Augustine Confessions Essay
In Confessions by Saint Augustine he vouches that the only two essential things in this world are life and friendship. According to Augustine’s claim God created man on this earth to do two things:breathe and live. This is something that a human needs, but Augustine goes even further, declaring that to be a whole person, one must live a life with friends and friendship. Augustine interpreted others theories about friendship such as the Roman politician Cicero. After reading their thoughts and interpretations on friendship he critically analyzed what they had to say by reflecting in an intellectual manner. But Augustine also viewed friendship as an important part of his life and he evaluates his friendships over the course of the three life
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stages. These stages in his life are adolescence, early adulthood and adulthood. During the course of Augustine’s life he became a good and close friend to many, not just those who were affiliated within his community. The experience that he had with certain friends were a pivotal part of the stories and reflections written in Confessions. Over the course of Augustine’s life, he shows maturity in his interactions with his friends and begins to not act selfishly. These tales will tell Augustine’s audience about the true meaning of friendship and why it is a prominent component to all humans livelihood. During Augustine’s adolescence, his friendships amounted to nothing more than being self-centered friendships. This kind of relationship he is describing is one based solely off companionship and it is not a mutually beneficial. This involves getting along with someone or in some circumstances being greedy and taking advantage of that person. As humans, we can desire friends whose company bring us satisfaction or who gives us something that we may not have access to ourselves. This type of friendship can be a deterioration of one's conscience and it can lead us in the wrong path, one that we did not intend to embark on. In addition, one might sacrifice their own morals or beliefs just to please a friend and maintain one’s own enjoyment and approval of these so-called friends. In this type of self centered friendship it primarily focuses on ourselves and what our friend offers us. When he was part of the gang that stole and wasted pears from a tree all Augustine wanted was to be accepted. Augustine claims the pleasure he received was not because he stole but it was the camaraderie associated with this sinful act carried out with his friends. Frank Vander Valk says, “We know from Augustine's own Confessions (especially Book IV) that many of the activities that comprised the Church Father's misguided and sinful youth took place in the company, and often at the behest, of friends.” During adolescence Augustine did not realize that these kinds of friendships do not last because they drove Augustine away from the most important friendship which is with God.
When Augustine was a young adult he developed a new understanding of friendship which was love is the basis to all friendships.
Friendship is not something based purely on thinking about oneself or what another person can do for us which was his understanding in his stage of adolescence. It is a mutually beneficial relationship in which both parties share common concerns and values. To be a good friend as a young adult one must think about another person and by doing so it takes us out of ourselves and creates a sense of freedom. He shared this type of friendship with a friend who was the same age as Augustine and he also shared the same profession as a teacher. This was a dear friend of Augustine because they grew up with one another and when Augustine returned to his home town, Tagaste, to teach they became close friends. Augustine describes this friendship, “We could talk and laugh - help each other in small ways - we enjoyed doing lots of things together - reading some book - going somewhere -sometimes we would be very serious together - sometimes we were able to act the fool together.” (Confessions Bk IV Ch viii Para 14) According to Augustine in our deeper friendships our interests must align with the other person and one must be interested in all aspects of them. When one of Augustine’s friends died suddenly he was so traumatized that he had to move out of his hometown Tagaste because he was always reminded of his friend everywhere he went. Now Augustine moved to
Carthage and started to teach. While in Carthage he begins to question his understanding of friendship and ultimately after reflecting on his friend's death he comes up with a refined definition. Once Augustine friend passes away he said he loved his friend as if he would never die and when he passed Augustine became distressed.
stages. These stages in his life are adolescence, early adulthood and adulthood. During the course of Augustine’s life he became a good and close friend to many, not just those who were affiliated within his community. The experience that he had with certain friends were a pivotal part of the stories and reflections written in Confessions. Over the course of Augustine’s life, he shows maturity in his interactions with his friends and begins to not act selfishly. These tales will tell Augustine’s audience about the true meaning of friendship and why it is a prominent component to all humans livelihood. During Augustine’s adolescence, his friendships amounted to nothing more than being self-centered friendships. This kind of relationship he is describing is one based solely off companionship and it is not a mutually beneficial. This involves getting along with someone or in some circumstances being greedy and taking advantage of that person. As humans, we can desire friends whose company bring us satisfaction or who gives us something that we may not have access to ourselves. This type of friendship can be a deterioration of one's conscience and it can lead us in the wrong path, one that we did not intend to embark on. In addition, one might sacrifice their own morals or beliefs just to please a friend and maintain one’s own enjoyment and approval of these so-called friends. In this type of self centered friendship it primarily focuses on ourselves and what our friend offers us. When he was part of the gang that stole and wasted pears from a tree all Augustine wanted was to be accepted. Augustine claims the pleasure he received was not because he stole but it was the camaraderie associated with this sinful act carried out with his friends. Frank Vander Valk says, “We know from Augustine's own Confessions (especially Book IV) that many of the activities that comprised the Church Father's misguided and sinful youth took place in the company, and often at the behest, of friends.” During adolescence Augustine did not realize that these kinds of friendships do not last because they drove Augustine away from the most important friendship which is with God.
When Augustine was a young adult he developed a new understanding of friendship which was love is the basis to all friendships.
Friendship is not something based purely on thinking about oneself or what another person can do for us which was his understanding in his stage of adolescence. It is a mutually beneficial relationship in which both parties share common concerns and values. To be a good friend as a young adult one must think about another person and by doing so it takes us out of ourselves and creates a sense of freedom. He shared this type of friendship with a friend who was the same age as Augustine and he also shared the same profession as a teacher. This was a dear friend of Augustine because they grew up with one another and when Augustine returned to his home town, Tagaste, to teach they became close friends. Augustine describes this friendship, “We could talk and laugh - help each other in small ways - we enjoyed doing lots of things together - reading some book - going somewhere -sometimes we would be very serious together - sometimes we were able to act the fool together.” (Confessions Bk IV Ch viii Para 14) According to Augustine in our deeper friendships our interests must align with the other person and one must be interested in all aspects of them. When one of Augustine’s friends died suddenly he was so traumatized that he had to move out of his hometown Tagaste because he was always reminded of his friend everywhere he went. Now Augustine moved to
Carthage and started to teach. While in Carthage he begins to question his understanding of friendship and ultimately after reflecting on his friend's death he comes up with a refined definition. Once Augustine friend passes away he said he loved his friend as if he would never die and when he passed Augustine became distressed.