St. Augustine Flashcards
Contrast earthly city and heavenly city
The earthly city is characterized by the love of self, which leads to the love of temporal things and ultimately to the love of power. It is made up of those who seek their own interests above all else
In contrast, the heavenly city is characterized by the love of God, which leads to the love of others and ultimately to the love of eternal things. It is made up of those who seek the common good
Augustine believed that while the earthly city has its place in this world, it is ultimately subordinate to the heavenly city. The role of the church is to guide individuals toward the heavenly city, by promoting the love of God and the common good
Why rome ceases to be a commonwealth
According to St. Augustine, Rome failed to be a commonwealth because it lacked two essential elements: love of God and love of neighbor. In his view, Rome’s pursuit of power and wealth had led to a society marked by greed, violence, and moral decay.
Roman empire is full of injustices -> lead to fall of roman empire
For the city of god, he emphasized the importance of ___ which resulted to ___
What is the effect of the fall of man?
unity; creation of certain institutions
we are now susceptible to sins
On decadent paganism
Augustine claimed that the pagan gods and their worship had become corrupted over time, with a focus on superficial pleasures and material gain rather than moral virtue and spiritual transcendence. He also argued that the pagan gods were unable to provide a satisfying moral framework for society, leading to a lack of social cohesion and moral decay.
He believed that Christianity could provide the unity and moral coherence that was lacking in pagan society
What is the function of state?
How can the sins of slave be reduced?
function of state - to lead us to god; prevents us from creating sin
Slavery – the sins of slave can be reduced by having a master
Where are the two cities based on?
According to St. Augustine’s “City of God,” the two cities are based on love. The City of God is based on the love of God and the City of Man is based on the love of self
Those who belong to the City of God will find eternal happiness, while those who belong to the City of Man will experience eternal misery.
it is only in the judgment day who will be the members of heavenly city and earthly city
What is St. Augustine’s concept of justice?
Ordering of city based on Greek idea of giving each one its due
(Important) How did St. Augustine view christianity?
Christianity as providing a strong moral foundation for society, based on the teachings of Jesus Christ and the principles of love, compassion, and forgiveness. He believed that Christianity could provide the unity and moral coherence that was lacking in pagan society.
