Saint Augustine’s Critic to Cicero’s Notion of Republic
Abstract
The article starts with a comparison between the Ciceronian and Augustinian definitions of “Republic”, whose key is harmony based on justice. Then, it presents the different meanings that the concept of justice acquires in both cases. Politically, it is for Cicero the legal body that belongs to a community, based on natural law. Augustine, on the other hand, conceived it as the just relationship of man with God. On this basis, the work seeks to point out that: 1) in fact, by elevating the Ciceronian characterization of “Republic” and bringing it to a higher and more universal order than the juridical-political, Augustine does not invalidate what Cicero affirmed on this last theme. And that 2) Augustine’s intention was not to reject but rather to use the prestigious concept elaborated by the Romans, changing its meaning to, thus, have another glorious name with which to designate the City of God.Downloads
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