Cicero and Augustine on Virtue, Justice, and Natural Law
This paper examines and compares the political and philosophical thought of Marcus Tullius Cicero (106–43 B.C.E.) and St. Augustine of Hippo (354–430 C.E.), with particular focus on their respective views of virtue, justice, and natural law. The paper first outlines Cicero's Stoic-influenced philosophy, his belief that virtue is grounded in reason and natural law, and his commitment to the Roman Republic. It then surveys Augustine's Christian framework, in which virtue originates with God rather than inherent human capacity. Finally, it analyzes the points of agreement and disagreement between the two thinkers, arguing that while Augustine adopts much of Cicero's civic vocabulary, he reorients it toward a distinctly Christian theological foundation.
- Introduction: Biographical context for Cicero and Augustine
- Cicero's Philosophy of Virtue and Politics: Cicero's political goals and theory of virtue
- Stoic Ethical Schools and Cicero's Natural Law: Epicureans, Stoics, Peripatetics, and Cicero's natural law
- Augustine's Social and Political Thought: Augustine's Christian framework for virtue and happiness
- Similarities and Contrasts Between Cicero and Augustine: Shared civic vocabulary, divergent sources of virtue
- Conclusion: Augustine's theological departure from Cicero summarized
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What makes this paper effective
- The paper clearly separates the two thinkers before comparing them, allowing the reader to understand each philosopher independently before the contrast is drawn.
- It grounds abstract philosophical concepts — virtue, justice, natural law — in the specific historical contexts of late Republican Rome and early Christian late antiquity.
- The comparison section identifies a genuine intellectual debt Augustine owes to Cicero while precisely locating where the Christian theological departure occurs, producing a nuanced rather than binary contrast.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates comparative philosophical analysis: it establishes each thinker's framework on its own terms and then systematically identifies points of convergence (virtue as internal, civic function of justice, submission to natural law) and divergence (source of virtue — reason vs. divine grace; the role of Original Sin). This technique shows how two thinkers can share vocabulary while grounding identical terms in fundamentally different metaphysical commitments.
Structure breakdown
The paper follows a classic compare-and-contrast structure in three movements: an introduction that contextualizes both figures, two dedicated expository sections (one per thinker), and a synthesis section that draws explicit parallels and contradictions. A brief conclusion summarizes Augustine's departures from Cicero. This structure is well-suited to undergraduate philosophy or political theory assignments requiring side-by-side treatment of two canonical thinkers.
Introduction
Marcus Tullius Cicero was born on January 3, 106 B.C.E., and was murdered on December 7, 43 B.C.E. His life overlapped with the downfall and eventual destruction of the Roman Republic, during which time he played a significant role in political affairs; his writings are therefore a valued source of information about those events. He was a philosopher, politician, lawyer, and orator, among other things. To grasp the logic of his work and to appreciate his philosophy, one must keep that context in mind. Although philosophical study was important to Cicero, he regarded it primarily as a means toward more effective political action, and so he placed politics above philosophical inquiry. During periods when he was involuntarily prevented from participating in politics, he produced his philosophical writings.
St. Augustine's testimony that Cicero's Hortensius — an exhortation to philosophy — transformed him from a sinful life toward philosophy and eventually toward God is the most striking example of Cicero's lasting influence. According to Clayton (2016), Augustine later adopted Cicero's definition of the commonwealth, using it to argue that the sack of Rome by the barbarians could not be blamed on Christianity.
A Catholic bishop of Hippo in northern Africa, St. Augustine (354–430 C.E.) was formerly known as Aurelius Augustinus. He was the first great Christian philosopher, a thoroughly Roman-trained rhetorician, and an inexhaustible writer who produced over 110 works over more than thirty years. His political and social philosophy forms a significant intellectual bridge between late antiquity and the emerging medieval world, since he wrote from a unique vantage point as a keen observer of society on the eve of the collapse of the Roman Empire. Many scholars regard him as the most important and influential Western philosopher of his era. According to Mattox (2016), although Augustine would not have considered himself a political or social philosopher as such, his writings on the nature of human society, the role of the state, justice, just and unjust war, peace, and the relationship between church and state have all contributed significantly to shaping the development of Western civilization.
Works Cited
Cicero, Marcus Tullius. Cicero De Officiis. Translated by Andrew P. Peabody. Boston: Little, Brown, and Company, 1887.
Clayton, Edward. "Cicero (106–43 B.C.E.)." Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, ISSN 2161-0002, http://www.iep.utm.edu/cicero/. Accessed 4 December 2016.
Dyson, R. W. Augustine: The City of God Against the Pagans. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998.
Cicero, Marcus Tullius, Griffin, M. T., and Atkins, E. M. Cicero: On Duties. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1991.
Mattox, J. Mark. "Augustine: Political and Social Philosophy." Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, ISSN 2161-0002, http://www.iep.utm.edu/aug-poso/. Accessed 4 December 2016.
Neste, Berit Van. "Cicero and St. Augustine's Just War Theory: Classical Influences on a Christian Idea." 12 April 2006. Scholar Commons, University of South Florida. http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4978&context=etd. Accessed 4 December 2016.
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