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I fondamenti teologici del pensiero politico agostiniano: le virtù teologali dello statista come ponte tra le due città
Dodaro, Robert
2007
Abstract
Augustine’s approach to politics and, hence, to political ethics, begins with consideration of
the human being or “soul” and reaches its highpoint in the ideal of a Christian statesman, not
in an ideal political order. Augustine offers no theory concerning the relationship between the
church and the political order. On the other hand, the paper contends that his concept of the
ideal statesman provides the elusive bridge in his thought between ecclesia and res publica.
Augustine’s ideal of the Christian statesman is framed against the background of his reflections
concerning Christ, because, in his view, Christ alone mediates true virtue to the soul,
and therefore to the statesman. Augustine thus takes up the task in the City of God and in his
letters to public officials to deconstruct all other accounts of political virtue – philosophical
and religious – on the grounds that real virtue is to be understood exclusively as Christ’s virtue
acting through the human soul. This principle is what characterizes the radical originality of
Augustine’s approach to political ethics.
Series
Etica & Politica / Ethics & Politics
IX (2007) 2
Publisher
EUT Edizioni Università di Trieste
Source
Robert Dodaro, "I fondamenti teologici del pensiero politico agostiniano: le virtù teologali dello statista come ponte tra le due città", in: Etica & Politica / Ethics & Politics, IX (2007) 2, pp. 38-45.
Languages
it
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