Essay on St. Augustinian Political Philosophy

The political and social opinions of Augustine flow openly from his doctrine. The philosopher is more than any other individual of late antiqueness; he represents various intersections of peace, Christianity, war and even justice. As a priest, he defends his group against the unrelenting assaults by profanations established in an era unapprised by celestial disclosures which described the apostolic age. The willingness of Augustine to cope with underlying political and public concerns does not drive any effect on the presentation of his concepts. His political opinions are scattered all over his voluminous literature, the perspectives in which the social and political matters are being addressed are correspondingly different. However, it would be a slip-up to propose that his opinions are not well-versed by rational principles.

Foundational social and political Theories (The two Cities)

Even though there are individuals chosen for redemption and others selected for condemnation all the individuals are comprehensively mingled, the difference rising from their relevant fortune results into to two groups of people, to whom the philosopher denotes mutually and allegorically as cities God and the earths city. The earthly residents represent the degenerating posterity of Adam and Eve, who are reasonably damned due to the fall of Adam. According to Augustine, these people are aliens to the love of God. In precise, the earthly residents are well-known by their desire for substantial possessions, paganism as well as for supremacy over others. The citizens living in the City of God are travelers and immigrants who are extremely out of the world devoid of an earthly association suitably comparable to Gods city.

Justice, peace and the State

The Augustinian concept of peace and justice comprises a firm explanation of justice of giving each person his or her due. But, Augustine grounds his solicitation of the explanation in religious, ethical assurances. From the lecture recordings justice is a significant merit between supreme administrative states as well as the non-ideal administrative states.

War among Nations

The antiquity of human civilization is mainly in the history of war; it appears a usual explanation for Augustine to refer war as an existence within Gods re-counting plan in the history of man. As Augustine argues, "It remains with Gods judgment and kindness of either afflicting or consoling mankind, so that some battles can conclude, Warfare serves the responsibility of positioning man on a notice, as it is of importance to consistently live a righteous life. From Augustine's thoughts, Gods actions are relatively objective, despite the fact that the presentation eludes the reasoning aptitude of man.

Augustines Conception of Peace

According to Augustine, God created all human beings to stay and live together in the Union of peace. Contrary to this fallen man subsists in the society following the divine will or contrasting it. Augustine differentiates the two cities in different viewpoints as explained below;

There is one city of human beings who live according to the standards of the flesh while there exists another city that lives according to the standards of the spirit. The inhabitants of each of this cities desire their kind of reconciliation and peace.

Augustine describes three types of peace: the perfect and ultimate peace which is exclusively existent in the City of God, the inner peace relished by the pilgrim residents. Despondently, Augustine is profusely clear that sequential peace is slightly an inconsistent complaint in the history of man; perfect peace is unachievable on earth. Augustine points out that human life convey no guarantee of peace; the sanctified circumstance is earmarked for the saved citizens in the city of God.

In conclusion, people are imposed upon fallen sequential benefit, even if the preponderance of humanity will not eventually get any value from it regarding human predetermination to its damnation. One can magnificently set aside Augustines creed of predetermination towards understanding different social relations among the various races of humanity.