Reviews (18)

truly consoling
I don't read a lot of philosophy texts, but I read this one after my father died and was surprised to find it very meaningful and truly consoling.

A Literary and Philosophical Masterpiece
Boethius, in his "Consolation" written in prison shortly before his death, turns to the pre-Christian philosophers and the tradition of Rome and Greece for aid and comfort.The work is one of the most historically important works ever written: it is through Boethius that we had knowledge of Aristotle during the middle ages.
The One and the Good
_Here you find the unequivocal declaration that not riches, not high position, not fame, not physical pleasure are worth pursuing in-and-of themselves. Such things are of value only if they are obtained in the pursuit of the highest Good. This highest Good is demonstrated to be God. Moreover, Boethius points out that when evil men succeed in obtaining such goals over the righteous, then they cease to truly be men- they are beasts and subhuman. This is a refreshing reminder in the modern world, a world not unlike that of late Roman times.
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Subjects:  1. General    2. Happiness    3. History & Surveys - Ancient & Classical    4. Philosophy    5. Philosophy and religion    6. English    7. Medieval & Scholastic philosophy    8. Philosophy / Medieval    9. Prose & writers: classical, early & medieval   

Reviews (27)

When you find yourself in times of trouble....
The truly amazing thing about this work is that it was written in PRISON as Boethius awaited execution (following judgment and conviction based upon spurious charges). Bearing that in mind as I read "The Consolation of Philosophy" (if anyone ever needed consolation, it was an innocent man awaiting his own death; Christians should be able to relate to that idea) made it all the more remarkable. If you ever feel that life isn't fair, that others have it "in" for you, that it's tough to get an even break, maybe reading this will put things in better perspective. If not, it won't be due to Boethius' shortcomings....

The One and the Good
_Here you find the unequivocal declaration that not riches, not high position, not fame, not physical pleasure are worth pursuing in-and-of themselves. Such things are of value only if they are obtained in the pursuit of the highest Good. This highest Good is demonstrated to be God. Moreover, Boethius points out that when evil men succeed in obtaining such goals over the righteous, then they cease to truly be men- they are beasts and subhuman. This is a refreshing reminder in the modern world, a world not unlike that of late Roman times.
A Philosopher for the Hard Questions
Boethius: The Consolation of Philosophy
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Subjects:  1. General    2. Happiness    3. History & Surveys - Ancient & Classical    4. Philosophy    5. Philosophy and religion    6. Philosophy / General   

Reviews (6)

Remains vital after fifteen hundred years
The particular edition I am reviewing is the Oxford World's Classics translation by P. G. Walsh.
An essential and poignant work
For a long time, this would stand as the last major work in which philosophy played the role it was accustomed to play in Antiquity; most medieval thinkers would make philosophy the servant of theology and strip it of its profoundly ethical roots - after all, Christianity became the philosophical way of life par excellence. By using philosophy as a character, Boethius emphasizes its vital role in everyday life and the choices that life entails. Although Boethius is usually mentioned in conjunction with Aristotelian and Christian thought, this work is especially linked to Platonism, Stoicism and Neoplatonism: a) it follows the progression of Socratic discourse in a journey that leads one from the suppression of false beliefs towards a gradually clearer approximation of what Good is, and Philosophy is akin to the priestess Diotima of Plato's Symposium; b) the harrowing context in which it was written mirrors the composition of Seneca's Letters to Lucilius; c) its frequent allegorical use of poetry and myths follows the path set forth by the Stoics and Neoplatonists. The first few books free Philosophy's interlocutor from his errors, and Boethius then explores the work's central subjects: justice, the nature of good and evil, providence (themes that also intensely preoccupied Plotinus late in his life). Treating 'Consolation...' only as a compendium of ancient Greek philosophy would be doing it a major disservice, as it would underscore the personal dimension lying at the very heart of the work. Those who forgot that philosophy is a lot more than the mere juggling of concepts should definitely read this key book.

The One and the Good
Here you find the unequivocal declaration that not riches, not high position, not fame, not physical pleasure are worth pursuing in-and-of themselves. Such things are of value only if they are obtained in the pursuit of the highest Good. This highest Good is demonstrated to be God. Moreover, Boethius points out that when evil men succeed in obtaining such goals over the righteous, then they cease to truly be men- they are beasts and subhuman. This is a refreshing reminder in the modern world, a world not unlike that of late Roman times.
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Subjects:  1. History & Surveys - Medieval    2. Philosophy    3. Designed / suitable for A & AS Level    4. Medieval & Scholastic philosophy    5. Philosophy / Medieval    6. Philosophy | History | Medieval    7. c 500 CE to c 1000 CE   

Editorial Review

Unjustly imprisoned and waiting to die, Boethius penned his last and greatest work, Read more

Reviews (2)

The One and the Good
Here you find the unequivocal declaration that not riches, not high position, not fame, not physical pleasure are worth pursuing in-and-of themselves. Such things are of value only if they are obtained in the pursuit of the highest Good. This highest Good is demonstrated to be God. Moreover, Boethius points out that when evil men succeed in obtaining such goals over the righteous, then they cease to truly be men- they are beasts and subhuman. This is a refreshing reminder in the modern world, a world not unlike that of late Roman times.
Relihan's 'Consolation' Should Not Go Unoticed
The Relihan translation emphasizes the philosophical depth of Boethius' Consolation, while faithfully and artfully reproducing the original beauty of his verse and the sublimity of its meaning.With this edition comes a detailed and informative introduction, along with exhaustive notes and a definitive glossary.Joel C. Relihan is one of the leading authorities in Boethian studies; his rendition of the Consolation is one that anyone serious about its study can hardly pass. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Criticism    2. General    3. Happiness    4. Philosophy    5. Philosophy and religion    6. Medieval & Scholastic philosophy   

Subjects:  1. Aristotle    2. Aristotle.    3. De interpretatione    4. De interpretatione.    5. Early works to 1800    6. Fate and fatalism    7. Free will and determinism    8. History & Surveys - Ancient & Classical    9. Logic    10. Neoplatonism    11. Philosophy    12. Ancient Western philosophy to c 500   

Subjects:  1. God,happiness,Philosophy,Medieval Philosophy,Theology,religion,Boethius,Boece,chaucer's,translation,of,boethius's,de,consolatione,philosophiae,consolation,the,chaucer's,translation,of,boethius's,'de,consolatione,philosophiae'    2. Religion / Amish   

Reviews (5)

A Worthy Consolation to Remember
Lady Philosophy poses the question to the wearied and worried Boethius: "Then can you say, what is a man?"Boethius answers that he knows for certain that he is a "mortal, rational animal.""And do you not know," Lady Philosophy asks further, "that you are anything more?""I am nothing more," Boethius replies."Now I know," Lady Philosophy charges, "you have forgotten what you are" (Book I, Prose VI).In this Loeb Classical Library translation (translated by S.J. Tester), Boethius' Consolation of Philosophy and his theological tractates are rendered accessible to both the serious student as well as the leisured reader.The very fine English translation (save a few arguable points) is set side by side the Latin text which allows the student to pay deeper attention to Boethius himself as well as enter into a conversation with the translator.The notes offered throughout the Consolation help the reader to see just how embedded this work is within the ancient philosophical traditions of the Greco-Roman world.However, there is unfortunately only one explicit reference to the Book of Wisdom (following Aquinas), but it seems that the Consolation is equally indebted to the Jewish wisdom tradition.Although this link is under-represented in the notes, it is still a wonderfully referenced translation.The Consolation deals with the basic questions of the human condition and of reality as such.Journeying from the outward to the inner human being, which is also the journey of ascent to the divine, Boethius tackles the basic questions of what constitutes the good and its identity with happiness, which is all a part of deification.This is the lighter medicine of Boethius' consoling philosophy that increases in strength until Lady Philosophy brings Boethius to the question of divine foreknowledge and human freedom.If God foreknows all things, then is there ever a truly free act among voluntary beings?This is the great dilemma not only of Boethius' time but also of our time.Boethius will not stand for chaos or determinism; rather, he argues for the distinct intelligence of God that is in eternity (as he classically defined it) and which "with one glance of his mind distinguishes both those things necessarily coming to be and those not necessarily coming to be..." (Book V, Prose VI).This distinction between two intelligences (human and divine) brings Boethius to the point of prayer: "Nor vainly are our hopes placed in God, nor our prayers, which when they are right cannot be ineffectual" (Book V, Prose VI).In the history of human thought Boethius has not had the last word on this persistent question, but any student of philosophy or theology must spend time with Boethius before moving on.In the theological tractates (private correspondence) Boethius writes in a more explicitly Christian manner.Although, calling them "theological" tractates seems to imply that the Consolation is not theological which would be a wrong conclusion and one foreign to Boethius.The tractates speak to the same philosophical truth iterated in the Consolation, simply now within the specific economy of Christian language.Indeed, reading the tractates and the Consolation together makes for a fuller understanding of Boethius.The work of Boethius wielded enormous influence upon the emerging medieval and European civilization.Although a bit forgotten now, Boethius offers every student of theology, philosophy, literature or any other discipline concerned with the common good essential food for thought.This fine translation renders this enormously important work accessible to the widest possible readership.For that, this work is to be praised, bought and read.

From Stoicism to Scholasticism
"The last of the Romans and the first of the scholastics" is a term often used of Boethius, a Christian of the late 5th, early 6th centuries.In fact, similar appellations are used for Augustine, who lived a century earlier.I suppose it is fair to say that the period from Augustine to Boethius represents the transition from classical to medieval thinking, and for an appreciation of how European thought evolved, you need to make the acquaintance of both.
"A Collection of Masterworks"
Boethius was certainly a bright spot in the midst of a darkening world flooded by barbarians and intellectually on the decline. Boethius was among the few commentators and compilers of his age who endeavored to preserve the tenets of Greek Philosophy. His commentaries and translations of the original Greek texts of Aristotle were the only Latin translations known to the Western world until the renaissance and ultimately paved the way for Aquinas' "Summa Theologia." So, with this in mind, Boethius' works made a very significant impact upon the later scholastic philosophers, and to the whole of Catholic tradition as well. Italy, during Boethius' time, was under the rule of Theoderic the Ostrogoth, who unjustly imprisoned the statesman/philosopher, falsely accusing him of treason. While waiting for his execution, Boethius wrote his "Consolation of Philosophy." The book itself is among the masterpieces of all time, and the only thing as tragic as Boethius' untimely death is the fact that we were not able to obtain anymore works from this genius with the golden pen. Had he remained alive, it is very likely that we would have seen a sublime synthesis, in Latin, of Plato and Aristotle, not contradicting each other but complimenting one another. However, in short, this book is a small manifestation of what may have happened if he lived longer. What is interesting about this book is that it handles several different perspectives, namely that of the sorrowful Boethius and the consoling wisdom of Lady Philosophy, written both in eloquent prose and dazzling verse, which together ultimately culminates into a one of the most moving, inspiring, and thought provoking philosophical works of all time. The book is indefatigable, in that it never seems to quit opening new corridors of thought; and it is essential, because it is the philosopher's ideal breviary. It is interesting to note - and this is certainly not a negation to his Christian convictions - that while this Saint was awaiting his execution he remembered Athens, not Calvary.The other works contained in the volume are some minor Theological tractates: namely, "De Trinitate," "Utrem Pater Et Filius," "De Fide Catholica," "Quomodo Substanitiae," and "Contra Eutychen."While many individuals attempt to downplay Boethius' Christianity since "The Consolation" makes no direct mention of Christ, it nevertheless cannot be denied that many Christian elements underlay the theme of the work; and also it must be noted that when Boethius writes philosophy he is strictly writing philosophy and he writes theology he is strictly writing theology.Boethius is without a doubt the Christian Socrates. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. History & Surveys - Ancient & Classical    2. Literature - Classics / Criticism    3. Roman Literature    4. Christian theology    5. Early Church    6. Other prose: classical, early & medieval   

Subjects:  1. General    2. Philosophy   

Reviews (1)

The One and the Good
Here you find the unequivocal declaration that not riches, not high position, not fame, not physical pleasure are worth pursuing in-and-of themselves. Such things are of value only if they are obtained in the pursuit of the highest Good. This highest Good is demonstrated to be God. Moreover, Boethius points out that when evil men succeed in obtaining such goals over the righteous, then they cease to truly be men- they are beasts and subhuman. This is a refreshing reminder in the modern world, a world not unlike that of late Roman times.
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Reviews (1)

AnImportant Contribution to the Scholarship of Classical Logic
Professor Stump's translation of the In Ciceronis Topica, by Boethius, deserves high praise, not only because it makes available to English readers an important Latin treatise on the logic of the topics, but also because of its erudition and bountiful notes and explanations of this somewhat arcane (at least to modern readers) part of classical logic.
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Subjects:  1. Cicero, Marcus Tullius    2. Cicero, Marcus Tullius.    3. Early works to 1800    4. Logic    5. Medieval    6. Medieval Philosophy    7. Persuasion (Rhetoric)    8. Philosophy    9. Topic (Philosophy)    10. Topica   

Subjects:  1. Philosophy    2. Religious   

Subjects:  1. Bibliophile Society (Boston, Mass.)   

Subjects:  1. Early church, ca. 30-600    2. Happiness    3. Philosophy and religion    4. Theology   

Subjects:  1. Theology, Patristic