Augustine on Temporal Law and Virtue

Bibliographic Data

ID12663172
AuthorsToni Alimi (0000-0001-6245-0638, Departments of Classics and Philosophy, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA, corresponding author)
Year2023
Volume25
Issue1
Pages9-31
Publication date2023-05-08
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenuePolitical Theology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1462-317X • E-ISSN: 1743-1719
PublisherRoutledge (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/1462317x.2023.2207771
OpenAlexW4375858927
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited27

Augustine is typically interpreted as having believed that temporal laws cannot help people become virtuous and thus are not deficient for failing to do so. In this respect, he is seen as out of step with much of ancient political philosophy and a precursor to modern liberal legal theory. However, examining Augustine’s analyses of two temporal legal systems – Roman law and Mosaic law – reveals this interpretation to be false. Augustine believed that laws should help their followers become virtuous and offered a mechanism by which this happens. The standard interpretation has overlooked these concrete analyses in favor of Augustine’s programmatic claims about law. This paper therefore not only corrects a misreading and proposes a novel reading; it also suggests an alternative method for studying ancient legal thought

Epistemology · Interpretation (philosophy · Law and economics · Linguistics · Political philosophy · Political science · Politics · Reading (process · Sociology · Virtue · Augustinian Studies and Theology · Classical Antiquity Studies · Historical, Religious, and Philosophical Studies · Law · Philosophy

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