A ética do amor em Santo Agostinho

Abstract

St. Augustine developed during his life a vast work that supports the Christianity at his time. Therefore, his philosophy is framed by the idea of fraternal love, an essential element of Christian morality. Thus, the present research aims to perform an analysis of love and its relationship with ethics in St. Augustine. For this, we will study the most fundamental manifestations of love in the anthropological context. Before investigating the ethical implications of love it's necessary to enter into the essence of man and seek the motivation for his actions. Then the notion of natural order will be presented and how it can be understood as ordo amoris. God has imprinted in nature a most perfect order that functions as a parameter for human life on several levels, whether in active or contemplative activities. And love occupies a central place in that order. There is an orderly way of acting and loving to lead man to good life. It is from the study of order that the Augustinian ethical reflection arises. The ethics of love establishes rules so that those who are in a more delicate situation - deprived of the goods necessary for life - can receive with priority the love that becomes social justice. Therefore, the love that emerges from the interior of man leads not only to love the other as to itself, but it impels him to seek peace and social equality.