Agostino d'Ippona [amore e storia]

The present article exposes the relationship between love, society and history in Augustine of Hippo. Initially, it reports some biographical background on Augustine and the co-presence in his writings of theology and philosophy. Then it mentions creation as the beginning of the world and of the time. Then it moves on to the possibility, for Augustine, of the progress of individuals and societies and to his rectilinear conception of the history. After that, it briefly summarizes Augustine’s relational anthropology and then extensively treats, in his social philosophy, love as the principle of sociality, peace and social harmony. At that point, it moves on to libido dominandi and translatio imperii in history and reports Augustine’s treatment of the two loves that forever generated two peculiar societies. Then it exposes a part of Augustine’s reply to the pagans, who accused Christianity of being guilty of the devastation of Rome done by the Visigoths in 410, dealing with the augustinian justification of the right of populations to self-defense fighting. Finally, it concludes on the end of history as eternity and the triumph of love.