Introduction to the Philosophy of Saint Augustine

Saint Augustine, one of the great seminal thinkers of all time, created a total climate of philosophical and theological opinion that not only determined the course of Western thought in its formative period but also affected the whole of its historical development from his age to our own.

This collection of texts selected from his writings fills a serious gap in the philosophical literature of the Middle Ages, for although there are many commentaries on Augustinian philosophy, there are very few sources in English of selected material from Saint Augustine himself. The editor has chosen and arranged the texts in this book, several of which appear in wholly new translations, with reference to issues and problems basic to all philosophical thought, without overlooking the necessity of viewing Saint Augustine's thought in its religious context and without ignoring the essentially religious character of his philosophy. The editor's introductions and commentary place special emphasis on the problems of faith, understanding, the existence of God, and the concept of a created universe and on Augustian psychology, epistemology, and moral philosophy.

This book will serve the dual purpose of introducing general readers to the significant aspects of the philosophy of Saint Augustine and providing specialists with a convenient one-volume source of his basic texts. The key writings of Saint Augustine, many in wholly new translations, have been selected here to fill a serious gap in the philosophical literature of the Middle Ages. In both selection and arrangement, the editor has considered the philosophy in its religious context.