Bk. VIII, Chapter 4 in St. Augustine's City of God: Philosophy is Theology

In the fourth chapter of the eighth book in St. Augustine’s City of God, he presents that Philosophy is theology. This is shown in St. Augustine’s discussion of Plato’s threefold division of Philosophy and his evaluation of Plato. In this threefold division, St. Augustine distinguishes the goals that can be met in studying such divisions, and the implications which supports the premise that Philosophy is theology.  The same can also be said of St. Augustine’s evaluation of Plato.

      St. Augustine presented that Philosophy is theology.  He presents this in his discussion of Plato’s threefold division of Philosophy, namely, moral, natural, and rational ¹.  The moral part of Philosophy which St. Augustine ascribes to action, the natural he ascribed to contemplation, and the rational in which he ascribed to discriminate truth and falsity.  In this sense, one can see that Philosophy leads the individual into particular goals, in respect to the three divisions. In searching for wisdom therefore, one is led to know the end of all actions (moral), the cause of all natures (natural), and the light of all intelligences (rational). 

      Theology is connected to these divisions to essentially show that man’s life is towards the search for wisdom.  It is necessary then to have a clear definition of “theology.”   According to Oxford Dictionaries, Theology is the study of the nature of God and religious belief ².  The notion of theology is implied in the goal to seek for the “end”, “cause”, and “light” of actions, natures, and intelligences respectively in man’s pursuit of wisdom.  These terms being associated with theology imply the natures attributed to God.

      Being an “end” of the things one does, a “cause” of the events around an individual, and a “light” which gives illumination to one’s mind cannot be fulfilled by a mortal or human being.  This proves to be true, say, if one chooses to help the victims of calamity in relief operations; this individual does not fulfill such moral action just because of the victims, but rather it is for a higher purpose or “end”.  This end, as observed in the example is not attributed to a human person, rather it is for a higher being, which one associates with God.  The same line of thought can be connected when one takes in the terms of a “cause” or a “light”.

      The notion that Philosophy is theology confirms the very fact that in man’s search for wisdom, an individual partakes into a journey of understanding and knowing the very natures attributed to a divine being, which is assumed to be God.  These natures are implied in the search for the “cause”, “end”, and “light” which cannot be attributed to something finite, material, or human.  This further implies that what one gains in the search for wisdom, like further knowledge and deeper understanding of things, is directed into the understanding of the ultimate “cause” of all natures, “end” of all actions, and “light” of all intelligences  which is God.

     Another point which confirms the said notion is St. Augustine’s evaluation of Plato.  St. Augustine considered Plato as the philosopher closer to the notion of theology.  This is stated in the book of Gyula Klima entitled Medieval Philosophy: Essential Readings with Commentary, which stated that Plato does entertain the idea of a God and is willing to admit that such God is the cause of all existence, the ultimate reason for understanding, and the end in reference to one’s regulation of his life ³.  The confirmation that Philosophy is theology is seen in the consideration given by Plato in the idea of a God in relation to the search for wisdom.

   Therefore, for St. Augustine, Philosophy is theology.  His recognition of Plato’s willingness to accept the idea of a God as the cause, the reference, and end of all things gives an essential emphasis that the end of philosophizing is to search for wisdom through understanding the nature of God.

Sources:

     

1.       Gyula Klima, “Augustine on Ancient Philosophy”, (USA: Blackwell Publications), In Medieval Philosophy: Essential Readings with Commentary, 34. 

2. “Theology”, Oxford Dictionaries, accessed August 4, 2015, http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/theology.

    3.  Gyula Klima, “Augustine on Ancient Philosophy”, (USA: Blackwell Publications), In Medieval Philosophy: Essential Readings with Commentary, 34.