Book contents
- Politics and the Earthly City in Augustine’s City of God
- Politics and the Earthly City in Augustine’s City of God
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Epigraph
- Contents
- Acknowledgments
- Abbreviations
- Introduction
- 1 The Parodic City
- 2 The Sack of Roma Aeterna
- 3 Exposing the Worldly Worldviews of Empires, Patriots, and Philosophers
- 4 Roman History Retold
- 5 The Sacramental Worldview and Its Antisacramental Distortion
- 6 The Status of Politics
- Conclusion
- Bibliography
- Index
3 - Exposing the Worldly Worldviews of Empires, Patriots, and Philosophers
Augustine’s Psychagogic Strategy
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 November 2020
- Politics and the Earthly City in Augustine’s City of God
- Politics and the Earthly City in Augustine’s City of God
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Epigraph
- Contents
- Acknowledgments
- Abbreviations
- Introduction
- 1 The Parodic City
- 2 The Sack of Roma Aeterna
- 3 Exposing the Worldly Worldviews of Empires, Patriots, and Philosophers
- 4 Roman History Retold
- 5 The Sacramental Worldview and Its Antisacramental Distortion
- 6 The Status of Politics
- Conclusion
- Bibliography
- Index
Summary
In the third chapter, I follow Augustine’s psychagogic argument through the first half of City of God, finding that books 1--9 in particular are constituted by Augustine’s attempt to undercut ever more compelling, but similarly premature solutions to the problems generated by amor sui. Beginning with the promises offered by civilization, I trace the challenges Augustine makes to Roman consuetudo (custom) and its ability to yield just politics. Turning to his treatment of the philosopher-statesmen, I show that these, too, are incapable of undoing the political damage done by the earthly city, willing as they are to endorse falsehoods for the sake of political stability. Finally, I turn to Augustine’s treatment of the philosopher, wherein he argues that no one can cultivate a just soul independent of God’s help, only an impassible one. Ultimately, I argue, Augustine leaves his readers with no way to solve the problem of amor sui on their own. Sealing them in at all sides, Augustine points to one way out: through the Mediator.
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- Politics and the Earthly City in Augustine's City of God , pp. 68 - 95Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2020