Key Arguments

• He states that the happy life consists in rejoicing in truth rather than falsehood, and that God himself is this truth: "For if I put the question to anyone whether he prefers to find joy in the truth or in falsehood, he does not hesitate to say that he prefers the truth, just as he does not hesitate to say he wants to be happy. The happy life is joy based on the truth. This is joy grounded in you, O God, who are the truth, ‘my illumination, the salvation of my face, my God’."
• He notes that everyone he has met prefers to enjoy truth rather than be deceived, showing a universal orientation to truth: "I have met with many people who wished to deceive, none who wished to be deceived."
• From their desire not to be deceived, he infers that they love truth, and since the happy life is joy in truth, anyone who loves happiness is in fact loving truth: "They love the truth because they have no wish to be deceived, and when they love the happy life (which is none other than joy grounded in truth) they are unquestionably loving the truth."
• He concludes that such love would be impossible without some prior knowledge of truth lodged in memory: "And they would have no love for it unless there were some knowledge of it in their memory."

Source Quotes

For if I put the question to anyone whether he prefers to find joy in the truth or in falsehood, he does not hesitate to say that he prefers the truth, just as he does not hesitate to say he wants to be happy. The happy life is joy based on the truth. This is joy grounded in you, O God, who are the truth, ‘my illumination, the salvation of my face, my God’ (Ps. 26: 1; 41:12). This happy life everyone desires; joy in the truth everyone wants.

26: 1; 41:12). This happy life everyone desires; joy in the truth everyone wants. I have met with many people who wished to deceive, none who wished to be deceived.

This happy life everyone desires; joy in the truth everyone wants. I have met with many people who wished to deceive, none who wished to be deceived. How then did they know about this happy life unless in the same way that they knew about the truth?

How then did they know about this happy life unless in the same way that they knew about the truth? They love the truth because they have no wish to be deceived, and when they love the happy life (which is none other than joy grounded in truth) they are unquestionably loving the truth. And they would have no love for it unless there were some knowledge of it in their memory.

They love the truth because they have no wish to be deceived, and when they love the happy life (which is none other than joy grounded in truth) they are unquestionably loving the truth. And they would have no love for it unless there were some knowledge of it in their memory. Why then do they not find their joy in this?

Key Concepts

• The happy life is joy based on the truth. This is joy grounded in you, O God, who are the truth, ‘my illumination, the salvation of my face, my God’ (Ps. 26: 1; 41:12).
• This happy life everyone desires; joy in the truth everyone wants.
• I have met with many people who wished to deceive, none who wished to be deceived.
• They love the truth because they have no wish to be deceived, and when they love the happy life (which is none other than joy grounded in truth) they are unquestionably loving the truth.
• And they would have no love for it unless there were some knowledge of it in their memory.

Context

Book X, xxiii (33): Augustine deepens his account of happiness by identifying it explicitly with joy in truth, equating God with truth, and arguing from the universal aversion to being deceived to a universal love of truth rooted in memory.