Key Arguments

• He begins from the goodness of corruptible things: "It was obvious to me that things which are liable to corruption are good."
• He argues that if they were supreme goods, they would be incorruptible, and if there were no good in them, they could not be corrupted: "If they were the supreme goods, or if they were not good at all, they could not be corrupted. For if they were supreme goods, they would be incorruptible. If there were no good in them, there would be nothing capable of being corrupted."
• Corruption is defined as harmful diminishment of good: "Corruption does harm and unless it diminishes the good, no harm would be done. Therefore either corruption does not harm, which cannot be the case, or (which is wholly certain) all things that are corrupted suffer privation of some good."
• Total loss of good would imply non‑existence: "If they were to be deprived of all good, they would not exist at all."
• He rejects the absurdity that losing all good could improve things: "What could be more absurd than to say that by losing all good, things are made better? So then, if they are deprived of all good, they will be nothing at all. Therefore as long as they exist, they are good."
• From this he infers that evil cannot be a substance, since every substance as such is good: "Accordingly, whatever things exist are good, and the evil into whose origins I was inquiring is not a substance, for if it were a substance, it would be good."
• He notes that even a corruptible substance would have to be good in order to be corruptible: "Either it would be an incorruptible substance, a great good indeed, or a corruptible substance, which could be corrupted only if it were good."
• He concludes that God made all substances, all of them good, though unequal, and that taken together they are ‘very good’: "you made all things good, and there are absolutely no substances which you did not make. As you did not make all things equal, all things are good in the sense that taken individually they are good, and all things taken together are very good. For our God has made ‘all things very good’ (Gen.1: 31)."

Source Quotes

7: 27). ‘You are my Lord because you have no need of my goodness’ (Ps. iS: 2). xii (18) It was obvious to me that things which are liable to corruption are good. If they were the supreme goods, or if they were not good at all, they could not be corrupted.

Corruption does harm and unless it diminishes the good, no harm would be done. Therefore either corruption does not harm, which cannot be the case, or (which is wholly certain) all things that are corrupted suffer privation of some good. If they were to be deprived of all good, they would not exist at all.

What could be more absurd than to say that by losing all good, things are made better? So then, if they are deprived of all good, they will be nothing at all. Therefore as long as they exist, they are good.24 Accordingly, whatever things exist are good, and the evil into whose origins I was inquiring is not a substance, for if it were a substance, it would be good. Either it would be an incorruptible substance, a great good indeed, or a corruptible substance, which could be corrupted only if it were good.

So then, if they are deprived of all good, they will be nothing at all. Therefore as long as they exist, they are good.24 Accordingly, whatever things exist are good, and the evil into whose origins I was inquiring is not a substance, for if it were a substance, it would be good. Either it would be an incorruptible substance, a great good indeed, or a corruptible substance, which could be corrupted only if it were good.

Either it would be an incorruptible substance, a great good indeed, or a corruptible substance, which could be corrupted only if it were good. Hence I saw and it was made clear to me that you made all things good, and there are absolutely no substances which you did not make. As you did not make all things equal, all things are good in the sense that taken individually they are good, and all things taken together are very good.

Hence I saw and it was made clear to me that you made all things good, and there are absolutely no substances which you did not make. As you did not make all things equal, all things are good in the sense that taken individually they are good, and all things taken together are very good. For our God has made ‘all things very good’ (Gen.1: 31). xiii (19) For you evil does not exist at all, and not only for you but for your created universe, because there is nothing outside it which could break in and destroy the order which you have imposed upon it. But in the parts of the universe, there are certain elements which are thought evil because of a conflict of interest.

Key Concepts

• It was obvious to me that things which are liable to corruption are good.
• all things that are corrupted suffer privation of some good.
• if they are deprived of all good, they will be nothing at all. Therefore as long as they exist, they are good.
• whatever things exist are good, and the evil into whose origins I was inquiring is not a substance, for if it were a substance, it would be good.
• you made all things good, and there are absolutely no substances which you did not make.
• all things taken together are very good. For our God has made ‘all things very good’ (Gen.1: 31).

Context

Book VII, section xii (18): Augustine gives his most programmatic statement in the Confessions of privatio boni, resolving the metaphysical problem of evil.