Augustine’s City of God: Context, Life, and Philosophy
Contextualizing Saint Augustine
The text belongs to The City of God (Civitas Dei), specifically to Book XI, chapters 26-27. This work, written by St. Augustine after the fall of the Roman Empire, is an early attempt at a philosophy of history from a theological perspective.
Life, Work, and Motivation
Augustine’s motivation was apologetics (a branch of theology that presents evidence and arguments for the truth of the Catholic Church). This motivation stemmed from the sacking of Rome. Augustine of Hippo was born in Tagaste (Algeria), in the Roman province of Numidia, in 354 and died in 430. Born to a pagan father and a Christian mother, he was educated in Christianity but later abandoned its practice.
In his city, he received intensive training, beginning with reading and writing, and then grammar and rhetoric. As a young man of 19, reading Cicero’s Hortensius was of great importance, instilling in him the belief in attaining truth and wisdom, which led him to Manichaeism (a doctrine with two fundamental principles: light, or the principle of good, and darkness, or the principle of evil).
He found the possession of truth only in Christianity, influenced by Bishop Ambrose in 387. He practiced diligently within the Church, first as a priest and, from 395, as Bishop of Hippo. Until his death in Hippo in 430, he developed a vast body of apologetic work. Among St. Augustine’s writings are Against the Academics, Confessions (an autobiography), and The City of God. The latter is his major work, summarizing his philosophy, theology, and politics. He also wrote treatises such as The Trinity and The True Religion.
Historical-Social Context
This work is influenced by the fall of the Roman Empire, which had shaped European history for centuries. During the first and second centuries, there was a revival of Platonic thought and a proliferation of beliefs. This Platonic doctrine influenced St. Augustine’s work, especially his readings of Plato’s Phaedo and Timaeus. In 410, Alaric entered Rome and sacked it, marking the end of the Roman Empire. This is the period in which Augustine lived and developed his thinking, which was followed by the Roman Church.
Philosophical Historical Context
Medieval Philosophy
Medieval thought covers topics such as the relationship between faith and reason, and the relationship with God/World or minerals. The world is seen as a system of symbolic realities that refer to God. The world is the effect of a supreme cause: God. Medieval philosophy is not identified solely with Scholasticism (philosophical currents originating in medieval Europe, characterized by a synthesis between Catholic dogmas and Greek philosophy) or with Christian philosophy.
If medieval philosophy is understood as all doctrines arising from the sixth century onward, St. Augustine, who lived in the fourth century, should not be included in this period, although he is essential to understanding this philosophy.
The Church Fathers
This period developed during the early centuries of the Christian era. Key issues of medieval philosophy were raised: the relationship between faith and reason, the debate between anti-dialectical and dialectical approaches, etc. The first writings were conducted by the Church Fathers, addressing theological questions. This philosophy ends in the seventh century in the West and in the eighth century in the East.
Neoplatonism
Neoplatonism is a philosophical current originating in the second century, essentially a revival of Plato’s philosophy. Its principal representatives were Philo and Plotinus. Plotinus profoundly influenced St. Augustine. According to Neoplatonism, all things proceed by emanation from the One. They defend the preexistence and immortality of the soul, the principle of the Absolute.
Thematic Context
St. Augustine’s thought configures a set of doctrines held during the Medieval Age, later entering into dispute with Aristotelianism. Among the doctrines that defined their representatives are:
- Voluntarism: Primacy of the will over the intellect.
- Pre-eminence of faith over reason: Enlightenment, which opposed the Aristotelian theory of abstraction released by Thomas Aquinas.
- The political doctrine of the two cities: Linearity of historical time.
St. Augustine is the most important figure of patristic philosophy and the most influential philosopher in the post-Scholastic period, along with St. Anselm and St. Thomas Aquinas.