(剑桥指南) The Cambridge Companion to Augustine

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1、IntroductionItishardtooverestimatetheimportanceofAugustine’sworkandinfluence,bothinhisownperiodandinthehistoryofWesternphilosophyafterit.Patristicphi-losophyandtheology,andeveryareaofphilosophyandtheologyinthelatermedievalperiod,manifestthemarkofhisthought.Infact,atleastuntilthethir-teenthcentury,w

2、henhemayhavehadacompetitorinThomasAquinas,Augustineisundoubtedlythemostimportantphilosopherofthemedievalperiod.Furthermore,althoughhisinfluenceissomewhatlessafterthemedievalperiod,itisstillimportant.Manyofhisviews,including,forexample,histheoryofthejustwar,hisaccountoftimeandeternity,hisunderstandi

3、ngofthewill,hisattemptedresolutionoftheproblemofevil,andhisapproachtotherelationoffaithandreason,havecontinuedtobeimportantuptothepresent.Hewasbornaround354ADinnorthAfricatoMonica,whowasferventlyChristian,andPatricius,whowasanon-believerformostofhislife.Hisfamilywasnotespeciallywealthyordistinguis

4、hed,buttheywereabletoaffordagoodeducationforhimofthesortcommonatthetime,focusingonrhetoric.Hisfamily’splan,withwhichheinitiallyconcurred,wasthatheshouldmarrywellandmakehiswayintheworldbymeansofhisskillinrhetoric.Whilehewaswaitingtomakeasuitablemarriage,hetookaconcubinewhoborehimason,Adeodatus.When

5、Augustinesenthisconcubineaway,Adeodatusstayedwithhim.Theboyseemstohavebeenremarkablybright,asheisdescribedinAugustine’streatiseDemagistro,whichalsogivesusaninterestingwitnesstotherelationsbetweenAugustineandhisson.Adeodatusdidnotlivetomanhood;hediednotlongafterthetimeofthedialogueportrayedinDemagi

6、stro.Augustine’smotherMonicawasdeterminedthatAugustineshouldbecomeaChristian,butinitiallyhejoinedtheManichaeansinstead.AlthoughmostofAugustine’slifewaslivedinAfrica,in383ADhewenttoItaly,wherehemadetheaquaintanceofAmbrose,bishopofMilan,himselfoneofthemostforcefulandimportantChristianthinkersoftheti

7、me.Manyinfluences,includingthatofAmbrose,cametogethertobringaboutAugustine’sconversion,andhewasbap-tizedin387AD.Movedbystoriesofdesertasceticsthatwerethenpopular,1CambridgeCompanionsOnline©CambridgeUniversityPress