Restless Mind: Curiositas & the Scope of Inquiry in St. Augustine's Psychology

by N. Joseph Torchia

Students of St. Augustine might well assume that he identified restlessness exclusively
with the impulses of the heart and the range of affectivities shaping human choices.
But Augustine was also preoccupied with the dynamics of the restless mind prompted
by curiosity. His extensive discussions of curiosity (which he identified with the
lust of the eyes of Scripture) reveal a profound psychological discovery on his part,
namely, the cognitive appetitiveness that provides the stimulus to our ongoing search
for knowledge. This book explores the metaphysical, epistemological, and moral
implications of curiosity in Augustines writings, against the background of the
classical, scriptural, and patristic traditions. In broader terms, it puts Augustine in
conversation with later currents of thought, assessing how his deliberations on the
curious disposition say something significant about the scope and limits of human
inquiry, particularly in the context of scientific investigation.

312 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2013