On order: De ordine

"It is debatable whether the disorder gripping the world at the beginning of the third millennium is greater than that depicted in On Order, the first book of the newly converted St. Augustine in 386." "In the matter of civil disturbances Augustine mentions a riot in which his mother Monica had actually taken part not long before. She had spent days and nights singing and praying in the cathedral of Milan to prevent the Arians from taking it over. The Western Roman Empire was tottering. The British legions had elected emperor Maximus, who would be assassinated scarcely a year after the writing of On Order. Less than a century later, the Western Empire would be no more." "On Order is Augustine's own introduction to philosophy, in a sweeping bird's-eye view of what it is to reproduce in one's inner being the double order of things (intellect) and loves (will) existing in the real universe." "The present translation puts in St. Augustine's mouth and pen expressions which he would likely use were he to speak English today. For the sake of clarity the dialogue is rendered in modern form, eliminating all the "I said," "he said," and putting the initials of the debaters instead. This first bilingual edition of On Order shows the Latin side-by-side with the translation for easy reference."--Jacket.

Book one. First debate: Divine providence rules all ; Dedicates the work to Zenobius ; Whys and wherefores of the debate ; Nothing happens without a cause ; God governs everything in order ; Order encompasses everything ; God does not love evil things even if they belong to order ; Licentius falls in love with philosophy: Enter Monica : the liberal arts -- Second debate: Order leads to God ; What order is : how to spur the sense of emulation and vainglory in teenagers who undertake the liberal arts ; Monica is not excluded from the debate on the grounds of her sex.

Book two. First debate: Analysis of the definition of order ; What "to be with God" means; the wise man's stability in God ; Can foolishness be with God? ; Whether evil actions belong to order : within order, evil contributes to the beauty of the universe ; Correcting the error of those who believe there is no order governing things ; The wise man's mind is unmoved -- Second debate: The wise man's mind is unmoved (continued) ; What kind of order there would be in the absence of evil ; Instructions for the youth : how to live and how to learn in order ; 9. We learn by authority and reason ; Few follow the norms of right…