Athanasius completed the Nicene definition in such a way as...

Athanasius completed the Nicene definition in such a way as to include the third member of the Trinity the Holy Spirit and achieved a definition which became the starting point of a genuinely philosophical doctrine. By doing this he set the stage for St. Augustine's formulation of a truly Christian philosophy which made use of Hellenistic classical Greek phraseology without being subservient to it.

Patristic philosophy provided the materials of the medieval synthesis achieved during the Scholastic Period and thereby determined the complexion of Western European Civilization of the Middle Ages.

Augustine's ethics: The supreme goal of human conduct is a religious, mystical one the mind's union with God in the vision of God [to take place in a future, true life]Rich and poor alike were capable of salvation but possession of private property is a hindrance to the soul: Augustine places emphasis on povertythough the highest good is the transcendent good, a relative perfection may be obtained by performance of external works: venial sins may be wiped out by prayer, fasting, almsMan was free to sin or not to sinbut this was corrupted by Adam, and the entire human race is corrupted: now it is not possible for man not to sinGod alone can change him.

His philosophy of history: In the City of God: a universal philosophy of history [considers temporal and historical processes in the context of external nature and the purpose of God]: it became the prototype of such modern though radically different philosophical interpretations of history such as those offered by Rousseau, Hegel, Comte, Nietzsche, Marx, Spengler, and Frobenius.

The essential features: [^1] historical process is a purposive teleological whole, [^2] the process is predestined by God to bring about the redemption of some men and the destruction of others [but this does not preclude free will]. 3.4 Scholastic period The free roaming of the human mind within the framework of dogma in time leading to the freeing of human reason, intellect from its theological bondage. The agenda of scholasticism: o elaborate a system of thought which will square with dogmas.

Stages: [^1] Formative: ninth-twelfth centuries: Platonism, Neoplatonism and Augustinianism are the dominant philosophical tendencies.