Similarities and Differences between the City of God and the City of Man

Similarities and Differences between the City of God and the City of Man
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Introduction
The concept of the city of God and the city of man was developed by philosophers as they reflected on the life of human beings on earth. According to Plato and Aristotle who are the main pillars behind this concept, human beings can be divided into two main groups. The first group of people are those that live according to self. These people have the world centered on them and everything they do is for self-fulfillment and satisfaction. The other category of people are those that live in accordance to the laws of God. These people are selfless, will sacrifice for the sake of other people and think about others more than self. The first category of people are said to live in the City of Man while the second category live in the City of God. The focus of this paper is to look at the distinction between the two cities while considering the ideas behind the thinking of the philosophers.
Distinct differences between the two cities
According to St Augustine, the City of Man is worldly, sinful and impious. The main agenda of people self-development, self- satisfaction and self-gain at the exclusion of others. People do not care about others and they will go to great lengths to ensure that they amass as much wealth. The manner in which they gain their riches is not carefully considered as the end justifies the means (Harvey, 2010).
On the other hand, the City of Man is characterized by people who have hearkened to the voice of God. Self- consideration comes second after consideration of the interests of others. These people are very close to God and they always endeavor to do the right thing always. According to St. Augustine, both cities are entangled together in this world and will continue to coexist until the Day of Judgment when they will be separated.
One of the differences that St Augustine points out is that the City of God is based on the God’s love to the contempt of self-love. The City of Man is based on the love of the individual self and often forsakes God. In the City of God, glory is to God and God is considered supreme above all. However, in the City of Man, it is all about self-glory as manifested in amassing of wealth and power (Jenkins, 2013). The people in the City of Man will seek recognition from fellow men and success is measured based on the influence and power that one has in society. While the City of God is comprised of those who live according to divine laws and rely on God for strength, the City of Man consists of those who are self-reliant and believe that they are self-made.
In the City of God, there is hope for an eternal life after death where the people will reign eternally with God (Levering, 2013). Service towards one another is done with love and not expectation of self-gain. There is belief that God is the ultimate King and will reward good deeds at the right time. On the other hand, in the City of Man, life after death will be characterized by suffering as they receive their punishment in hell. Service towards one another is only based on what one can gain. There is no servant leadership as everybody looks to enrich themselves and ensure that only they benef...