What is philosophy, based on Augustine's City of God, Bk. VIII, ch.3?

Philosophy for Augustine is something that is not static and fixed. Meaning, each person, in a given time and place, has his/her own take to what philosophy is. He/She has his/her own way of doing philosophy. It has no specific structure to which one can say that this is the right and proper philosophy. Philosophy and philosophizing varies from each person, each given era, and given location. In the given chapter, it shows that Socrates’ Philosophy, his own way of philosophizing and how his followers interpret his philosophy.

In the given chapter, it was discussed that Socrates’ philosophy was the correction and regulation of manners to attain the final good that would make a person obtain a blessed life or raise his/herself upward to divine things. This discussion however, is an interpretation of Augustine to Socrates’ philosophy. The manner Augustine describes it is in the light of his own biases. It’s the same case as to how the other followers discuss the chief good. There are others that discuss the chief good in pleasure, virtue, etc. It may be true that Socrates inquired for that which is the chief good but the way his followers determine what that chief good is varies. 

Socrates’ way of philosophizing is through intellectual discourse. This means that the way he presents his arguments was through the medium of speaking. Socrates’ way of philosophizing is through letting a person realize that he/she might have not known what he has known. Through his way of speaking, he has let other people feel foolish to claim that they know what they know yet ended up not knowing anything at all. This way of discourse is different to the others as he was condemned and executed because a lot of people were insulted to his way of persuasion. 

Philosophy for Augustine therefore is something that is not final and fixed. It is something that moves in different ways. Each person in a given time and place has his/her own take in philosophy and interpreting other philosophies. He/She is covered by his/her biases.

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Source:

Schaff, P. (1896). Augustine on Ancient Philosophy (M. Dods, Trans.).
      In Klima, G., Allhoff, F., & Vaidya, A. (Ed.). Medieval 
      Philosophy: Essential Readings with Commentary
      (pp. 32-33). Blackwell Publishing: Australia.