Dissertation

Shadowy Resemblances: Natural Justice in Augustine's City of God

Miller, Felix James

2021

Overview

Christianity teaches that man does not find his end in this world, but transcends all earthly political ends. This doctrine implies a natural question for political philosophers: can men who do not accept the teachings of revealed religion act justly? Can they promote the common good and give God his due?In this thesis, I argue that Augustine recognizes a natural virtue of justice that can be cultivated by pagans and that there is a fitting earthly peace that follows upon it. I begin with a chapter that provides a general sketch of Augustine’s City of God, focusing on his position that all human societies are made up of citizens of the two cities. I then provide a brief introduction to the problem of pagan justice posed by Augustine’s treatment of Rome in book nineteen. The second chapter defends the existence of a natural virtue of religion in Augustine. In it I consider the religious practices of the two cities, with particular focus on Augustine’s use of historical figures as archetypes for presenting his vision. I propose that Augustine believes that pagan religion, though always disordered, exists on a continuum from depravity to naturally virtuous forms.The third chapter addresses justice and peace. I first consider the nature of man’s true happiness and then posit that even pagans can take part in religious acts that are not entirely unjust to God. I then consider A) Augustine’s Ciceronian argument in book nineteen that Rome was never a commonwealth and B) how Augustine’s new definition of a people allows for pagan polities to find political unity in cultivating common loves. I then argue that Augustine’s account of peace implicitly presumes the existence of a natural virtue of justice. This kind of justice can lead to what Augustine refers to as the peace of Babylon. Using the conclusion of my investigations in chapter two, I speculate that this peace exists in an even fuller way when it is pursued by those who act as justly as a pagan can towards God. I close with a consideration of the ecclesia permixta, the doctrine that the two cities are intermingled in this world, followed by some remarks on how the pagan virtue of justice and its consequent peace are worthy of cultivation in Augustine’s view, despite the fact that they are not salvific.

• Publisher: ProQuest Dissertations & Theses
• Subject: Epistemology / Ethics / Peace Studies / Philosophy / Political science / Religion / Sociology / Theology
• ISBN: 9798569978069