QUADERNI DI NOCTUA
La tradizione filosofica dall’antico al moderno. Studi e testi
History of Philosophy from the Ancient to the Modern Age. Studies and Editions
Autore / Author: Ilaria Ferretti
Affiliazione / Author affiliation: Indipendente / Independent scholar
Titolo / Title: Che cosa sia l’uomo per Agostino: la lucerna, il cavaliere, il centauro e la biga
Abstract: 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.
Keywords: Augustine; man; soul; body; God; philosophical metaphors.
English title: What Man Is for Augustine: The Lamp, the Knight, the Centaur and the Chariot
DOI: 10.14640/QuadernidiNoctua3-9
Volume: 3
Pagine / Pages: 281-339
Pubblicazione / Publication date: 01/06/2016
Permalink: https://dx.doi.org/10.14640/QuadernidiNoctua3-9
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ISSN 2723-9225