Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Unavailable
    Consolation of Philosophy
    Unavailable
    Consolation of Philosophy
    Unavailable
    Consolation of Philosophy
    Ebook169 pages2 hours

    Consolation of Philosophy

    By Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    Listen to the audiobook instead

    About this ebook

    This is the very substance and premise of which this quest is comprised and entertains. This very statement made in response to Boethius strikes against the very core of the Humanist's mentality to those who of the New Age mind set embrace "brother sun, sister moon." This work is a masterpiece of a person coming to grips with what indeed is reality, and not what we make of it. Many from the humanist's and forward have placed blinders on their eyes and dismiss the past as mere rhetoric, thus erring as she continues, "How plainly and how widely do you err by thinking that anything can be adorned by ornaments that belong to others!" Unlike other pieces of literature, which simply pacifies whims and desires, with no real benefit beyond memories, this work engages, ministers, prompts and causes you to do more than think but truly ponder numerous issues within your life and the world around, and ultimately your relationship with God.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherLulu.com
    Release dateMar 14, 2013
    ISBN9781257515448

    Read more from Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius

    Related to Consolation of Philosophy

    Related ebooks

    Religion & Spirituality For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      ‘What Seek Ye?’

      Jul 31, 2020

      ‘What Seek Ye?’
      8 min read

    • Article

      A Rosary In My Pocket

      May 23, 2023

      A Rosary In My Pocket
      4 min read

    • Article

      Ask The Teachers

      Feb 11, 2020

      BHANTE SUJATO: In 2014 I coauthored, with Bhikkhu Brahmali, a book called The Authenticity of the Early Buddhist Texts. The “early Buddhist texts” are essentially the main parts of the Pali suttas and vinaya, as well as the cognate texts in Chinese a

      5 min read

    • Article

      Beyond The Buzz

      Oct 22, 2019

      Mindfulness is just Buddhism in disguise Mindfulness is a basic human inheritance and capability, and it’s not owned by any group, religion, or philosophy. As a capacity of the human mind, mindfulness can be trained with practices and disciplines, ju

      8 min read

    • Article

      What’s Philosophy For?

      Aug 10, 2020

      What’s Philosophy For?
      4 min read

    • Article

      Steven Pinker Has His Reasons

      Nov 17, 2021

      A few years ago, at the Princeton Club in Manhattan, I chanced on a memorable chat with the Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker. His spouse, the philosopher Rebecca Goldstein, with whom he was tagging along, had been invited onto a panel to discuss th

      19 min read

    • Article

      ‘For Your Guidance!’

      Jun 30, 2020

      ‘For Your Guidance!’
      8 min read

    • Article

      Mind Matters

      Jul 22, 2022

      Mind Matters
      3 min read

    • Article

      Distraction Rules

      Mar 1, 2023

      Distraction Rules
      5 min read

    • Article

      MUSLIM & BUDDHIST

      Jan 24, 2023

      SUNDOWN TURNS TO DUSK as my forehead touches the rug beneath me. I stand, clasp my left wrist with my right hand, and intone the Arabic verses of the Qur’an that are recited daily by over a billion Muslims around the world. With my prayers, I’m unify

      3 min read

    • Article

      BOOKMARK THIS read…listen…stream

      Oct 26, 2021

      Find Your Focus, Own Your Attention, Invest 12 Minutes a Day Amishi P. Jha, PhD • Harper One This long-awaited book from the leading neuroscientist studying the effects of contemplative practices on our attention system doesn’t disappoint. It’s an in

      3 min read

    • Article

      Joseph R. Lee Analyses Dreams

      Feb 27, 2020

      Joseph R. Lee Analyses Dreams
      22 min read

    • Article

      Student Edition

      Sep 30, 2017

      WITH EMMA LAW RANCE HOMETOWN: Adelaide CURRENTLY LIVING: Oxford RESEARCH: Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience “The first project for my PhD explored how we make decisions when we are missing information, and how this uncertainty influences our c

      8 min read

    • Article

      Find your PURPOSE

      Feb 4, 2021

      Find your PURPOSE
      2 min read

    • Article

      Words & Beyond Words

      May 21, 2019

      THERE ARE MANY WAYS to engage with Buddhist teachings. You can read books on the dharma and take classes in person or online. You can meditate on your own or attend retreats. You can engage with Buddhism as an academic or translator, or relate to it

      5 min read

    • Article

      What Is Rest, Anyway?

      Jan 1, 2024

      What Is Rest, Anyway?
      19 min read

    • Article

      Language Both Enraptures and Deceives Us

      Sep 12, 2019

      The purpose of language is to reveal the contents of our minds, says Julie Sedivy. It’s a simple and profound insight. We are social animals and language is what springs us from our isolated selves and connects us with others. Sedivy has taught lingu

      13 min read

    • Article

      To Be, Not To Do

      May 5, 2021

      To Be, Not To Do
      7 min read

    • Article

      Read Yourself Well

      Sep 23, 2021

      Read Yourself Well
      2 min read

    • Article

      Chart Your Own Course

      Jul 6, 2021

      Chart Your Own Course
      6 min read

    • Article

      Q&A

      Sep 1, 2023

      We’ve heard a lot about difficult conversations, but you believe all conversations are difficult. Please explain. In recent years we have heard a lot about so-called difficult conversations from the realm of academic research and in the public discou

      7 min read

    • Article

      This Essentially Meaningless Conflict

      Sep 22, 2017

      MARILYNNE ROBINSON’S accomplishments are impressive by any standard: she has won the National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction, the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, and the National Humanities Medal, among other honors. But perhaps a better measure o

      8 min read

    • Article

      Bookmark This read…listen…stream

      Apr 1, 2020

      How Exercise Helps Us Find Happiness, Hope, Connection, and Courage Kelly McGonigal, PhD • Avery McGonigal’s thesis is simple—as humans, we are hardwired for movement. She builds her case through a wide-ranging survey of scientific studies, interview

      7 min read

    Reviews for Consolation of Philosophy

    4/5

    456 ratings19 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      I enjoyed first half of the Book, especially the poetic part.

      However, In the later part of his book, he dabbles in theological knots. I would recommend this to someone who enjoys Aurelius, or thinks highly of Stoic philosophy.

      To my Surprise, Boethius doesn't talk about the person of Christ, maybe because he just wanted to write philosophy for consolation.


      --Deus Vult
      Gottfried
    • 3/5
      Opmerkelijk niveau : laatste schittering voor de echte Middeleeuwen.Vooral boek 1 en 2 zijn mooi, als pareltjes uit de troostliteratuur. De volgende boeken zijn zwaarder op de hand. De theologisch-filosofische redeneringen zijn ronduit zwak : noch de plaats van het kwaad, noch het bestaan van de vrije wil worden deugdelijk uiteengezet.
    • 3/5
      An English rendering of the classic.
    • 3/5
      Opmerkelijk niveau : laatste schittering voor de echte Middeleeuwen.Vooral boek 1 en 2 zijn mooi, als pareltjes uit de troostliteratuur. De volgende boeken zijn zwaarder op de hand. De theologisch-filosofische redeneringen zijn ronduit zwak : noch de plaats van het kwaad, noch het bestaan van de vrije wil worden deugdelijk uiteengezet.
    • 5/5
      Philosophy in the figure of a woman is calling Boethius to his better self having him realise that what he has lost - his honour, his freedom, his library, his fame & wealth - are inconsequential, they do not matter. Philosophy is bringing him to a true understanding. We need to abstract from time, from the process of life, to see things as how they would appear to an eternal being and we can rise to this perspective through philosophy. The consolation in regards to death is realising that when you die what you lose is the present moment as the past has ceased to be and the future has not yet to come. What you think you're losing is insufficiently important. Philosophy an take you into a world of higher understanding intellectual and moral.
    • 3/5
      Invaluable to the understanding of medieval European literature, really. I can't believe I took so long to read it: it explains a lot about the outlook of some texts. It takes the form of a dialogue between Boethius, as the narrator, and Dame Philosophy, during Boethius' imprisonment, explaining the capriciousness of Fortune and the divine plans of God.

      It's not exactly riveting and fun, but it was a pivotal text and influential for a long time. The Oxford World's Classics translation is very readable, with a helpful introduction and notes.
    • 5/5
      I had received not 1 but 3, fine recommendations for this book. First, was from Ignatius J. Reilly c/o [John Kennedy Toole], of course. Second, was from my sister, who obtained her BA in Philosophy many years ago. Third was from the late great Professor Rufus Fears, via a Teaching Company lecture dealing with life-changing books.It is not well known today but was an extremely popular treatise from the early Medieval times onward and it greatly influenced western thought. I particularly enjoyed the lyrical sections interspersed between the dialogues between Philosophy and her student, the imprisoned Boethius.
    • 3/5
      Boethius tried to show why good is always the better choice and evil always the worse choice. He tried doing this purely with philosophy and eliminating religion. Unfortunately, pretty much every argument used stems from the premise that God definitely exists. This is stated at the beginning, and every argument following builds upon that premise.So Boethius' attempt, in this regard, is a complete and utter failure. Despite his efforts to make it otherwise, this winds up being The Consolation of Religion.That being said, the thought process was still very good at certain points. Some of the arguments are very logical, once you understand that he is building on the premise that God exists. His argument in favor of free will was very good for its time. He demonstrates that even if there were such a thing as an omniscient being (e.g. God), free will would still be very possible.
    • 4/5
      Stoic poetry was an interesting experiment, and I'll admit that there's some creativity here. But while the performance was often adequate, there are also many times when something is lacking, or else when it is simply boring and belabored. In a way, it's an interesting mix between showing what (in my correct opinion) philosophy is good for--consolation--as well as why there are better outlets for human creativity and intelligence than philosophy--speculation and snobbery must at some point stop shrewing against the Flux. It's one thing to draw water from the well (dry your tears, mother), and another thing to fall in (such earthly goods will only distract you from more eternal pursuits, woman!). There's a point at which you want to take Philosophy by the arm and lead her away from this monk for to whisper in her ear: Think. I know that the Flux troubles you and that Fortune is your enemy, but did not Epictetus say something about not being troubled about what is not in your power? Or are you a warrior instead of a hermit? Have you forgotten already that what is not in your power is none of your concern? And I might add that both philosophy and poetry can be quite short--compact, or condensed, (rather than condescended), like good music, and perhaps they should be...after all, if you're going to be abstract, you might as well *get thru it* since you don't need to deal with every detail, you need only pluck one detail out of a patch of ten thousand such to use as your example, and, if you look at it from the poet's platform, well, repetition might well be used if it delights the ear, but certainly heavy verbosity brings the poet little benefit and scant praise. {He could have said, "years have passed between us, and some would say, that they have not been kind...and we remain, yet we stand, bloodied yet unbowed...to live, give me one thing, to live or die for...we are! we are bloodied, yet unbowed!"}But he'd rather ape Plato, and that doesn't win many points in my book. "Therefore black is white and grey is yellow.""Certainly." But is grey really like yellow?And it's also as good of an example as any of this medieval scholastic philosopher's terribly unfair tendency to rest three-quarters of the argument on some old pagan philosopher or another they must have found, half-decayed, in some musty old tome in some decrepit old library somewhere, or some remote monastery, which they then proceeded to fawn over in servile, infantile adoration...and then, of course, they would proceed to casually insult and spit on it, gloating childishly in whatever real or imagined superiority they thought to find in their own conceptions of things. {~But I'm not a Stoic! I didn't sit on the Porch of Zeno! ~You're right...you're not much of a stoic.} And, again, just because he quotes condescendingly from Cicero or somebody like that, doesn't mean that he has the slightest bloody idea what he's going on about. Also, the talk about kings and judges and so on is so excessive, it almost starts to sound like lawyer's prattle: and it's all so unnecessary. After all, you need ethics for politics, *but not politics for ethics*. And, of course, there are things that Boethius says (and which Plato says) which are true, and, yet, said in such strange speech, is practically obscured. ("If Chrysippus had not spoken obscurely, this man would have nothing to be proud of.") I can only take it on faith that Truth is never impeded, and that those who deceive themselves hurt themselves, but not others. (7/10)
    • 5/5
      This book is a dialogue between the female personification of Philosophy, and the author Boethius, in the sixth century A.D. He is in a bit of a fix, and is considering profound philosophical questions. The topics include free will and determinism, the nature of God, human nature, goodness, justice, and they are discussed between the two characters who present arguments and make decisions. There are also numerous verses relating to the topics throughout the book, which act in a way as summaries.The arguments and topics are very much of Platonic and Aristotlean origin, often with a Neoplatonic interpretation. Though the book is religious in purpose, it is a philosophical work that aims to support the tenets of religion without reference to scripture, using only reason. Boethius has a great literary style, which makes this book very nice to read, though the book is just as valuable for how it deals with the big questions. In many aspects it is more satisfying that some of Plato's lesser dialogues, which often reach no conclusion, and in which it is not immediately obvious what we are being taught. Boethius gets to the point, gets the arguments out, and makes decisions. On some things I do not believe he is correct, but a lot of the thought is incisive, and the philosophy on the whole is just as good, if not better, than Augustine's Confessions. These books have a fair amount in common, but are also very different. This book ought to be part of the education of anyone studying philosophy, and happily it has the value of being effortless to read, unlike many other important works.
    • 5/5
      Boethius was the adopted son of Symmachus a highly committed christian and consul at Rome in the late 5th century AD. Boethius in his turn also became consul and the was then appointed by Theodric (King of Italy) to a high ranking position at his court at Ravenna. After a year in post Boethius fell foul of court intrigue and was imprisoned on charges of treason. Whilst in prison and hopeful of reprieve he wrote the Consolation of philosophy. His reprieve never came and he was executed around 525 AD.The Consolation is not a religious tract, it is more a philosophical argument for the existence of God and its aim is to provide comfort to all unfortunate souls who find themselves like Boethius in extreme distress. There are five short books: Book 1: introduces the persona of philosophy and Boethius pours out to her his woes. She promises to provide medicine to cure his moral sickness. Book 2: is a condemnation of the material advantages that Boethius has already enjoyed and looks forward to a time when these will no longer be needed. Book 3: examines the nature of true happiness and the search for true good and puts forward the idea that the perfect good in which lies true happiness is God. Book 4: examines whether God apportions appropriate justice to good and evil men in the world and attempts to explain the apparent irrationality in which the widespread operation of chance seems to be at odds with Gods wise governance. Book 5: asks the question; how can man's free will be reconciled with divine providence. a summary of the arguments then lead the prisoner to spiritual freedom, to shake off the shackles of earthly serfdom and rise to be at one with God.When philosophy first visits Boethius he is surrounded by the muses of poetry, which she drives away calling them "these harlots". A question the reader might ask is whether Boethius would have been better off sticking with the muses of poetry. I think the logical arguments that are easily followed would convince many people that philosophy is the better bet. There are of course gaps in the logic to the modern mind but overall I thought that much of what is said seemed to speak to me down the ages. The one big issue that is not examined satisfactorily is why there is evil in the world If God is omnipotent, A knotty question I know but the consolation seems to shy away from this. I read the Oxford world's classics edition translated and introduced by P G Walsh, which I found to be excellent. Each chapter of text is either introduced or followed by a poem and these are worth the price of the book alone. They either sum up the text or give additional information. I loved them. Walsh provides plenty of background information and his notes are easy to follow and precise. The only advice I would give to readers before starting the book would be to make sure that they are familiar with the basic tenets of Neoplatonism. Walsh has a short chapter on it but to get the most out of the consolation which is based on neoplatonism do a bit of background reading.I will return to this marvellous little book, especially those poems
    • 3/5
      Quite entertaining. Too short to be a great book, but contains some very useful ideas nonetheless.
    • 5/5
      Again, the soul has not only a chance to grow but to realize that all the Soul has and needs is God.
    • 5/5
      boethius's masterpiece, written in prison in the shadow of death, is a beacon of light for us all
    • 3/5
      Boethius discusses philosophy and the meaning of life with philosophy herself on the eve of his death in the 500's. There were some gems in here but most of it was rhetoric concerning classical philosophers and there positions on what is worth while in life and how God influences human life.
    • 4/5
      This was a great philosophy book by an extremely keen and agile mind that explores many topics. The format is good, the wisdom is plentiful, and the overall writing is strong. This is a great book for those interested in classics and those who are intrigued by philosophy. 4 stars!
    • 2/5
      The Penguin Classics translation by Victor Watts has a very helpful introduction and footnotes. Books I and II held my interest, but by the time I got to Book V and the arguments about divine perception of time it was a struggle to keep my mind from wandering.
    • 5/5
      Brilliant! Going in, I expected this to be difficult, like Plotinus, but it was actually very readable. It reminded me in places of The Republic, although the character of Boethius is much more lovable than that of Socrates. Also, I was fuzzy going in on whether Boethius was writing as a Christian or a Platonist. As it turns out, he has a foot in each camp. Christian-ish Neoplatonism, with a dash of Stoicism added in. Or maybe he was a Christian but decided to write his defense of philosophy without reference to divine revelation, just because? It is hard to tell. Anyway, this was just marvelous!Boethius tackles the big questions of monotheism: theodicy, providence vs free will (which he does a particularly nice job with, btw); eternity vs infinity (this isn't one of the Big Questions, or has never been for me, but I found it fascinating anyway!), etc. Not that his answers, particularly to that of suffering, are fully satisfactory, but whose are? He doesn't tie himself in knots, the way Aristotle and Plotinus do, and the poems in between the prose sections are lovely.The notes in this edition (Ignatius Critical Editions) are fantastic. Not only do they tell you everything you want to know (and maybe a little more), but they are on the Bottoms of the Relevant Pages, where notes Belong! I Love not having to flip to the back of the book to read the notes. Plus, the binding is a nice sturdy one, which makes a nice change (hint, hint, Oxford World's Classics!). The notes explain all the people, events, and stories a reader might not know, and also the works that Boethius is (or may be) referencing – the Bible, Hesiod, Homer, Horace, Virgil, Juvenal, Lucretius, Aristotle, Plato, Cicero, Augustine, etc. They also point to later authors who drew on Boethius, particularly Aquinas, Chaucer, Dante, Shakespeare, Milton (and not forgetting John Kennedy Toole!). Great book, great notes.*The Contemporary Criticism, at the end, was less impressive. This was a collection of six essays on Boethius & the Consolation, by various authors (all college professors, with schools noted), none of which I found indispensable. Out of the six, I read the second, third, and fourth, and found them mildly interesting. The first, fifth, and sixth I tried but gave up on. I think it says something good about Boethius and his translators/footnoters that I didn't feel much Need for explanatory essays!
    • 4/5
      The Consolation of Philosophy is Boethius' attempt to wrap his mind and soul around the problem of theodicy. Specifically, Boethius, a philosopher in the 4th-5th cent. AD, is coming to grips with his own unjust suffering and impending death. As he languishes in a prison cell, he writes Consolation, in which Philosophy herself descends to talk with him specifically about his own plight, as well as the problem of evil generally in this world. Boethius divides his conversation with Philosophy into five books, each of which tackles a specific issue, question, or argument. Book I: Philosophy descends from heaven to meet Boethius in his cell. Boethius airs his complaints to her, culminating his argument by stating, "And now you see the outcome of my innocence--instead of reward for true goodness, punishment for a crime I did not commit." Philosophy lays out the thesis of her response: "Your defenses have been breached and your mind has been infiltrated by the fever of emotional distraction…You have forgotten your true nature." Book II: Philosophy argues that money, power and fame (collectively called Fortune) are destined to go away, and one's fortune can be reversed at any moment. Therefore, these things cannot bring true happiness--so why worry if they are taken away?Book III: Philosophy sketches out the true cause of happiness. Namely, true happiness can be found in God alone, because only He completely embodies what it means to be happy. The closer one draws to God, the happier one will be.Book IV: Philosophy turns to a discussion of good and evil. Today, we might say she is answering the questions, "Why do good things happen to bad people and bad things happen to good people?" Her answer is that ultimately all things that happen to a good person are good (because they are either reward or discipline), and all things that happen to a bad person are bad (because they are either punishment or correction).Book V: Philosophy wraps up her conversation with Boethius by examining the relationship of free will to God's foreknowledge. She argues that because God sees all things as an eternal present, he necessarily knows the future, though from our vantage point as travelers through time, the choices we make are genuinely free.Like many people out there, last year (2011) was a rough one for my family and me. We went through a lot of trials, and my faith was stretched to the limit. Admittedly, things in my life were not nearly as bad off as they were for Boethius, but nevertheless I found myself making many of the same complaints and observations that he did. For this reason, I really appreciated The Consolation. As the book progressed, I was able to identify with and internalize Philosophy's overarching argument, which is summarized well by Romans 8:28, "All things work together for good for those who love God." While some of Philosophy's logic is suspect (e.g., the idea that evil is nothing, which unfortunately is just a clever equivocation of terms), there are many, many more nuggets of wisdom that still ring true some 1500 years later. I highly recommend this book for anyone who needs reassurance in time of suffering.