St Augustine: Philosophy in an Hour

Philosophy for busy people. Read a succinct account of the philosophy of St Augustine in just one hour.

Augustine’s Confessions details his personal struggles with morality, his spiritual crisis and the conversion to Christianity that ultimately led him to his major contribution to philosophy: the fusion of the doctrines of Christianity and Neoplatonism. This provided Christianity with a strong intellectual backing by tying it to the Greek tradition of philosophy. Augustine also produced important philosophic ideas of his own, including theories of time and subjective knowledge that anticipated by many centuries the work of Kant and Descartes.

Here is a concise, expert account of St Augustine’s life and philosophical ideas – entertainingly written and easy to understand. Also included are selections from St Augustine’s work, suggested further reading, and chronologies that place St Augustine in the context of the broader scheme of philosophy.

Reviews

‘Well-written, clear and informed, they have a breezy wit about them . . .I find them hard to stop reading’ NEW YORK TIMES

‘Witty, illuminating, and blessedly concise’ WALL STREET JOURNAL

‘Each of these little books is witty and dramatic and creates a sense of time, place, and character . . . I cannot think of a better way to introduce oneself and one's friends to Western civilization’ BOSTON GLOBE

‘A godsend in this era of the short attention span’ NEW YORK TIMES

About the author

Paul Strathern has lectured in philosophy and mathematics and now lives and writes in London. A Somerset Maugham prize winner, he is also the author of books on history and travel as well as five novels. His articles have appeared in a great many publications including the Observer (London) and the Irish Times. His own degree in philosophy was earned at Trinity College, Dublin.