In Augustine's Confessions, he has an internal conflict regarding his hesitation to convert to Christianity. He claims to disagree with Manichean ways and beliefs and lists his reasons in several passages. The subject of these passages concerns the will, particularly complete and incomplete wills. However, one of his arguments on this concept shows that he is influenced by Manichean ideas. In Augustine's second passage he clearly states that there are two wills, complete and incomplete. In doing so, he subtly shows that he is influenced by the Manichaean theory of the two wills. Augustine's first argument begins in section 20, beginning with his hesitation to convert and comparing it to a man's lack of physical strength. He then presents his position on wills. It proclaims that it is easy for the body to obey the soul and obey the will of the soul. On the other hand, it is not so easy for the soul to obey itself and its wishes. Augustine thinks that it is because his will was not whole, and if it were whole, he would not think about it yet, he would have already done it, in the same way that his body moves without hesitation. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay In section 21, Augustine continues his assertion that the mind commands the body, but when the mind commands the mind, it has difficulty obeying. . He explains this by explaining how the body can so easily obey the will of the mind, making it barely distinctive as a will. Augustine argues that this is because the will is only there while it is being accomplished. Moving a hand and converting to Christianity are the same will, but the body moving the hand is hardly noticed as a will because it's too easy, it's a routine thing. Furthermore, if the mind does not command a will, it is because the will was not whole. Will commands the will to exist. If this commandment is incomplete, the will is not fulfilled and therefore never was a will. On the other hand, if a will were complete, it would no longer have a command to exist, and therefore the will would not exist at all. This is why Augustine believes that the Manichaeans are wrong and that there is no “monstrous” division between wanting and not wanting. However, Augustine then says that there are two wills, and both are incomplete. They separate because one has what the other lacks. In the next section, 22, he explains his reasoning for why the Manichaeans are evil and are far from God because of their arrogance. Augustine continues his argument that the wills cannot be divided into two separate wills because they are both incomplete and that makes them the same. Augustine then explains his belief that the self who proposes the will is the same self who does not will; not two separate minds, but the same. To not want or not want is to be in conflict with oneself. Augustine ends this section understanding that it is not his fault that he is both voluntary and involuntary, but that it is a punishment for being the son of Adam, the original sinner. Augustine continues this in section 23. This section begins with Augustine advancing his disagreement with the Manichaeans. His claim is that if the wills were separated due to indecision, there would be many more wills than two. He challenges the validity of being led by good or bad will, calling into question that both directions could be bad wills. He wonders how a will can be divided into good and.