Augustine: Political Writings

This specific experpt covers a broad topic between Christian faith and human reason. He starts off by citing Socrates' explanation of the "ultimate good" as that of which one works towards and makes happy upon attaining it. But, this vague explanation does not specify what good humans should indeed work towards, whether it be pleasure or virtue. It is the desiring for something in its own sake that makes it its own end that is most good.
The idea of demons is then entertained. These intermediate creatures are supposed to be placed higher than humans because of their human errors they claim in their own divine honor. They are the ones that try and lead humans astray, but it is the humans that disgracefully indulge in observing their crimes as their worship, and that is where they are led off the correct path.
The concept of the mind and change is also brought up. In concern with the mind, the philosophers distinguished between the body and the mind as separate things. While discussing God, it is noted that if the mind is of the same nature as God, how can God be material, which would also make him in the confines of space and time? It is the soul that is given to us by the creator, and it is only the body that changes the soul. It cannot change itself just as the flesh cannot harm itself, only the body can do that (p. 62). Simply put, all things that exist that are able to change can do so and only exist through Him who simply exists.
The next part is a cry for Christians to "beware of philosophers who decieve in the seduction of the elements of this world." To recognize God is to not pride yourself in the wisdom that is not yours. There was also a warning against magic as being impious and punishable.
The letters from Augustine to certain city leaders was the most intriguing though. In his first letter, Augustine asks Nectarius how he can love his city so much that he wants to leave when it is finally blossoming. Augustine continues and says that because he has no Christiandom within his city walls that he cannot be taught the correct morals and ideals to love his city so. His second letter concerns that of retaliation. He explains that one should not return evil with evil, even within the rights of war, that "choosing to overlook rather than punish wrongs recieved" is praisworthy and what great cities are built upon. The only way to do this is to practice patience as strongly as possible and to wait out a wrongdoer until he sees the light of what he has done. What I say to this is that is this really plausible in today's world? An obvious example is that of 9/11. We were most horrendously acted upon and was our retaliation wrong? Terrorists came into our country and killed thousands of people and from these letters it is said we were supposed to turn the other cheek and just simply ask why they did us wrong and that is it. I believe that our retaliation was very justified. We had never really seen such patriotism until this happened to us and the love for our country was very prominent. Maybe that is were Augustine would have like us to stop, just to love our country, but we had to make a stand against such a modern day of warfare that has no limits and so many faces.