Cornell Flashcards — Augustine excerpt
Passage: “As I see that I have still to discuss the fit destinies of the two cities, the earthly and the heavenly, I must first explain, so far as the limits of this work allow me, the reasonings by which men have attempted to make for themselves a happiness in this unhappy life, in order that it may be evident, not only from divine authority, but also from such reasons as can be adduced to unbelievers, how the empty dreams of the philosophers differ from the hope which God gives to us, and from the substantial fulfillment of it which He will give us as our blessedness.”
Cue / Question
What is Augustine’s immediate rhetorical goal in this paragraph?
Notes / Answer
He sets up a preparatory purpose: before discussing the destinies of the earthly and heavenly cities, he will explain the human reasonings that aim at worldly happiness so readers can see — by divine authority and human-reason evidence — how philosophers’ empty hopes differ from the true hope God gives and will fulfill.
Cue / Question
Which concessive/limiting subordinators are present? (marked in orange)
Notes / Answer
Identified concessive/limiting phrase: "so far as the limits of this work allow me" — this qualifies the scope of his explanation (a mild concession: he admits limitation). Also the opening "As I see that" functions as a concessive/introductory framing token here (close to "since/seeing that").
Cue / Question
Which causal or inferential connectors are present? (marked in teal)
Notes / Answer
Primary purposive connector: "in order that" — gives the author’s reason for explaining the philosophers’ doctrines (purpose → inference to conclusion). Also the contrastive evidential frame "not only... but also" organizes the kinds of evidence: divine authority and reasons for unbelievers.
Cue / Question
Where do you place performance/cadence marks? (Ally McBeal style: brief inner-voice beats)
Notes / Answer
Read as short dramatic beats — mark these cues for performance:
- "As I see that I have still to discuss the fit destinies of the two cities, the earthly and the heavenly," [pause — upward tilt to signal scope]
- "I must first explain," [drop — emphatic start of purpose]
- "so far as the limits of this work allow me," [soft aside — confessional, breathy]
- "the reasonings by which men have attempted to make for themselves a happiness in this unhappy life," [slightly ironic / sad cadence]
- "in order that it may be evident," [purposeful, forward-driving stress]
- "not only from divine authority, but also from such reasons as can be adduced to unbelievers," [list cadence: rise after 'not only' — drop after 'but also']
- "how the empty dreams of the philosophers differ from the hope which God gives to us," [contrastive emphasis — stress on 'empty' then 'hope']
- "and from the substantial fulfillment of it which He will give us as our blessedness." [resolute close — falling cadence, finality]
Cue / Question
Does the conceded content reappear later as evidence (a turn), or is it dismissed (a pivot)?
Notes / Answer
Concession identified: "so far as the limits of this work allow me" — a scope-limiting admission. In this excerpt the concession is not later invoked as independent evidence or returned to as a defending move; it simply qualifies his capacity to explain. That means, in the excerpt, the concession is a pivot (it does not become evidence later here). To characterize:
- Turn: occurs when a conceded point later resurfaces and supports or reframes the author’s argument (you can mark this by tracking the concession and seeing it recur as evidence or as the basis of an inference).
- Pivot: when the author concedes something but then moves on without using that concession as supporting evidence; the concession is acknowledged but not converted into a resource.
Summary
Augustine frames his task with a brief concession about scope (concessive/limiting) and then gives a purposive reason (causal/inferential) for explaining human reasonings so both believers and unbelievers can see the difference between philosophers’ vain hopes and God’s true hope. In this excerpt the concession is a pivot — it limits but is not later used as evidence.