St. Augustine

the goal of St. Augustines philosophy was to move faulty impressions of sensory knowledge to attain divine wisdom. According to St. Augustine God's grace allows us to access this good by looking inward (introspection) and then looking upward (for grace) one can achieve salvation and happiness. He thought that only "inner experience" studied trough introspection, or self evaluation and looking inward for the answers was valid. This was later called beautific vision. St. Augustine's philosophy relates to the art of this time because philosophy because philosophy was the way for educated people to see the beautific vision and art was the way for the illiterate to se beautific visionin. This concept can be seen directily in the Gothic Carthedrals because there outside is plain, dark, tainted but on the inside they were beautiful, full of light. This light came from the churches large stained glass windows which depicted biblical stories, Jesus' messages and truths, and to show the beauty and light that lies within, thus mirroring St. Augustines philosophy and showing that it is whats on the inside that matters.