16). If an action is done out of a sense of duty - selfless good will - then it is a moral action (Kent p. 16). An action done for any other reason is immoral, even if it results in the same outcome as the moral action (Kent p. 16). Duty is determined by a combination nature and reasoning; the wisdom of nature gives us our “innate instinct” (free will) and reason “produce[s] a will good in itself” that is universal and independent of our happiness (Kent p. 12). Thus our “ideals of moral perfection” are created by ourselves since we, as human beings, apply reason to …show more content…
In his work “Confessions,” he recounts his struggles to wholeheartedly accept Catholic Christianity as his faith despite his belief in God and Jesus. Augustine initially misunderstood that Catholic Christianity required one to be perfect like Jesus and God, a daunting and impossible task as Augustine’s continuous praises throughout the book illustrate. In the very first line he states: “You are great Lord, and highly to be praised: great is your power and your wisdom is immeasurable” (Augustine p. 3). Already he establishes that the Lord possesses a power and wisdom beyond our own, power and wisdom that we can not possess because we are merely a part of God’s creation, not His equal. Augustine then goes on to say that the Lord is “utterly good” and the “creator of all nature,” two more qualities that we are incapable of possessing because we commit sin and we are, once again, creations rather than creators (Augustine p. 4 and p. 32). Augustine eventually converts to Catholic Christianity after realizing that he does not have the power to save himself and be perfect like God and Jesus but he could give himself to Their will in order to be put on the path of salvation and perfection (Augustine p.