A PHILOSOPHICAL INQUIRY INTO THE RELATIONSHIP OF JUSTICE AND LOVE TO CIVIL SOCIETY IN THE POLITICAL THOUGHT OF ST. AUGUSTINE

Abstract

Nigeria, like many underdeveloped countries of Africa, is undergoing many social and political problems such as corruption, insurgency, terrorism, armed banditry, electoral frauds, examination malpractices, sexual abuses, etc. These problems are largely rooted in ethical behaviors of citizens in civil society. This paper critically interrogated the unethical foundations of the society based on Saint Augustine’s treatise on justice and love and their relationship to civil society. Augustine rejected Cicero’s idea of “highest justice†(summa justitia) and rather thinks that a “true justice†(vera justitia) in relationship to government is what “a people†(a republic) must recognize in order to be well governed. Later, he redefined “a people†in terms of being bound together by “the objects of their love,†not by true justice. The question before us in this paper is whether Augustine meant to undermine justice? Or, did he really separate justice from love? With analytical method, we found that Augustine, led by philosophy (reason) illuminated by faith, made the point that we fully understand civil society only when we understand its loves and hates. These give a better clue to its character than its constitution or systems of justice or formal declarations. Our conclusion is that, following Augustine, human realities are seen in a new light in civil society in terms of love, because God is love. Applied to humans, his insight shows that citizens in civil society are what they love.