Q0234
“Two loves have made two cities.” — Augustine of Hippo (City of God XIV.28)
Verified English quotation. Primary source: City of God XIV.28. Theme: love.
English
Two loves have made two cities.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to City of God XIV.28 and files it under Patristic Philosophy. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
About Augustine of Hippo
Augustine of Hippo (354–430) was the North African bishop and theologian who shaped Latin Christianity’s doctrines of grace, sin, and the two cities. A former Manichaean and rhetor, he converted under Ambrose’s influence at Milan and narrated his restless heart in the Confessions.
Interpretation
Augustine builds the City of God on two orientations: love of self to the contempt of God, and love of God to the contempt of self. What he calls cities are not institutions but communities formed by what their members love, which is why they are intermixed in any actual society. The claim is that history's conflicts are at bottom conflicts of orientation rather than of doctrine.
Why it matters
It supplies a way to read any group: what does it actually love? That tells you more about where it is going than its stated beliefs do.
Concepts in this quote
- Love
- Love in philosophy ranges from friendship and desire to care, justice, and the transformation of the self.
- Community
- Community appears in this archive as a live philosophical concern—not a slogan. These verified English passages show how thinkers treat community as a problem of judgment, practice, or explanation.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Augustine of Hippo. (n.d.). Two loves have made two cities. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0234
MLA: Augustine of Hippo. “Two loves have made two cities..” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0234.
Chicago: Augustine of Hippo. “Two loves have made two cities..” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0234.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “Two loves have made two cities.”?
The passage is attributed to Augustine of Hippo, City of God XIV.28. The archive attributes this English wording to City of God XIV.28 and files it under Patristic Philosophy. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
What does Augustine of Hippo mean by love?
Greek distinctions among eros, philia, and agape, Confucian relational ethics, and modern debates about romantic love keep the theme philosophically precise rather than merely sentimental. This passage enters that discussion through love, community.