The Images of Nations’ Locus in the Axiosphere of the Culture

The article contains reflections on axiology of such cultural conceptualizations as images of nations and countries. The problem is presented as being of interest to imagology (a humanities discipline). Special emphasis is on the ideas of the precursor of Polish imagology, Jan Stanislaw Bystroń. The principle of “centrality” proposed by Bystroń in 1923 as having an impact on the evaluation and construction of images of nations, ethnic groups and countries, is presented as corresponding to the “me first” image scheme proposed by cognitive linguistics and confronted with the philosophical concept of ordo amoris by Max Scheller, according to which man knows and evaluates the world not only in accordance with his mind and will, but above all in accordance with the fundamental order of love. The issue was discussed on the basis of statements about Poles and Lithuanians.

Between Presumption and Despair: Augustine's Hope for the Commonwealth

Many political theorists dismiss Augustine as a pessimist about politics, assuming his “otherworldly” account of love precludes hope for this-worldly politics. This article challenges this pessimism by applying recent research on Augustine's “order of love” to reconstruct his implicit order of hope. Analyzing neglected sermons, letters, and treatises, I argue that Augustine encourages hope for temporal goods as long as that hope is rightly ordered and avoids the corresponding vices of presumption and despair. I then identify “civic peace” as a common object of hope that diverse citizens can share. By recovering hope as a virtue and reframing civic peace as a positive form of civic friendship, I argue that Augustine commends a hope for the commonwealth that avoids both presumption and despair. I conclude by analyzing how Augustine's vision of the commonwealth can inform contemporary political theory and practice.

Conclusion

This is a concluding reflection on how beauty and moral formation are integrally linked in Augustine’s pilgrimage image, as well as an exploration of the implications for interpreting Augustine’s moral theology. The book uses the peregrinatio image as its guiding lens. This reading of the peregrinatio image drew on Augustine’s understanding of the Platonists, of Christ, of moral formation, beauty, ecclesiology, and the order of love. The central bonds developed are between beauty, moral formation, Christ, and neighbor-love. The peregrinatio image draws these together by portraying the moral formation in Christ as a journey to the homeland initiated and sustained by relationships with beautiful beloveds—Christ and his members—sheltered within the tent of the church.