Saint Augustine’s Pear Theft
By Phineas Upham

Introduction
Phineas Upham examines the incident of Saint
Augustine’s pear theft in “Confessions,” and
Augustine’s conclusions on virtue, sin, and
redemption.
“Human Happiness” by Phineas Upham

The nature of sin and virtue as revealed in Saint Augustine’s
confession of the pear theft, and the confession of the greatness of man’s
need of God’s great mercy.
“There was a pear tree near our vineyard laden with fruit, though
attractive in neither color nor taste. To shake the fruit off the tree and
carry off the pears, I and a gang of naughty adolescents set off late at
night after (in our usual pestilential way) we had continued our game in
the streets. We carried off a huge load of pears. But they were not for our
feasts but merely to throw to the pigs,” (p29).
“Human Happiness” by Phineas Upham

Augustine’s confession of the pear theft is that drop of dew in which
one can see reflected all the colors of Augustine’s demanding concept of
sin and virtue. Recounting his pear theft Saint Augustine analyses what
seemed in his youth a comradely escapade, a youthful prank; and he finds
that this pear theft was as significant as the apple theft in the Garden of
Eden. Saint Augustine examines in this act of pear theft his impudence and
his audacity in trying out the liberty of God.
“Human Happiness” by Phineas Upham

As Adam’s and Eve’s disobedience in The Garden of Eden expresses a
restless desire to be Godlike and gain God’s knowledge of Good and Evil,
so Saint Augustine’s violation, his “sin for its own sake,” expresses a
restless desire for God’s Liberty. In this “maimed liberty” in which he
“viciously and perversely imitate[d] my Lord,” Augustine was “thereby
making an assertion of possessing a dim resemblance to omnipotence”
(p32). It is this demonic “imitation of God” that Augustine did “love in that
theft.” He loved the essential audacity of theft, the audacity of the
exercise of God’s law-unto-himselfness and the disregard of spiritual
consequence with a callow assumption of impunity.
“Human Happiness” by Phineas Upham

Augustine’s rigorous and analytical examination of the nature of his
pear theft is alternated with expressions of pious exhilaration with God,
“You alone are worthy of honor and are glorious for eternity. … Who is to
be feared but God alone?” These alternations make Augustine’s
confessions engaging and readable rather than relentless. Also adding to
the liveliness and effectiveness of the pear theft story are Augustine’s
contrary uses of similar words in unlikely juxtaposition, for example “a
friendship too unfriendly”, and “ashamed not to be shameless”, and “the
satiety of your love is insatiable” (p34).
“Human Happiness” by Phineas Upham

In these intriguing terms Augustine emphasizes that the theft was
for its own sake and not for pears, “The fruit was beautiful, but was not
that which my miserable soul coveted … My feasting was only on the
wickedness which I took pleasure in enjoying” (p31). Not only was
Augustine’s theft not for pears and not only was it an attempt to displace
and assume God’s liberty and omnipotence, but also it was as grave as any
sin. Saint Augustine believes himself more culpable in his pear theft than
even the killer Catiline. For Saint Augustine, unlike Catiline, loved his act of
theft: “I loved my fall… shame for its own sake,” (p29). Although Catiline
was generally considered to embody the principles of evil, wanton cruelty,
and unrestrained brutality, Augustine does not believe it, “No one would
commit murder without a motive, merely because he took pleasure in
killing. Who would believe that? … No, not even Catiline himself loved his
crimes…” (p30). Augustine imagines Catiline’s motives to be ambition for
honors, security and wealth, while Augustine considers his own motives
to be much more base and onerous. Augustine is more distressed with his
crime because, “My feasting was only on the wickedness which I took
pleasure in enjoying” (p31).
“Human Happiness” by Phineas Upham

How different this confession from the Old Testament’s Psalm 139 in
which a demanding God is called upon to behold an upright and
“wondrously made” man and his moral achievement, “Do I not hate them
[His enemies] with a perfect hatred … see if there be any wicked way in
me.” But Saint Augustine does not find God as demanding as He is
merciful, nor does he find that the progress of a man’s soul requires
achievement as much as submission.
“Human Happiness” by Phineas Upham

Therefore Saint Augustine considers it ungrateful of God’s mercy to
ascribe “purity” or “innocency” , “virtue” or “strength” to any man for, at
best, his uncommitted sins. “I also attribute to your grace whatever evil
acts I have not done. … No one who considers his frailty would dare to
attribute to his own strength his chastity and innocence …” (p32). In his
pious delight in submission to God and in his exhaustive gratitude for
God’s mercy, Augustine confesses, through this sin of theft, all and any sins
of which we are all potentially guilty, and “he should not mock the healing
of a sick man by the Physician, whose help has kept him from falling sick”
(p33). For Saint Augustine, however, a man has sinned or might have
sinned and only in turning towards God and receiving His mercy is he
saved. The pear theft is significant not only in its essential audacity and in
its imitation of God’s liberty, but also and especially for its reflection of all
sin as a turning away from God, and for the worst sin, the love of sinning.
For Saint Augustine, all sin is a turning away from God and all virtue
depends on God’s mercy. Augustine essentially confesses the greatness of
man’s need of God’s great mercy.
“Human Happiness” by Phineas Upham

About the Author
Phineas Upham graduated from the Wharton School of the
University of Pennsylvania, where he was awarded for his research and
served in leading community service roles. Upham published a successful
book in 2002 that was translated into Mandarin and sold in the US, Europe
and China, and has since edited two more. He has also written a nationally
syndicated newspaper column and had his work published in numerous
scholarly journals. Phineas Upham is a frequent contributor to blogs like
Thought Suite.

About the Author (contd)
Phineas Upham currently works as an investor in New York City and
San Francisco, where he has previously worked doing financial research
and analysis for a bulge-bracket investment bank and most recently in
macro-economic and technology investing at a leading hedge fund.
Upham's community service involvement includes serving as a member of
the Board of the University of Pennsylvania Museum's Young
Friends, where he led major aspects of its community outreach in West
Philadelphia and was responsible for all graduate student involvement in
the Museum. Phineas received his undergraduate degree with Honors
from Harvard University. He is a Term Member at the Council on Foreign
Relations.