Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
Che cosa sia l'uomo per Agostino
la lucerna, il cavaliere, il centauro e la biga
A famous programmatic phrase from the Soliloquia shows how the young Augustine, in his thirties, had a clear idea of what one had to investigate in order to attain a knowledge of God: “Deum et animam scire cupio”. Here, Augustine established a link between two objects of research. Starting from this...
| Author: | Ilaria Ferretti |
|---|---|
| Published: |
E-Theca On Line Open Access,
s.l.,
2016
|
| Pages: | 281-339 |
| Language: | Italian |
| Format: | Essay |
| Topic: | -
Works
>
Dialogues / Early works
>
Soliloquia
- Doctrine > Man > [Structure métaphysique de l'homme] > [Corps et âme] |
| Parent Work: | Ipsum verum non videbis nisi in philosophiam totus intraveris |
| Status: | Active |
| Summary: | A famous programmatic phrase from the Soliloquia shows how the young Augustine, in his thirties, had a clear idea of what one had to investigate in order to attain a knowledge of God: “Deum et animam scire cupio”. Here, Augustine established a link between two objects of research. Starting from this relation, this article explores Augustine’s anthropological doctrine, and focuses on four images used by Augustine to illustrate the human condition: (1) the lamp (lucerna), symbolizing the man composed by a body, which is the container, and by a soul enclosed in the body, which is the flame. (2) The knight (eques), where although it is the horse (equus) that gives the name to the compound and defines the characteristics of its rider, the term ‘eques’ does not in any way designate the horse. (3) The centaur (centaurus), which expresses the inseparable unity of the two natures but also their distinction. (4) The chariot (biga), which perfectly symbolizes the union between body and soul, by the horses, and introduces a reference to God, by the figure of the charioteer. |
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Che cosa era la magia