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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
So good I'm restarting practically immediately.
Second reading even better ... although Book V: phew.
Second reading even better ... although Book V: phew.
There are books, and there are great books. Boethius' "Consolation" is a great book. One cannot imagine the dire circumstances and the soul of its author, burdened with the loss of nearly every good fortune he possessed. Now imprisoned, and facing execution, Boethius writes a final exhortation to those who find themselves in the throes of misfortune. He asks the fundamental question we all do when things don't go as planned in life: Does the world make sense anymore? Through his extensive knowledge of philosophy, personified as a radiant lady, he answers in the affirmative.
This is not your dry, technical tome of Aristotle! He skillfully navigates the oftentimes rough, competing waters of philosophy with beautiful prose and verse. I would go as far as to say that the "Consolation" should be recommended more for beginners in philosophy. Even if you find yourself disagreeing with his conclusions, you cannot deny the genius Boethius attained in his lifetime. My personal favorite of the "Consolations" were Books 3 and 4, which discusses true Happiness and the problem of Evil in quite some detail.
I also would recommend this book to those interested in the "History of Thought". Somehow, Boethius is usually left out of the discussion, or treated as an interesting sideshow not meant to be taken seriously (as with most medievals, sadly). This exclusion fails to realize the massive amount of influence this small book had on all subsequent thought and literature. From Chaucer, to Aquinas, to the art and music of the Renaissance and beyond, this exhortation against trusting Fortuna practically wedged itself into the cornerstone of western literature.
This is not your dry, technical tome of Aristotle! He skillfully navigates the oftentimes rough, competing waters of philosophy with beautiful prose and verse. I would go as far as to say that the "Consolation" should be recommended more for beginners in philosophy. Even if you find yourself disagreeing with his conclusions, you cannot deny the genius Boethius attained in his lifetime. My personal favorite of the "Consolations" were Books 3 and 4, which discusses true Happiness and the problem of Evil in quite some detail.
I also would recommend this book to those interested in the "History of Thought". Somehow, Boethius is usually left out of the discussion, or treated as an interesting sideshow not meant to be taken seriously (as with most medievals, sadly). This exclusion fails to realize the massive amount of influence this small book had on all subsequent thought and literature. From Chaucer, to Aquinas, to the art and music of the Renaissance and beyond, this exhortation against trusting Fortuna practically wedged itself into the cornerstone of western literature.
Boethius The Consolation Of Philosophy carries an additional weight when the reader understand what led him to write it. Like Socrates and Seneca before him, Boethius was a philosopher deeply involved in politics and one who eventually became a martyr to the political systems he attempted to serve. A Roman senator during the decline and personal advisor to the Osthrogothic King Theodor The Great, he was a Christian thinker who earned the ire of his fellow politicians for publicly denouncing corruptions on multiple occasions. Fed up with him, his political enemies eventually conspired to get him and his father-in-law Symmachus implicated in a treasonous plot.
Symmachus, who had been his foster father before he became his father-in-law, was executed promptly. Boethius was sent into exile for a year before he was tortured and killed. Deeply depressed for obvious reasons, Boethius used this time to write The Consolation Of Philosophy. He had already devoted his life to his Christian faith and the philosophy of the Greeks and the blending of the two traditions into a cohesive ideology. In his hour of distress, he designed a fictional dialogue with the Lady Philosophy in which she reminds him of his commitments and the transcendent nature of his beliefs in faith and virtues.
The Consolation Of Philisophy starts with Boethius in despair, being consoled by muses. In a style reminiscent of Wisdom personified in the Old Testament, Philosophy herself shows up and dismisses these muses, gently but firmly reminding Boethius of all the beliefs he has founded his life upon. He agrees with her at nearly every turn in a one-sided Platonic dialogue, as she begins to expound upon the truths he has already committed himself to and takes him on a somewhat break-neck and perilously sophist journey, explaining why everything he has previously believed is true. Much of it is well reasoned, some of it is circular and pedantic. In the end, the position Boethius (or Lady Philosophy) comes to is a stoic blend of the major Greek thinkers, layered upon a faith in the Biblical God as an underlying explanation. It is surprisingly germane to orthodox Christianity and a big more coherent than a lot of its distant grandchildren, even if it does leave some obvious points of easy contention.
It’s easy to see how someone like C.S. Lewis was influenced by Boethius. It’s commonly accepted that Boethius’ attempt to translate all the Greek thinkers is what kept them available to generations that came later. Without him, Aristotle might have been wholly lost or at least lost to generations of further thinkers in the Middle Ages. Boethius was a true Roman and he talks of Christ and the Greek and Roman myths as naturally as anyone who is actually raised among both perspectives. Written in the early 500’s AD, it’s shocking how easily readable this translation is. There is a lot of artistry here and it stays interesting most of the way through.
Apart from the interesting arguments made, The Consolation Of Philosophy is the gateway through which over a thousand years of historic thinking attempts to meld the philosophy of the Greeks with the spiritual elements of Christianity. I have long wanted to understand how Aristotle and Plato and the stoics were reinterpreted over and over again and folded into Christianity in so many layers and it seems to start most clearly with Boethius. For a thousand years or more, thinkers started with St. Augustine and Boethius. For the critical thinker, Boethius is the one who leads us back to the Greeks.
Symmachus, who had been his foster father before he became his father-in-law, was executed promptly. Boethius was sent into exile for a year before he was tortured and killed. Deeply depressed for obvious reasons, Boethius used this time to write The Consolation Of Philosophy. He had already devoted his life to his Christian faith and the philosophy of the Greeks and the blending of the two traditions into a cohesive ideology. In his hour of distress, he designed a fictional dialogue with the Lady Philosophy in which she reminds him of his commitments and the transcendent nature of his beliefs in faith and virtues.
The Consolation Of Philisophy starts with Boethius in despair, being consoled by muses. In a style reminiscent of Wisdom personified in the Old Testament, Philosophy herself shows up and dismisses these muses, gently but firmly reminding Boethius of all the beliefs he has founded his life upon. He agrees with her at nearly every turn in a one-sided Platonic dialogue, as she begins to expound upon the truths he has already committed himself to and takes him on a somewhat break-neck and perilously sophist journey, explaining why everything he has previously believed is true. Much of it is well reasoned, some of it is circular and pedantic. In the end, the position Boethius (or Lady Philosophy) comes to is a stoic blend of the major Greek thinkers, layered upon a faith in the Biblical God as an underlying explanation. It is surprisingly germane to orthodox Christianity and a big more coherent than a lot of its distant grandchildren, even if it does leave some obvious points of easy contention.
It’s easy to see how someone like C.S. Lewis was influenced by Boethius. It’s commonly accepted that Boethius’ attempt to translate all the Greek thinkers is what kept them available to generations that came later. Without him, Aristotle might have been wholly lost or at least lost to generations of further thinkers in the Middle Ages. Boethius was a true Roman and he talks of Christ and the Greek and Roman myths as naturally as anyone who is actually raised among both perspectives. Written in the early 500’s AD, it’s shocking how easily readable this translation is. There is a lot of artistry here and it stays interesting most of the way through.
Apart from the interesting arguments made, The Consolation Of Philosophy is the gateway through which over a thousand years of historic thinking attempts to meld the philosophy of the Greeks with the spiritual elements of Christianity. I have long wanted to understand how Aristotle and Plato and the stoics were reinterpreted over and over again and folded into Christianity in so many layers and it seems to start most clearly with Boethius. For a thousand years or more, thinkers started with St. Augustine and Boethius. For the critical thinker, Boethius is the one who leads us back to the Greeks.
challenging
reflective
a very interesting piece of prison literature. The philosophical ideas are compelling as you see a man condemed to death try to reconcile that, it helps to understand the wider context of literature as its had a profound impact on other writings.
3.5 stars. Interesting in context and when viewed as part of the larger canon of prison literature. I just don’t think our current culture accommodates stoicism.
I've intended to read this book for quite a while, after having found it recommended time and time again by various authors I enjoy, who pointed to it as wisdom from a very different time. I was finally motivated to start after having read Medieval Wisdom for Modern Christians, and struggled through the first while. It takes time to get used to a totally different style of writing, mixing poetry and prose, alluding to gods and mythology and history which is foreign to me.
However, it was worth pushing through. By the second part (of five), I was reading more comfortably, and Boethius' wisdom became clearer. He tackles many classic and persistent theological problems, from the ultimate pursuit of man, to questions of good and evil, to pondering free will in light of an omniscient and everlasting Creator God. Fascinatingly, while tackling problems still undeniably relevant to life today, he does so with the perspective and wisdom of a totally different age from now. His understanding of God comes through in his reasoning and arguments, and is a great boon to the reader. No, the Middle Ages were not dark and bereft of wisdom. It is there to be found - challenging, for sure - but definitely worth it.
However, it was worth pushing through. By the second part (of five), I was reading more comfortably, and Boethius' wisdom became clearer. He tackles many classic and persistent theological problems, from the ultimate pursuit of man, to questions of good and evil, to pondering free will in light of an omniscient and everlasting Creator God. Fascinatingly, while tackling problems still undeniably relevant to life today, he does so with the perspective and wisdom of a totally different age from now. His understanding of God comes through in his reasoning and arguments, and is a great boon to the reader. No, the Middle Ages were not dark and bereft of wisdom. It is there to be found - challenging, for sure - but definitely worth it.
I added this to my shelf accidentally, going for Michael Redhill's *Consolation*, but actually, I have read this one, too, in school. I remember being very impressed, but that's about it--please don't ask me any questions about it.
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced