St. Augustine (AD )

St. Augustine--Background Bishop of Hippo, Africa. Convert, native & lifelong inhabitant of Roman North Africa. Father of Christian philosophy and theology. Wrote The Confessions and The City of God.

St. Augustine--Background (cont’d.) Considered the first political realist because of his emphasis on human limitations. Parallel between Plato and Augustine. –During Plato’s days, the polis was dissolving. –During Augustine’s days, the Roman Empire was dissolving.

St. Augustine--Background (cont’d.) Historical perspective of Augustine. 410 AD, Goths sacked Rome. Loss of empire causes people to look for a scapegoat. Christianity had been officially tolerated in the empire from AD 313. Christianity became the official religion of the empire in AD 393.

St. Augustine--Background (cont’d.) Historical perspective of Augustine (cont’d.) Subversvive connection between Christianity and fall of the empire?? –Pacifism –Disregard for public affairs Christians perplexed as well. –Alliance of church and empire a disadvantage?

St. Augustine--Background (cont’d.) Historical perspective of Augustine (cont’d.) Augustine wrote The City of God in response. Two purposes: –To counter these anti-Christian sentiments. –To express his view of Christian philosophy.

St. Augustine--Background (cont’d.) The City of God. Rome’s fall due to internal decay and corruption. The heavenly city vs the earthly city.

The Heavenly City vs the Earthly City 2 opposing ways of life. Earthly city: –Where love of self and the lust of power predominate. –A product of sin. –Owes allegiance to the heavenly city. –Symbolically reflected in the state.

The Heavenly City vs the Earthly City (cont’d.) 2 opposing ways of life (cont’d.). Heavenly city: –Where the love of God, even to contempt of self, is the foundation of order. –There needs to be an agency on earth to guide man to the heavenly city. –Symbolically represented in the church.

The Heavenly City vs the Earthly City (cont’d.) Augustine thus divided the human race into 2 parts--the 2 cities or communities of men. –Those who live according to man--the earthly city. –Those who live according to God--the heavenly city.

The Heavenly City vs the Earthly City (cont’d.) Earthly city--predestined to eternal punishment. Heavenly city--predestined to reign eternally with God. What does this say about Augustine’s view of the nature of man????

The Heavenly City vs the Earthly City (cont’d.) Created good, but corruptible. What is the corrupting factor?? Original sin. Heavenly city=community of believers=baptized=ecclesia Earthly city=community of sinners=not baptized.

Augustine’s View of the State State, even though a product of sin, has its place. View is based on 2 fundamental premises: Man is a social being. All men wish to have peace.

Augustine’s View of the State (cont’d.) Augustine held that man was a “social being”. Ecclesia is a society of believers. World outside is a society of sinners. Saw society as being natural to man. –Affiliations. –Relationships based on similar characteristics.

Augustine’s View of the State (cont’d.) Augustine held that all men wish to have peace. 2 versions of peace. Peace on earth: –Temporary earthbound tranquility that enables man to work for the heavenly city. Heavenly peace: –Never-ending.

Augustine’s View of the State (cont’d.) Place of the state tied to the 2 communities and their desire for peace: Purpose of the state is to remedy disputes between the 2 communities. –Provide peace. –Maintain internal order. –Protect against external threats.

Augustine’s View of the State (cont’d.) So what do you suppose his view of war would be?? Supports the “just war theory.” Since peace can only exist if a collective belief in self-defense is held, wars in defense of peace are okay. So understanding the role of the state and peace, the question becomes, how does man achieve peace?

Augustine’s View of Peace and Justice How does man achieve peace? Defined by Augustine in terms of justice. The essence of justice (true peace) is the right relation between man and God. From this relationship, right relations between men will naturally follow. So the key is virtue.

Augustine’s View of Peace and Justice (cont’d.) Virtue as the key to personal peace and justice. Source of virtue for Plato = staying in station. Source of virtue for Aristotle = treating equals equally. Source of virtue for Augustine = perfect love of God expressed thru love of one’s neighbors.

Augustine’s View of Peace and Justice (cont’d.) So love is the definition of virtue. Augustine identified four aspects of love: Temperance –Love must be preserved entire and incorrupt. Fortitude –Love must be maintained through all conflict.

Augustine’s View of Peace and Justice (cont’d.) Four aspects of love (cont’d.): Justice –Love’s precepts are recognized not only for individuals, but for groups in society as well. Prudence –Love must be guarded against fraud. Ultimately, we must love all men even though we can’t do good to all men.

Peace and Justice: Collectively and Individually State achieves justice not just by the provision of peace, but by restraining the citizens from evil. –Defined as more than just the absence of social strife and conflict. –State is an instrument of coercion.

Peace and Justice: Collectively and Individually (cont’d.) Ecclesia can only achieve true peace if the opportunity to pursue God exists. –Needs to tend to his soul--avoid the corruption of the material world. So rather than formal authority or sovereignty, the state has a moral purpose.

Peace and Justice: Collectively and Individually (cont’d.) Man can only achieve peace and justice by perfecting his love of God by perfecting his love of his fellow man. No time for the affairs of state. –Surrender politically to the heavenly city. What does one do if subject to a tyrant? Surrender to persecution! God’s plan?? A test of your character??

General Questions Relating to Augustine Is Augustine politically liberal or politically conservative? Undoubtedly conservative. Organic state view. Obedience to authority.

General Questions Relating to Augustine (cont’d.) How is Augustine relevant to our age?? A religious idealist, but a political realist. Man=good, but corruptible. Corruption=self-pride, self- centeredness. We fear domination by others, so we seek to dominate. This process is called the “security-power dilemma.”