Oscar Velasquez: Augustinian Interiority and Platonic Dialectics: From Cassiciacum to Confessions.

This proposal suggests that both Platonic dialectics and Augustinian interiority have in their origin the similar character of a spiritual methodology for the correct search that leads to the intelligible truth. From Cassiciacum’s dialogues and several of the next dialogues was developed a philosophy of interiority, which reveals an explicit Platonic and Neoplatonic origin. This philosophical methodical procedure to intelligible truth, has two variants, particularly examined in Republic and in Phaedo respectively. The former is accomplished through paideia, the latter through a ‘shortcut’ (ἀτραπός τις, Fd 66b) that leads into the interior self. Both methods are present from Casiciacum on, and the latter shows a particular interior turn. This intimate gyre of the soul toward the self is a dialectical methodology of interiority. I would consider in Augustine what I call the Christian turn of Platonic dialectis, i. e. the uia or path to encounter with Christ the Truth. Cassiciacum’s dialogues ord., Acad.will reveal direct links with dialectics, besides those texts clearly originating from Plotinus and possibly, Porphyry. The sol. close a cycle of interiority characterized by the absence of the name of Christ and explicit Christian theology. From those dialogues on Platonic dialectics is mostly called the uia. The transition to a properly Christian interiority will be analyzed in mag., lib. arb., uera rel. It is suggested that a full mature method of a Christian methodic path to truth will culminate in conf. The Verb is the true uia of salvation.