Augustine of Hippo
Seek truth by turning inward, then beyond.
Augustine of Hippo, a North African teacher of rhetoric who became bishop of Hippo Regius, joined classical philosophy, above all Platonist thought, to Christian scripture. His writings on memory, time, the will, grace and the two cities shaped Latin theology and Western philosophy, while his views on sin, sexuality and religious coercion remain strongly contested.
Where does a restless heart find rest?
Biography
Augustine of Hippo, a North African teacher of rhetoric who became bishop of Hippo Regius, joined classical philosophy, above all Platonist thought, to Christian scripture. His writings on memory, time, the will, grace and the two cities shaped Latin theology and Western philosophy, while his views on sin, sexuality and religious coercion remain strongly contested.
02 /Philosophy
Truth is sought by turning from external things into the mind and then beyond it, toward an unchangeable light that the mind does not produce but by which it judges.
03 /Reading guides
Original introductions to enter the works, discover their central questions and take the reflection further.
04 /Bibliography
Works, testimonies and further readings are distinguished. Dates refer to composition or first publication, as specified in each entry.
A first reading.
The self in the Confessions
Follow how the Confessions turn a life story into an inquiry into desire, memory and time.
ConfessionsHistory and the two cities
Read The City of God as a response to the fall of Rome and a reflection on what politics can and cannot achieve.
The City of GodFreedom, evil and the will
Examine how On Free Choice of the Will links the origin of evil to the will and defends freedom against necessity.
On Free Choice of the Will