O conhecer e o agir: razão iluminadora e retidão da vontade segundo Santo Agostinho.

Abstract

The present investigation aims at analyzing the theme: Knowledge and Acting: Illuminating Reason and Righteousness of Will according to St. Augustine (354-430). According to the author, it is through divine enlightenment that we have the ability to make the right decision. The knowledge of the truth is in the search for God, to fulfill the will of God, this will enable us to know God the source of life and truth. Knowing God and having faith in the truth that He represents, we are able to do His will in making the right choice. Because he who seeks God in a true way is enlightened by the good, that is to be happy. That is, knowledge will only be true through Divine Enlightenment. By choosing the right action, man, will achieve happiness, desire that every person craves in his life. Making the right choice implies an ethical conduct to be happy. Augustine's ethics has as its guiding theory the free Will, the fruit of free will, the choice that will make him happy and will bring this man closer to God for having believed and made the right choice. The will has some characteristics: they can be rational or irrational (passionate). When you are passionate, as disorderly passions, your will is based on the emotions of passion that leads you to constant error. Because passion deceives the soul with desires and wrong choices that lead to sin. The will of reason has as its guiding source the awareness of divine enlightenment, that is, right action, the choice to be followed that leads to good and peace for all men. For Augustine peace and happiness are the concretization of the journey that the human being accomplishes in the world.