Confessando a idolatria: a apologia à fé cristã pelo argumento da infelicidade a partir do Agostinho do livro X das Confissões

Abstract

The present work aims to present Augustine's argument that seems to be in the author's mind on the occasion of the composition of the tenth book of the Confessions. It is an argument for the Christian faith. However, our specific clipping aims mainly to highlight how the philosopher tries to dissuade his reader from assuming an alternative perspective to this faith. In other words, the work pays special attention to the negative way of argumentation, elaborating the philosopher's arguments around the unhappiness inherent in the opposite path of seeking to find the soul's rest in God. This opposite path is characterized by what we have come to call idolatry. So, in short, Augustine offers us reasons to understand that idolatrous paths will always lead us to unhappiness. In a way, idolatry is the philosopher's way of explaining our unhappiness in general. In this case, we structure the dissertation as follows. First, we brought up the hypothesis of the Hipponese that we were made by God and for Him, and that if we do not turn to Him, we will remain restless, anguished, unhappy. Then, the concept of idolatry arises and we seek to show how it is present in the well­known Augustinian doctrines of ordo salutis and of use and enjoyment. That done, Augustine dedicated himself to trying to dissuade us from the path of idolatry, and he gave us the occasion to show and defend his arguments. The African bishop perfects his conception of idolatry by subdividing it into three categories, according to the biblical text of 1 John 3:16, namely: the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes and the pride of life. After this observation, we analyze a positive aspect of his reasoning in the question of the memory argument present in Book X of the Confessions. And finally, we brought up Augustinian realism to remind us that even on the proper path to God, there is no fullness of happiness in this life.