New wine in new wineskins. Augustine of Hippo on friendship

Published 2024-01-09
Section Papers

Authors

Keywords:

friendship, charity, Cicero, Augustine of Hipo, aristotle

Abstract

It is quite well known that the Stagirite raises the need for friendship in a profoundly human context that is concerned with happiness, with the virtuous life, and with its real possibility within the pólis. In the same way, Cicero would insist on the mentioned necessity, underlining that virtue also contains and unfolds friendship, as it embraces friends under an intellectual agreement on the ultimate realities.

However, this approach was prudently received by Augustine of Hippo, who, based on the wisdom of Scripture, reflected on friendship in a new and original way. In this sense, is Aristotelian optimism permissible for its establishment as the basis of the virtuous life?; and is Cicero right to base friendship on consensio about divine and human things? Reflecting on Augustine's answers to these questions, presenting his original vision of friendship, is the main intention of this paper.

Author Biography

Hugo Brandi Costarelli, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Universidad Gabriela Mistral

Professor and Doctor of Philosophy. Full Professor of Aesthetics and History of Ancient Philosophy, Faculty of Philosophy and Letters (National University of Cuyo), Mendoza, Argentina. Email: hcostarelli@ffyl.uncu.edu.ar. Academic, School of Humanities, Gabriela Mistral University, Santiago, Chile. Email: hugo.costarelli@academico.ugm.cl. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4302-6043

References

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How to Cite

Brandi Costarelli, H. (2024). New wine in new wineskins. Augustine of Hippo on friendship. Revista Chilena De Estudios Medievales, (24), 123–144. Retrieved from http://revistas.ugm.cl/index.php/rcem/article/view/577

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