>>294Neoplatonic is different from Platonic.
For instance, plato believed that a good life is a life of happiness, or eudimonia. And really, what is a more enlightening thing to bring joy to oneself than chasing the form of good?
Augustine saw this as rather short sighted. He believed the human soul to be eternal, so your life on earth was rather miniscule compared to eternity. For him, it was important to set oneself up for the afterlife, and if that meant suffering to avoid sin, then so be it.