Augustine in His Own Words
The Philosopher 53 other things which mortals consider good and to devote myself to an investigation [of wisdom]. And whereas the arguments of the Academics seriously held me back from such an undertaking, I now believe that through this disputation I am sufficiently protected against them. No one doubts that we are driven towards knowledge by a twofold force: the force of authority and the force of reason. I am, therefore, resolved never ever to deviate from the authority of Christ, for I find none more powerful. But as to what the most subtle reasoning can pursue—for I am so stirred up that I yearn impatiently to apprehend what the truth is, not only by believing but also by understanding—I am confident at the moment that what I will find among the Platonists will not be opposed to our sacred mysteries.36
God as Happiness and Wisdom
For Augustine, the philosophic search for wisdom was inseparable from the religious search for God. Here he cites his classic definition of happiness, mentions experiences of inner illumination, and alludes to the doctrine of the Trinity. The latter prompts his mother Monnica—who functions in these dialogues as a symbol of Mother Church—to quote Ambrose's hymn. From On the Happy Life:
(4.33) [Augustine:] "We said at the beginning of our discussion today that, should we find that the unhappy are nothing other than those suffering some lack, then we would agree that the happy are those who lack nothing. This is exactly what we have now found. Therefore, to be happy means nothing other than to lack nothing, that is, to be wise. If you now seek out what wisdom is—our reasoning analyzed and developed this as far as possible here—the answer is that wisdom is nothing other than the 'measure' of the soul, that is, than the measure through which the soul keeps its equilibrium so that it neither runs over into too much nor comes up short of fullness. 'Running over' refers to luxuries, ambitions, pride, and other things of this kind through which the souls of the immoderate and the unhappy believe they get joy and power. 'Coming up short' refers to filth, fears, griefs, lusts, and many other things through which the unhappy acknowledge their unhappiness. . . .
(4.34) "But what, properly speaking, is wisdom other than the wisdom of God? We have also heard through divine authority that the Son of God is nothing other than the Wisdom of God, and the Son of God is truly God. Thus, whoever has God is happy—a statement already acclaimed by everyone at the beginning of our symposium. But do you believe that wisdom is dif-
36. C. Acad. 3.18.41–20.43 (CCL 29:59–61); my trans., based on Kavanagh, FOTC 5:218–20.