Abstract
Saint Augustine of Hippo (354–430) was one of the most influential Western Christian theologians. Sri Aurobindo Ghose (1872–1950) was a political revolutionary and later a spiritual master with a worldwide reputation. Augustine and Aurobindo were very different religiously and politically, but on the issue of justifying warfare, there are remarkable parallels between them. To begin, pragmatic considerations formed the core of most of their arguments. Furthermore, they buttressed their core points with considerations from the religious domain. These included discussing the inward disposition of the warrior, countering ethical reservations about fighting, and mentioning possible, spiritual benefits from warfare. Yet, in spite of the parallels, the two men would have found little to agree on, as their approaches to both governance and religion were very different. Augustine’s approach was statist whereas Aurobindo’s was revolutionary.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Notes
An excellent, relatively recent biography is Lancel (2002).
A classic study that connects Aurobindo’s nationalism with Hindu-Muslim strife is Sarkar’s The Swadeshi Movement (2010, pp. 232–233, 267–268).
For a discussion of the major places where Augustine discusses war, see Lenihan (1988, pp. 42–52).
Unless otherwise indicated, all translations of Augustine are taken from Schaff (1979).
This translation is from Parsons (1955).
Though Augustine wrote highly of earthly peace, he believed that it can only be partial and fragmentary, a shadow of the final peace of heaven.
This translation is from Parsons (1955).
Aurobindo wrote these articles in Bengali. For the Bengali originals, see the ninth volume of Ghose (1997–2017).
All translations of the Mahābhārata are taken from van Buitenen (1978).
This translation is taken from Olivelle (1996).
It would not be proper here to use inclusive language, for Aurobindo’s language about warfare was explicitly gendered; he had in mind male warriors.
This translation is from Miller (1986). The passage was taken out of verse form for insertion into the current text.
See also Ghose (1997–2017, 7: pp. 1050–1051, 8: p. 289, pp. 303–304).
See also Ghose (1997–2017, p. 53). It was standard for Aurobindo to refer to himself in the third person.
Augustine has an idea that is similar to Aurobindo’s idea that in doing wrong one may, in fact, be seeking to be like the divine (Confessions 2.13).
See also Ghose (1997–2017, 6: pp. 79–80, p. 248).
A decade earlier, in a 1909 article on the Gītā, Aurobindo wrote that the war of the Mahābhārata involved a cessation of clan loyalty for the sake of something greater: the political unity of India Ghose (1991, p. 142).
The interpolation is the editor’s.
The extent to which that was so is debatable. For a good assessment, see Yoder (2009, pp. 42–50).
As an example of this sentiment, see Banerjea (1925, p. 43).
A key study, from a Christian perspective, of the differences between dualistic and nondualistic forms of mysticism is Zaehner (1969).
His classic work in this area is On the Trinity.
My colleague, Gerald Schlabach, identified this difference.
This was a response to pagan critics of Christianity, who argued that Rome’s successes were due to the favors of its particular deities.
Aurobindo was a critic of the exceptionally large Roman and British Empires, which ruled many foreign peoples. However, he was not a thorough critic of empire. In Indian history, he identified a “centrifugal” tendency away from empire. That was a failing, as a lack of empire left India more vulnerable to foreign invasions Ghose (1997–2017, 6: pp. 908–910, ibid., 20: pp. 425–444).
One can hypothesize Aurobindo’s response to Augustine’s considerations. He would have recognized Augustine’s point about clinging. However, relying on the Bhagavad Gītā, he would have argued that one can act with detachment even when one’s critical, personal interests are directly involved.
Also, Aurobindo recalled despising, in his youth, the Christian history of intolerance and persecution (Ghose 1997–2017, 36: p. 106).
My colleague, Gerald Schlabach, suggested this terminology and contrast to me.
References
Banerjea, S. (1925). A nation in making: Being the reminiscences of fifty years of public life. London: Oxford University Press.
Bose, S. (2013). The spirit and form of an ethical polity: A meditation on Aurobindo’s thought. In P. Heehs (Ed.), Situating Sri Aurobindo: A reader (pp. 111–129). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Dalton, D. (1993). Mahatma Gandhi: Nonviolent power in action. New York: Columbia University Press.
Ghose, A. (1991). Bengali writings: Translated into English. Pondicherry: Sri Aurobindo Ashram.
Ghose, A. (1997–2017). The complete works of Sri Aurobindo. Pondicherry: Aurobindo Ashram.
Ghose, A. (2005). Nationalism, religion, and beyond: Writings on politics, society, and culture. Peter Heehs (Ed.). Delhi: Permanent Black.
Gordon, L. (1979). Bengal: The nationalist movement, 1876–1940. New Delhi: Manohar Book Service.
Heehs, P. (2006). The uses of Sri Aurobindo: Mascot, whipping-boy or what? Postcolonial Studies, 9(2), 151–164.
Heehs, P. (2008a). The lives of Sri Aurobindo. New York: Columbia University Press.
Heehs, P. (2008b). Sri Aurobindo and Hinduism. AntiMatters, 2(2), 33–45.
Holmes, R. L. (1999). St. Augustine and the just war theory. In G. B. Matthews (Ed.), The Augustinian Tradition (pp. 323–344). Berkeley: University of California Press.
Johnson, J. T. (1997). The holy war idea in Western and Islamic traditions. University Park: Pennsylvania State University Press.
Klausen, J. C. (2014). Economies of violence: The Bhagavadgītā and the fostering of life in Gandhi’s and Ghose’s anticolonial theories. American Political Science Review, 108(1), 182–195.
Lancel, S. (2002). Saint Augustine. Antonia Nevill (Trans.). London: SCM Press.
Lenihan, D. A. (1988). The just war theory in the work of Saint Augustine. Augustinian Studies, 19, 37–70.
Miller, B. S. (1986). The Bhagavad-Gita: Krishna’s counsel in time of war. New York: Bantam.
Olivelle, P. (Ed.). (Trans.)(1996). Upaniṣads. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Parsons, W. (Ed.). (Trans.)(1955). Saint Augustine: Letters. In Roy Joseph Deferrari (Ed.), The fathers of the church: A new translation, vol. 30. New York: Fathers of the Church, Inc..
Popovski, V., Reichberg, G. M., & Turner, N. (Eds.). (2009). World religions and norms of war. New York: United Nations University Press.
Purani, A. B. (2007). Evening talks with Sri Aurobindo. In 4th ed, rev. Pondicherry: Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust.
Robinson, P. (2003). Just war in comparative perspective. Aldershot, Hampshire: Ashgate.
Sarkar, S. (2010). The swadeshi movement in Bengal: 1903–1908 (2nd ed.). Ranikhet: Permanent Black.
Schaff, P. (Ed.). (1979). A select library of Nicene and Post-Nicene fathers of the Christian Church (Vol. 2, 4). Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.
Smith, J. Z. (2000). Prologue: In comparison a magic still dwells. In K. C. Patton & B. C. Ray (Eds.), A magic still dwells: Comparative religion in the postmodern age (pp. 23–44). Berkeley: University of California.
Tripathi, A. (1967). The Extremist challenge: India between 1890 and 1910. Kolkata: Orient Longmans.
van Buitenen, J. A. B. (Ed.). (Trans.)(1978). The Mahābhārata, vol. 3. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Vivekananda. (1989). The complete works of Swami Vivekananda. Kolkata: Advaita Ashrama.
Wolfers, A. (2017). The making of an avatar: Reading Sri Aurobindo Ghose (1872–1950). Religions of South Asia, 11(2–3), 274–341.
Wynn, P. (2013). Augustine on war and military service. Minneapolis: Fortress Press.
Yoder, J. H. (2009). Christian attitudes to war, peace, and revolution. Theodore J. Koontz and Andy Alexis-Baker (Eds.). Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press.
Zaehner, R. C. (1969). Mysticism: Sacred and profane. London: Oxford University Press.
Acknowledgements
I thank Michael Stoeber for giving me the idea for this project in conjunction with my participation in the 2004 NEH summer institute, “Religion and Politics in India,” at the East-West Center and the University of Hawaii. In terms of feedback, I am grateful to Michael Stoeber, Gerald Schlabach, and the reviewers at the Journal of Dharma Studies. Michael Hollerich deserves much thanks for answering my many questions about Augustine. Also, I remember with fondness my first time studying Augustine, in a course taught by Susan Wood at St. John’s University.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of Interest
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Additional information
Publisher’s Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ulrich, E.T. “Justifying Warfare: Saint Augustine and Sri Aurobindo”. DHARM 4, 179–197 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42240-021-00090-6
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42240-021-00090-6