The Philosophical and Scriptural Origins of Augustine's Uti-Frui Distinction

This paper sheds new light on the debate over the philosophical origins of the uti-frui distinction by examining the influence of Scripture on Augustine’s interpretation of uti-frui. Several candidates have been proposed for having influenced Augustine’s understanding of uti-frui: Varro, Cicero, and Stoicism. In response, I argue that there is no special source for Augustine’s formulation of the distinction, since this distinction was widespread in antiquity. Augustine’s own interpretation of uti and frui, while indebted to ancient philosophy, took its shape from three Scriptural texts: Ephesians 5:29, 1 Corinthians 7:31, and 1 Timothy 1:5-8. Ephesians helped him articulate an account of the goodness of natural goods, in line with the Old Academy but opposed to Manicheism. 1 Corinthians 7:31 gave him the insight that everything should be used in this life. 1 Timothy 1:5-8 specifies the end of use: love of God and all things as related to God.