THE PROBLEM OF EVIL IN THE THOUGHT OF SAINT AUGUSTINE

Abstract

This research investigates the problem of evil from the philosophical-theological perspective of Augustine of Hippo (354 AD – 430 AD), a medieval philosopher and theologian of the Patristic period. The research examines parts of his works *On the Nature of Good – Against the Manicheans* (De Natura Boni contra manichaeos) and *On Free Will* (De Libero Arbitrio), verifying the aspects that explain the Hippo philosopher's thought on evil, including the discussion of the origin of evil and how it relates to human morality, touching upon concepts such as free will, sin, and Manichaeism. In *On the Nature of Good*, the author considers that nature (which he divides into attributes called mode, species, and order) as a whole is good, and that evil is nothing more than a corruption of this good, not by something that is inherently evil, but by something "less good," thus contradicting the Manichean thesis of the coexistence of good and evil. In *On Free Will*, Augustine argues that free will cannot be an agent of evil, but rather a moral choice of humankind, an autonomy granted to us by God, which allows man to be responsible for his actions. Therefore, this work seeks to briefly analyze the cited works, attempting to condense Saint Augustine's ideas on the problem of evil.