain.
Grossi, V. e Siniscalco, P. (1988). La vita cristiana nei primi secoli. Edizioni Studium.
Kenny, A. (1980). Tommaso d’Aquino. Dall’Oglio Editore.
Kirwan, C. (1991). Augustine. Routledge.
LaNave, G. (2014). “Bonaventure’s Theological Method”. In: Stump, E. e Kretzmann, N. (ed.). The Cambridge Companion to Augustine. Cambridge University Press, 81-120.
Lee Too, Y. (2023). “Education, Grammar, and Rhetoric”. In: Toom, T. (ed.). Augustine in Context. Cambridge University Press, 79-85.
Mann, W. E. (2001). “Augustine on Evil and Original Sin”. In: Stump, E. e Kretzmann, N. (ed.). The Cambridge Companion to Augustine. Cambridge University Press, 40-48.
Matthews, G. B. (2001). “Knowledge and Illumination”. In: Stump, E. e Kretzmann, N. (ed.). The Cambridge Companion to Augustine. Cambridge University Press, 171-185.
Mauro, L. (2019). “L’antropocentrismo di Bonaventura”. In: Zavattero, I. (ed.). L’uomo nel pensiero di Bonaventura da Bagnoregio. Aracne, 21-37.
O’Donnell, J. J. (2001). “Augustine: his time and lives”. In: Stump, E. e Kretzmann, N. (ed.). The Cambridge Companion to Augustine. Cambridge University Press, 8-25.
Porro, P. (2015). Thomas Aquinas. A Historical and Philosophical Profile. The Catholic University Press of America.
Rist, J. (2001). “Faith and Reason”. In: Stump, E. e Kretzmann, N. (ed.). The Cambridge Companion to Augustine. Cambridge University Press, 26-39.
Saak, E. L. (2012). Creating Augustine. Interpreting Augustine and Augustinianism in the Later Middle Ages. Oxford University Press.
Saak, E. L. (2022). Augustinian Theology in the Later Middle Ages. Vol. 1: Concepts, Perspectives, and the Emergence of Augustinian Identity. Brill.
Schlosser, M. (2014). “Bonaventure: Life and Works”. In: Hammond, J. M., Wayne Hellman, J. M. e Goff, J. (eds.). A Companion to Bonaventure. Brill, 9-59.
Stone, M. W. F. (2001). “Augustine and Medieval Philosophy”. In: Stump, E. e Kretzmann, N. (ed.). The Cambridge Companion to Augustine. Cambridge University Press, 253-267.
Stump, E. (2001). “Augustine on Free Will”. In: Stump, E. e Kretzmann, N. (ed.). The Cambridge Companion to Augustine. Cambridge University Press, 124-147.
Toom, T. (2017). “Augustine in Context and Augustine on Context”. In: Toom, T. (ed.). Augustine in Context. Cambridge University Press, 1-10.
Van Fleteren, F. (2001). “Principles of Augustine’s Hermeneutics: An Overview”. In: Van Fleteren, F. e Schnaubelt, J. C. (ed.). Augustine Biblical Exegete. Peter Lang, 1-32.
Vanni Rovighi, S. (1981). Introduzione a Tommaso d’Aquino. Laterza.
Williams, T. (2001). “Biblical Interpretation”. In: Stump, E. e Kretzmann, N. (ed.). The Cambridge Companion to Augustine. Cambridge University Press, 59-70.
Downloads
Published
Versions
- 2026-01-06 (2)
- 2026-01-06 (1)
Issue
Section
License
1. The authors who publish in this magazine accept the following conditions:
-
They retain the copyright and grant to the magazine the right of the first publication, with the work registered under the Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License that allows third parties to use what is published as long as they mention the authorship of the work and the first publication in this magazine.
-
They can make other independent and additional contractual agreements for the non-exclusive distribution of the version of the article published in this magazine (eg. include it in an institutional repository or publish it in a book) provided that they clearly indicate that the work was first published in this journal.
-
They are allowed and recommended to publish their work on the Internet (for example on institutional or personal pages).
2. AutoArchive Conditions. Authors are allowed and encouraged to distribute post-print electronic versions of their manuscripts because it promotes their circulation, a possible increase of quotation and a major reach among the Academic community. Color RoMEO: blue.
