The soul "commands the body as a king commands his subjects or a parent his children. It commands lust as a master commands a slave, since it coerces and breaks it. Kings, emperors, magistrates, fathers, peoples rule their subjects and associates as the soul rules the body. Masters harass their slaves as the best part of the soul, which is wisdom, harasses the vicious and weak parts of the same soul, such as lusts, anger, and the other disturbing forces."
— St. Augustine (354-430)
Author
Work Title
Date
c. 421
Metaphor
The soul "commands the body as a king commands his subjects or a parent his children. It commands lust as a master commands a slave, since it coerces and breaks it. Kings, emperors, magistrates, fathers, peoples rule their subjects and associates as the soul rules the body. Masters harass their slaves as the best part of the soul, which is wisdom, harasses the vicious and weak parts of the same soul, such as lusts, anger, and the other disturbing forces."
Metaphor in Context
If you defend these things as a lesser good to which
the soul, turning from the higher, ought not to incline not
because lust is a fault, but because it is only a slight good
then hear what Tully says more clearly, in the same Book 3,
when he speaks of the science of ruling. "Do we not see," he
says, "that, to each thing which is best, dominion is given by
nature herself, to the greatest advantage of the least things?
Why does God command man; the soul, the body; reason,
lust, anger, and the other vicious forces in the soul?" Do you
see from his teaching how he must confess that the things
you defend as good are vicious forces in the soul? Hear more.
He says a little later: "We should recognize different kinds
of commanding and serving. The soul is said to command
the body; it is also said to command lust. It commands the
body as a king commands his subjects or a parent his children.
It commands lust as a master commands a slave, since it
coerces and breaks it. Kings, emperors, magistrates, fathers,
peoples rule their subjects and associates as the soul rules the
body. Masters harass their slaves as the best part of the soul,
which is wisdom, harasses the vicious and weak parts of the
same soul, such as lusts, anger, and the other disturbing forces."
Have you even more to say against us from authors of secular
books? If you are looking for something to say in defense
of your error (may God keep you from this) against the
renowned bishops who treated of divine Scripture, if you
seek to offer resistance to these holy men, will you not be
bound to say Tully was foolish and as one demented? Hold
your tongue about such books, and do not try insultingly to
teach us anything from them; or testimonies you thought
would sustain you will actually crush you.
(4.12.61)
(4.12.61)
Categories
Provenance
Reading Peter Garnsey, Ideas of Slavery from Aristotle to Augustine (Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1996), 39.
Citation
Saint Augustine, Against Julian, trans. Matthew A. Schumacher, vol. 35 of The Fathers of the Church (New York: Fathers of the Church, 1957). <Link to Internet Archive>
Date of Entry
09/07/2011
