The wound and salve of time: Augustine's politics of human happiness.

From: The Review of Metaphysics | Date: June 1, 2007| Author: | Copyright information

I. Introduction: The Happy Life

IN 386, A FEW MONTHS AFTER HIS CONVERSION, while enjoying his Christianae vitae otium at Cassiciacum, St. Augustine of Hippo wrote The Happy Life (De Beata Vita). In this masterful little dialogue he asks a question that resonates through the rest of his life's work: "We desire to be happy, do we not?" (1) Although the question here is somewhat rhetorical, by asking it Augustine makes clear a goal for human life--happiness. This goal is certainly not unique to Augustine. Happiness, no matter how understood, has been a burning topic since people ...

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