是杰出的指挥官，却倾向上兵伐交，有挥舞兵器的力量，却不沉迷决斗，虽然性格强势，但是自律认真、虔诚严苛，能宽以待人，也能赏罚分明，不好杀伐、与民约法，换个角度来说，或许腓力·奥古斯都比同时代另一些浮夸好事、扬武耀威的人更具（原教旨）骑士精神。

“Philip went to war as any leader of his period would, but he was more prepared than most to seek and make peace. Rigord said that Philip's aim was 'to deliver the weak from the tyranny of the strong', and that 'his first triumph is to see peace re-established'. His tolerance and mild temper puzzled the aggressive Bertran de Born, who thought the French needed a leader and had not found one in Philip, who did not become angry. Bertran preferred the attitude of Richard the Lionheart, for whom “peace and truce have never been noble”.

“Of course Philip took counsel, and made a point of doing so, but he was too independent a man to be dominated by another. And though inclined to prefer diplomatic solutions, he was a good enough warrior to win respect; as William the Breton said 'his arm was powerful in the use of weapons'. Bouvines was the most important battle of the age, and Philip was the victor. Where the loss of documentary evidence from the earlier period often makes it impossible to be certain that Philip was the innovator or the initiator, a knowledge of his character, his able leadership and his drive, make him far and away the likeliest candidate. One of Philip's major achievements was to shift the balances of an intricate system of government in France in favour of the Capetian monarchy, so that its views were more often heeded, and came to be heeded in areas where that had not previously been the case.”