Art Quote by Augustine of Hippo
““And what did it profit me, that all the books I could procure of the so-called liberal arts, I, the vile slave of vile affections, read by myself, and understood? And I delighted in them, but knew not whence came all, that therein was true or certain. For I had my back to the light, and my face to the things enlightened; whence my face, with which I discerned the things enlightened, itself was not enlightened.””
About This Quote
Source Book: Confessions, Augustine, 397 AD
He laments that despite studying liberal arts, his understanding remains dark because he is blinded by his own passions and fails to grasp true truth.
In simple terms: Studying without insight leaves one in darkness.
Key Takeaway
Seek illumination beyond mere knowledge.
Themes
knowledge
self‑deception
spiritual blindness
Mood
reflective
melancholic
Type
philosophical
spiritual
When to use this quote
- personal study
- spiritual reflection
- educational reform
Key Concepts
philosophy
theology
epistemology
Questions to Reflect On
- How can one align study with true insight?
- What inner obstacles block understanding?
A Different Perspective
Knowledge alone cannot cure inner darkness.
![“Time takes no holiday. It does not roll idly by, but through our senses works its own wonders in the mind. Time came and went from one day to the next; in its coming and its passing it brought me other hopes and other memories. [quoted in Peter Brown, Augustine of Hippo, p. 54]” quote by Augustine of Hippo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/7c2/augustine-of-hippo-2589_change_time-takes-no-holiday-it-does-not-roll-i_22609.jpg)
