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This analysis examines Augustine's perspective on belief and its relation to friendship and evidence requirements.

February 9, 2026Ancient Philosophy Today0 citations

Augustine on Evidentiary Thresholds and Belief in Friendship

Key Points

This analysis examines Augustine's perspective on belief and its relation to friendship and evidence requirements.
Analyzed Augustine's texts, De Fide Rerum Inuisibilium and De Utilitate Credendi.
Compared Augustine's views with those of contemporary philosophers Stroud, Keller, Adler, and Hicks.
Discussed definitions of doubt and its relevance to belief and evidentiary thresholds.
Identified the necessity of some beliefs for friendships according to Augustine.
Clarified that evidence requirements should be balanced with personal and non-epistemic factors.
Demonstrated how precise definitions of doubt can allow the beliefs Augustine advocates.

Abstract

Augustine argues in De Fide Rerum Inuisibilium and De Utilitate Credendi that friendship requires some beliefs. While Augustine thinks these beliefs should be grounded in considerable evidence and accompanied by awareness of their epistemic limitations, he also thinks, for reasons often aligning with the views of Stroud (2006) and Keller (2004) , that non-epistemic considerations should limit how high we set the evidentiary thresholds (the amount of evidence we require before believing). Putting Augustine in conversation with Adler and Hicks (2014) elucidates how the beliefs Augustine advocates are possible if one precisely defines the sort of doubt they involve.

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