Saint Augustine of Hippo was born in the cradle of culture, also known as Tagaste, in 354 A.D. He is known as the greatest thinker and philosopher of Christianity. In this article we will explain a little about Saint Augustine and his philosophy.
The life and work of Saint Augustine
This saint was born into a family of average but stable economic stability, with a father and mother of different religious beliefs. Patricius Aurelius, St Augustine’s father, was considered a pagan at the time and was a small farmer, the main source of the family’s income.
St Monica, on the other hand, is the one who gives life to St Augustine and his philosophy. She was a Christian woman who was considered by the Catholic Church to be the perfect model of a self-sacrificing, kind and pious mother, even in the face of adversity. However, it is not she who makes Augustine a Christian. On the contrary, Augustine was a pagan in his youth, despite his mother’s tireless efforts.
In fact, St Augustine passes through various beliefs, touching on scepticism, Manichaeism and various ideologies considered “pagan” or “heretical” because they denied the existence of God or had false idols. His thinking, on the other hand, was strongly influenced by the ideas of Plato.
The education of Saint Augustine of Hippo
Saint Augustine of Hippo began his education in his home town, but found himself in an economic situation that forced him to interrupt his studies and resume them later in 370 in Carthage, a great city founded by the Phoenicians. At this university he devoted himself to research and the study of subjects such as rhetoric and philosophy.
St. Augustine and his philosophy, between both sources of study, developed a much greater and more intense fixation on rhetoric. He tried to carry out various investigations into the errors of Latin, since it was a language that he could not master in its entirety.
The youth of St Augustine of Hippo
Although he would later become a saint and dedicate his life to humanitarian causes, his youth was anything but. According to his own writings and reliable testimonies, Saint Augustine and his philosophy spent their golden years blinded by the enjoyment of all pleasures, wine and feasts. A little later, in Carthage, he met a woman of unknown identity with whom he fathered an illegitimate child.
“Adeodatus, which means God’s gift, was the only son of Saint Augustine. As well as being the pride of his parents, he was known to have an enviable intelligence and memory. As a result, he was considered by his father to be the family’s greatest hope.
Influenced by writers such as Hortentius of Cicero, he moved to Rome and later to Milan, where he became a professor of rhetoric and founded his own school, where he taught until 383. It was not until he had a conversation with Faustus of Milevius that he decided to change his religious ideology. It was at this meeting that Augustine, in a fit of disappointment, abandoned Manichaeism.
Augustine and his philosophy convert to Christianity.
Over the years, he moved from Manichaeism to scepticism and then, after being influenced and impressed by the preaching of the Milanese priest Ambrose, he began to approach the Christian faith. However, his conversion to Christianity did not take place until 386.
In the same year, Augustine decided to move to a town near Milan called Casiciaco. There he decided to be accompanied by friends, his mother and his son. It was there that he began to write a series of letters called epistles, in which his main aim was to convey messages between a sender and a receiver.
In 387 he was baptised in front of the church and from that moment on he decided to change his life. Suddenly he changed from being a pagan and sought to purify his soul through faith, love of the word and prayer. That same year he made a vow of chastity. Thus Augustine and his philosophy changed.
Life in the Church of St Augustine
The death of St Monica a year later prompted St Augustine to move to Africa, to Tagaste, his birthplace. There he founded a monastery, which lasted only four years.
Augustine and his philosophy continued their journey to Hippo, where he was ordained a priest. His name “Saint Augustine of Hippo” is derived from his work in that city.
As a priest he founded a second monastery on land given to him by Bishop Valerius. This was the scene of various philosophical disputes in which Augustine strongly criticised heretical activities (such as Donatism and Pelagianism) as the main problem of the Christian faith.
Later he was consecrated auxiliary bishop, the second most important post in Hippo after Bishop Valerius. Thus the saint continued his journey of trying to purify the world through the love of God and the Christian faith.
Famous dates in honour of St Augustine and his philosophy
- 28 August in the western area
- 15 June in the eastern area
- 5 May conversion of St Augustine vetus ordo (The Old Order in English)
- 24 April idem novus ordo (The New Order)
The works of Saint Augustine of Hippo and his philosophy
St Augustine produced more than 100 writings, which vary in theme and purpose: Confessions and The City of God, his two most famous and popular works. We will analyse each of them separately below.
St Augustine and his philosophy are deeply rooted in this work, as the saint used it to expand his ideas.
The death of Augustine and his philosophy
Augustine and his philosophy died on the 28th of August 430, at the age of 75, due to the attack of the Genseric vandals who took over the province. His body now lies in San Pietro in Ciel d’Oro. However, it is not known when his body was transferred there, as records are vague and unreliable.
The video below is a film about the life and work of St Augustine. For those who have a more visual learning method, it would be useful to watch it and experience the transformation of a man imprisoned by sin into a just and good man who follows the word of God.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvsvqf7j2N4
Characteristics of Augustine’s Philosophy
- At that time there were two ways of looking at philosophy. The first tended to objectify philosophy as an enemy of faith. The second – and the one supported by St Augustine – was that philosophy could be a useful tool in the defence of Christianity. Therefore, it can be affirmed that, according to this saint, there is no gap between reason and faith, but that they go hand in hand and work together for the good of all.
- In Augustine’s discourse and philosophy, there is a strong tendency towards interiorisation, which explains that the purification of the soul is the only way to achieve happiness. It is also said that only through this practice can one attain certainty. A person could neither know the truth nor attain full happiness unless he was a man of faith.
- Augustine and his philosophy posit God as the primary giver of love in the universe. God is not only the aspiring truth, but also the ultimate goal of human life. Everything begins and ends in God.
- He sees creation and the universe as created by God. He even talks about how evolution happens at the hands of God.
- His philosophy, although strongly influenced by Christianity, also takes aspects of Platonism and Stoicism and adapts them to the model of the life of faith.
- He is a philosopher of history because his legacy and his thought are still phenomena of study that have survived the passage of time.
In the following video you will find a summary of St Augustine and his philosophy as opposed to that of St Thomas Aquinas. It is important to look at both figures as they have a legacy that transcends time. It is also easier to understand each person’s point of view when you have both personalities.
The Theory of St Augustine of Hippo
Augustine’s theory of enlightenment and his philosophy is that one cannot have the truth and clarity of things unless they are enlightened by the sun, i.e. one cannot have absolute knowledge unless God tells us the truth through interiorisation. Only by talking to God can one arrive at certainty.
Throughout Augustine’s life we can see that he was very much influenced by different thinkers. So knowledge was an important part of his life.
Faith, on the other hand, was strongly opposed to reason. St Augustine and his philosophy, in creating “The Theory of Knowledge”, brings them together and proposes to break with the established schemes of what was considered right.
Contributions of Saint Augustine of Hippo
St Augustine’s philosophy and studies gave rise to a number of new theories that were to become future contributions to the growth of societies. Among them are
- Theory of time: St Augustine and his philosophy explains in his book Confessions that time is a concept created by man. This idea begins to consider the possibility that there is no past, present or future. This is considered a pioneering contribution to the field, as it was not until Isaac Newton took up the theory that more was known about the subject.
- Learning languages: Here he tells of the importance of balancing faith and reason. One should not exist without the other, but faith is more important and needs reason to be valid. To put one without the other would be a mistake, because they are totally interdependent. St Augustine thought that only faith could lead to reason.
- Scepticism is refuted: Many sceptics rejected Augustine’s theories. In several of his books, however, he responds to these accusations by giving scientific reasons for his rejection.
- God is the only knower of truth: With the Theory of Knowledge, he gives this new version of how to arrive at certainty.
- He defined evil as the absence of humanity: Any individual who was not kind, pious and gentle was evil because he lacked holy enlightenment.
- With wisdom, happiness is attained: Echoing Plato, he defines knowledge as a state attained through God, by which we can know full and absolute happiness.
- St Augustine’s contribution to psychology through his most famous works. He introduces concepts such as introspection or internal analysis.
Confessions of St. Augustine of Hippo
Also known as ‘The Confessions of St Augustine’, it is a compilation of 13 books that chronicle the life of St Augustine through his childhood, youth and adulthood. It is estimated that there are records in this work up to the age of 40.
In this work, St Augustine and His Philosophy, he reflects on his experiences as a young man. He also confesses his sins and repents of the way in which his life was so far from the Word of God. In this book, we also learn about Augustine’s conversion to Christianity and his spiritual journey.
On the other hand, he also talks about his experiences as a sceptic and a Manichaean. The Confessions positions Augustine as one of the most brilliant men of his time. Here we can see the change between the person he was and the person he is becoming.
This book is considered to be an autobiographical novel, but there are different opinions that disagree, as this book does not contain the whole life of St Augustine, but only a part of it. It also served as a model for the Christian writings that followed, becoming a worldwide phenomenon that has been passed down from generation to generation throughout the ages.
In order to make people aware of this work, a part of it is enclosed in a video. This is only the first book, the others can be found on other platforms.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyftOIpv2rs&t=130s
Another highly regarded work by St Augustine is City of God, which he wrote in his old age, over a period of 15 years. It is a collection of 22 books in which he discusses various topics, with the main focus on the differences between the City of God and the Pagan City.
Within this argument a distinction is made between the pagan city (full of pleasures, full of greed and demons that infect the soul) and the city of God (where happiness is achieved through God). In this way, Augustine wants to make the generations reflect on the evil in the world and its effects on our daily lives. It is important to emphasise this, because it is only with the promise of the City of God that man truly achieves his destiny: to live in order to serve.
Success can only be achieved with the help of God, so anyone who strays from the path will not be able to reach their full potential in any area. St Augustine and his philosophy are not trying to impose a religious belief, but rather to encourage people to make the change and transformation that their lives need.
Below is a video explaining this work written by St Augustine, we invite you to watch it to learn more about the life and work of this saint. It is of utmost importance to be informed about the work of St Augustine, because it imposes a change in societies and leaves a social, political and theological contribution.
If you wish to find and read the City of God books, we leave the following titles for you to enjoy and nourish yourself with knowledge of the life and work of St Augustine.
List of chapters:
- Book One: In Defence of the Christian Religion
- Book Two: The Gods and the Fall of Rome
- Book Three: The Gods and the Physical Evils of Rome
- Book Four: The Greatness of Rome as a Divine Gift
- Book Five: Fate and Providence
- Book Six: The Mythical Theology of Varron
- Book Seven: Civil Theology and its Gods
- Book Eight: Natural Theology and Philosophy
- Book Nine: Christ the Mediator
- Book Ten: The Cult of the True God
- Book Eleven: The origin of the two cities
- Book Twelve: The Angels and the Creation of Man
- Book Thirteen: Death as the punishment for sin
- Book Fourteen: Sin and the Passions
- Book Fifteen: The two cities of the earth
- Book Sixteen: From Noah to the Prophets
- Book Seventeen: From the Prophets to Christ
- Book Eighteen: The Parallelism of the Two Cities
- Book Nineteenth: The End of the Two Cities
- Book Twenty: The Last Judgment
- Book Twenty-First: Hell, the End of the Earthly City
- Book Twenty-Second: Heaven, The End of the City of God
St Augustine of Hippo and the Existence of God
Augustine’s relationship with God was complex at the time. Having been a pagan, he denied His existence. It was not until 383 that he decided to convert to Christianity after a series of speeches by the priest Ambrose made a strong impression on him.
After this event, Augustine became more and more interested in God and his existence. He formulated a series of ‘proofs’ and ‘theories’ on which he based much of his life.
Augustine said that God was not only the reason for existence, but also the end and purpose to which all human beings must aspire.
He also proposed the theory that only through God and his divine intervention could certainty and happiness be achieved. Here he explains that God would give all living beings the tools to achieve happiness and become wise people through faith.
According to Augustine’s ideology, God is love. And only this love can transfigure human beings, that is, bring about a significant change in their existence.
St Augustine of Hippo: Faith and Reason
At the time, it was unthinkable to put the two together. According to the religious, reason and philosophy were the main enemies of the Church. With the presence and knowledge of St Augustine, the theory that reason and faith should go hand in hand as a team was implemented, and he established that religion had to be accompanied by reason in order to have greater validity and credibility.
Furthermore, far from denying it, he invited us to be wise through the intervention of God and the wisdom he provides. This theory is called the “theory of knowledge”.
St Augustine of Hippo and medieval philosophy
During the Middle Ages there was a great dispute between the two currents. At that time, religion was in charge of education, so when Greek philosophy arrived, there was a great controversy. Different historians, writers and influential people took different sides; there were those who supported it and those who did not.
St Augustine belonged to the group who thought that a synthesis could be made which could include both sides. He stated that Christianity could have greater credibility through reason, so in all his work he sought to create a stabilisation of forces that would allow both ideologies to come together to form a whole that included features of both ways of thinking.
St Augustine of Hippo: “Death is not the end”.
In St Augustine’s writing and philosophy entitled “Death is not the end” he explains how death serves as a transition to another path. He argues that it is not because the body is not materialised that there is an absence of life, but that it is simply a communication that cannot be given through physical acts.
He assures us that there is an afterlife for all of us, a place where God is the one who governs the lives of all in a beautiful way. This promise of God where we will turn away from all the evil that is in the “world of the pagans”.
St Augustine of Hippo and his thought
St Augustine’s thought and philosophy is heavily influenced by Greek philosophy. Even the likes of Plato and Aristotle are part of his beliefs. St Augustine believed that a better world could only be created through interiorisation.
He was also a man who, after converting to Christianity, rejected a lifestyle dominated by sin. He knew first-hand how the world of addictions and pleasures worked, which is why his most famous work is a confession: Confessions.
Augustine and his philosophy also promoted a balanced relationship between the dictates of reason and faith, which he defended to the end of his days.
St Augustine of Hippo and politics
In the collection of books entitled “City of God”, Augustine and his philosophy criticises and mentions his attitude to politics. According to his view of the world, there are three ways of conceiving the state:
- Pessimistic: Politics is unworthy of God. As he describes in his aforementioned work, states are nothing more than the voice of sin in the world. Only God can have such an influential position for humanity.
- Optimistic: This view sees the state as part of a whole, working in society for the good of all.
- Intermediate: It states that politics and religion have much to do with each other, but that the existence of one does not mitigate the faults of the other. The problems of the state were only seen as a distraction from original sin.
Saint Augustine of Hippo and psychology
St Augustine introduced the method of introspection, which is the habit of talking to the soul and finding the answers to our problems through inner conversation. Although in Augustine’s discourse this theory had a more religious background, it is the one that gives the impetus to position introspection as the basis of human thought and psychology.
Below is a video mentioning some of Augustine’s contributions to psychology.
St Augustine of Hippo and the Theory of Knowledge
St Augustine’s theory of knowledge states that the only way to know the truth is through an inner conversation with God. He would be the one to give us the answers, and only with His help could one become a wise person.
Furthermore, this theory states that this is the only way to know the truths in order to be truly certain of the origin, cause and effect of things.
Saint Augustine of Hippo and Patristics
Patristics is a branch that seeks to find a balance between reason and faith. It seeks to find a middle ground in which both entities work together for a more established and coherent religion.
Throughout his life one can observe the eternal struggle between philosophy and faith, but St Augustine wanted to create a balance through patristics in which they would accompany each other. In this way, they would benefit from each other and have a support that could defend religion and its beliefs about the world.
Below is a video explaining a little more about Patristics and its relationship to St Augustine.
