Episode Overview

Podcast: History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps
Host: Peter Adamson
Episode: 111 – "Papa Don’t Teach: Augustine on Language"
Date: January 13, 2013

This episode explores Augustine's influential ideas about language, learning, and knowledge—particularly as developed in his dialogue De Magistro ("On the Teacher") with his son Adeodatus. Peter Adamson traces Augustine’s distinctive views on the limitations and purpose of language, the role of divine illumination in gaining knowledge, and the implications for interpreting scripture and non-Christian writings. The episode also connects Augustine's thought to later developments in philosophy of language and rounds off with how these themes relate to his broader theology of will and charity.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Augustine’s Dialogue with His Son Adeodatus ([00:00]–[04:00])

• Adamson sets the scene by highlighting Augustine’s unusual way of father–son bonding: philosophizing about language and knowledge.
• Augustine’s dialogue On the Teacher with the teenage Adeodatus serves as a vehicle to explore the source of knowledge—a subject that not only reflects earlier philosophy (most notably Plato) but also anticipates modern questions in the philosophy of language.
• Notable Quote:

  “If this is true, then Adeodatus was a talented lad. His name means gift of God, but what God gives, he can also take away.” (Peter Adamson, 00:56)

2. Language as Signs: Nature and Puzzles ([04:00]–[11:30])

• Augustine defines language as a system of “signs,” distinguishing linguistic from non-linguistic (e.g., gestures, traffic signs).
• All words are signs, but not all signs are straightforward. For example, it’s hard to specify what function words (“if”, “nothing”) signify.
• A classic philosophical problem: Are we referring to the sign or the thing it signifies? Augustine offers humorous sophistical examples (like the “lion” or "man" syllogisms in Latin).
• Memorable Analogy:

  “Augustine compares using language to philosophize about language to someone who is scratching an itch in his own fingers so that he can no longer tell which fingers are itching and which are scratching.” (Peter Adamson, 05:33)

3. Can Language Convey Knowledge? ([11:30]–[18:30])

• Augustine and Adeodatus discuss that while language can teach us about other signs, it struggles to convey knowledge about things themselves.
• Adamson draws the distinction:
  • Teaching the meaning of “giraffe”: presumes familiarity with giraffes (otherwise the explanation is circular).
  • Pointing or demonstrating (e.g., showing someone “dancing”): leads to issues of indeterminacy—see Quine’s “gavagai” thought experiment.
• Augustine downplays the depth of this problem but concedes that teaching about things (versus about words) using language has limitations:
• Notable Quote:

  “If I am to teach you what the word giraffe signifies, you must already know what a giraffe is.” (Peter Adamson, 12:48)

4. God as the True Teacher: Knowledge, Belief, and Divine Illumination ([18:30]–[25:00])

• Augustine asserts that language can give us belief, but not knowledge. True knowledge (whether by empirical investigation or reflection) comes ultimately from God.

• Notable Quote:

  “No human teacher will ever be giving you knowledge. All the teacher can give you is belief and encouragement to consider things for yourself. Any knowledge you get from this process is not innate, as Plato claimed, but comes from God himself.” (Peter Adamson, 19:35)

• Adamson explains that this idea anticipates key concepts in the philosophy of language (belief versus knowledge) and emphasizes Augustine’s concept of the “inner truth”—God dwelling within us, as the ultimate source of knowledge.

5. The Role and Limits of Language ([25:00]–[28:50])

• Signs (including language) mostly foster belief, not certainty, about things. Even when expressing beliefs about oneself (“I love Buster Keaton”), language can mislead or fail (possible dishonesty or error).
• Human teachers, using language, play a crucial but limited role: they can challenge misconceptions and prompt self-reflection, but the leap to genuine knowledge or wisdom requires divine illumination.

6. Augustine on Interpreting Scripture: De Doctrina Christiana ([28:50]–[39:00])

• Augustine’s On Christian Teaching (De Doctrina Christiana) complements his theory of language and learning, focusing on how to interpret Scripture.
• All of Scripture has a central purpose: to guide the reader to caritas (charity/love of God and neighbor).
• Notable Quote:

  “If the overall point of the Bible is to lead us to charity, we can be certain that no interpretation inconsistent with charity could be correct.” (Peter Adamson, 33:15)

• Where passages seem to contradict this principle, allegorical interpretations are warranted, and multiple interpretations can coexist if they all serve the ultimate goal of charity.
• Scriptural interpretation is thus a communal, charitable endeavor, not a competitive or prideful one.

7. Use and Limits of Pagan Wisdom ([39:00]–[43:45])

• Augustine is pragmatic about non-Christian (pagan) knowledge: whatever is true and useful for elucidating Christian teaching should be “commandeered,” much as the Israelites took valuables from the Egyptians but rejected their idols.

• Metaphor:

  “The right approach to pagan wisdom is the attitude the Israelites took towards Egyptian treasure. They spurned the pagan idols, but happily made off with their gold … to make better use of them.” (Peter Adamson, 41:11)

• Platonist philosophy is particularly useful for Christians, as Augustine demonstrates in The Confessions.

8. Platonism, Genesis, and Multiple Interpretations ([43:45]–[50:45])

• Augustine’s reading of Genesis is enriched by Platonist metaphysics but always directed toward interpreting Scripture in a way that promotes charity and love of God.
• He is open to multiple valid interpretations of Scripture, provided they embody the right moral message.
• The world itself is a sign pointing to God, and even advanced metaphysical insights must be integrated into the moral purpose of faith.

9. Connection to Augustine’s Doctrine of the Will ([50:45]–End)

• Adamson foreshadows that Augustine’s views on language and learning parallel his theory of the will: humans need divine aid, both for knowledge and for moral goodness.
• Even after conversion, believers must constantly struggle, relying on God’s assistance to avoid sin.
• Transition Quote:

  “So we should not be surprised to discover a parallel between his views on language and his famous teaching on the will. We’ve seen in this episode that for Augustine, language by itself cannot bring us to knowledge. For that, we need the involvement of God dwelling within us. Likewise, he believes that we cannot be good without the assistance of God.” (Peter Adamson, 51:35)

Memorable Quotes & Timestamps

• On the function of language:
  “We use signs, which are usually, but not always linguistic, to teach people about things and also about other signs.” (Peter Adamson, 06:20)

• On indeterminacy of meaning:
  “This problem of indeterminacy, that is, how we can ever convey to someone the exact meaning of a word, reappeared much later in 20th-century philosophy of language.” (Peter Adamson, 09:47)

• On truth and the divine:
  “This inner truth by whose light we achieve knowledge is nothing other than God dwelling within us. So it is God the Father, not Augustine the Father, who is in a position to bring Adeodatus to knowledge.” (Peter Adamson, 21:18)

• On the guiding principle for scriptural interpretation:
  “All of Scripture has a single overarching aim: to lead its reader to caritas … a twofold love towards our neighbour and towards God.” (Peter Adamson, 32:54)

Episode Flow & Structure

• Opening Anecdote & Augustine’s Dialogue with Son: Host uses Augustine’s exchange with Adeodatus as a springboard for examining classical questions about language and teaching.
• Foundations of Language: Examination of how Augustine inherits and challenges ideas from Plato and others.
• Philosophy of Language: Exploration of the limitations and capacities of words and signs for communicating knowledge.
• God as Illuminator: Argument that only God enables true knowledge, with language serving a preparatory or guiding function.
• Scriptural Hermeneutics: Augustine's approach to interpreting Scripture, rooted in moral purpose (charity) rather than doctrinal dogmatism.
• Engaging with Pagan Wisdom: Advice for Christians on what, and how, to value from non-Christian philosophy.
• Conclusion & Preview: The episode ends by highlighting Augustine’s view that both truth and moral goodness require God’s grace, segueing into a coming discussion of Augustine’s views on the will.

Summary

Peter Adamson’s episode offers a clear, engaging account of Augustine’s complex philosophy of language and learning. He covers the ancient context, Augustine’s innovations, longstanding puzzles in philosophy of language, and the practical and theological stakes—especially for scriptural interpretation and the relationship between reason, faith, and charity. For Augustine, words can only guide and encourage, but knowledge and virtue come ultimately from God, who dwells within each individual. This interplay of belief, knowledge, signs, and divine aid sets up the continuation of Augustine’s thought in future episodes.