History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps HoP 110 - Life and Time - Augustine's Confessions
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Jan 6, 2013 AI Snips
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Miles Davis Comparison
- Peter Addison recalls a professor who compared Augustine's writing to Miles Davis improvisation to explain Augustine's style.
- The comparison frames Augustine as inventive within tradition and stuck with Addison for decades.
Hortensius Sparks Augustine's Turn
- Augustine read Cicero's lost Hortensius and this converted him to philosophy long before Christianity.
- His family then invested in his rhetorical education in Thagast and Carthage to prepare him for public life.
Manichaean Phase And Disillusion
- Augustine explored Manichaeism and astrology as a young man before becoming disillusioned.
- Meeting the Manichaean Faustus revealed style without substance and initiated Augustine's break.