"In this world, two things are essential: life and friendship," wrote the early Christian philosopher, Augustine of Hippo [Sermon Denis 16,1]. To befriend someone, he says, we must believe they have goodwill toward us, love for us, and faith in us. There is always the risk that they may betray or disappoint us, but Augustine says we must take it because we cannot have a true friend unless we risk trusting a false one. In this installment of Dissertation in One Minute, Alexander Vega, PhD candidate in the classics and a former Bok Award winner for excellence in graduate student teaching of undergraduates, discusses his research on Augustine, and what it means to be a friend—and make new ones.
