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Augustine, Wannabe Philosopher: the Search for Otium Honestum By: Allen Wilson, Faculty Advisor: Dr Augustine, Wannabe Philosopher: the search for otium honestum By: Allen Wilson, Faculty Advisor: Dr. Maura Lafferty University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN Introduction Cassiacum: Philosophical Retreat Thagaste: Business as Usual Halfway between retiring from his teaching position and Augustine moves back to his home estate, and is The negotium (or business, opposite of otium) incurred by My project attempts to reimagine the early career of being baptized, Augustine retires to the Cassiacum frustrated by his inability to enjoy the otium honestum Augustine’s ordination and promotion to bishop would put an end Augustine through three formative milestones in estate to read, write, and explore the otium honestum (or (honorable leisure) of his Cassiacum experience. to Augustine’s ideal of otium honestum (honorable leisure). Augustine’s early career before he was ordained bishop honorable leisure) of a philosophical, communal lifestyle. of Hippo. The tracing of Augustine’s publications at each Text Latin English of these points reveals the choice of a career much Epistle 18.1 “nam de securitate “…for I do not know Text Latin English nescio utrum whether anything different than the one that chose him. quicquam in hoc concerning freedom Rather than the episcopacy, Augustine presents himself Confessiones 8.12.29 “tolle lege, tolle lege.” Take read, take read.” mundo sperandum from care can be in his early career as pursuing a Christianized form of sit.” hoped for in this Paulinus, Epistle 16.6 “arguit enim ipsa “Indeed your world.” otium honestum, or the honorable leisure of a facundia tuae eloquence itself and Epistle 14.1 “non tamen tantum “… we do not, philosopher. doctrinaeque the fruitfulness of habemus otii, quantum nevertheless, have so fecunditas voluntatem your learning proves existimas et quantum much leisure as you tibi potius in sacris your desire more in nos semper optasse think nor as much as litteris parem quam sacred letters than nosti et optamus.” you know we’ve aut vacationem aut that either freedom always wanted and facultatem abesse. ... or ability are absent… indeed do want. there is free time for vacat tibi ut et Epistle 21.3 “quod ante non feci, “which I did not do Saint Ambrose barring Theodosius from Milan Cathedral by Anthony van Dyck, philosophus sis, non you so that you may quia et tempus non before, because, via Wikipedia vacat ut Christianus even be a habui; tunc enim indeed, I did not have sis.” philosopher, there is ordinatus sum, cum de time; then indeed I not leisure so that ipso uacationis was ordained [at that Conclusion you may be a Augustine, however,tempore ad is unable to find thevery moment],when otium he so Christian.” cognoscendas diuinas we were thinking Contra Academicos “apud platonicos me “Meanwhile, I trust desires at home. Isscripturas cogitaremus the philosophical lifeabout the time itself which he had What is most crucial is the very thing that we cannot 3.20.19 interim, quod sacris that I will find in the envisioned at Cassiacumet sic nos disponere even possible?for a break for the measure, Augustine’s "inner orientation". From his nostris non repugnet, platonists that which uellemus, ut nobis purpose of changed orientation, philosophers like Augustine reperturum esse does not disagree otium ad hoc negotium understanding the confido.” with our sacred posset esse.” divine scriptures and change what it means to do philosophy from the inside Origen, from “Les Vrais Portraits Et Vies Des Hommes Illustres” by Andre Thevet, writings.” thus we desired to put and out. We see this most clearly in his appropriation Via Wikipedia off things so that it of otium honestum, where what is honestum slowly might be possible for us to have leisure for comes to be defined on Christian terms. The traditional this business.” language of aristocratic otium provides a vocabulary The Cassiacum Dialogues demonstrate an explicit Hippo: Critical Point with which Augustine can begin to redefine his new Method synthesis of Christianity and philosophy at work in a way lifestyle, both to his would-be patrons, his that persists in the early development of Augustine’s Text Latin English philosophical friends, and even to himself. theology. Epistle 118.2 “nolo prius aliquid “I do not wish that The stark change from Cassiacum & Thagaste to This project evaluates the philosophical ideals put doceas, quod you learn before hand, forward in the Latin texts Augustine composed at three dediscendum est, ut what must be Hippo, however, reveals Augustine’s abandonment of important milestones in his early career: uera doceas.” unlearned, so that you otium honestum as a viable lifestyle for Christian like may learn true himself. •Cassiacum: Against the Academics, On the Happy Life, things.” On Order, Soliloquies Contra Faustum 22.57 “qui cum sint agendi “…those who although Bibliography •Thagaste: On Music, On Grammar, On Rhetoric, On uirtute habiles et they may be capable digni, quibus regimen and worthy in the Geometry, On Dialectic, On Arithmetic, On ecclesiae committatur, power of doing the All English translations are my own. Sources listed provide Philosophy, On the Magnitude of the Soul, On Eighty- ad dispensandum fidei things in which the Latin sources: Three Varied Questions, De Magistro, sacramentum illi steering of the church accensi studio is entrusted … wish to Augustine, Confessiones. Library of Latin Texts. •Hippo: Confessions, Against Faustus, On Christian doctrinae atque remove themselves Doctrine indagandae et from all the Augustine, Contra academicos. Library of Latin Texts. The sources from which Augustine draws his contemplandae annoyances of action sapientiae se ab and to settle philosophical insights are taken here as indicators of omnibus actionum themselves in the Augustine, Contra Faustum. Library of Latin Texts. Augustine’s own philosophical disposition, as one molestiis remouere leisure of learning and philosopher is distinguished from another by his library atque in otio discendi teaching. “ Augustine, Epistulae. Library of Latin Texts. ac docendi condere (Hadot, Grafton & Williams). volunt.“ Santa Maria Antiqua Sarcophagus, via Smart History Paulinus, Epistulae. Library of Latin Texts. www.buffalo.edu.
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