Love and Virtue as Anthropological Keys to Achieve Happiness in Saint Augustine

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to emphasize the fact that in Saint Augustine’s Anthropology –that is mostly a moral one– there are two important clues in the pursuit of happiness: love and virtue. In this task, it is not enough the knowledge of the truth, but to go for it. The profound reason why men move towards it is love. However, men are free they may not love what is their best accordingly to truth. That’s why they need virtue, which guides them to put order in their own love. Only loving what is ought to be loved men can be happy. In this sense, love and virtue are anthropological keys to achieve happiness.