The Consolations Of Philosophy Analysis

In the sixth century, the Christian philosopher Boethius explored the problem of God’s omniscience and the effect it might have on our moral freedom. He was particularly concerned about the judgement of God, and whether it would be equitable of God to praise or blame people if they didn’t have any real moral freedom and were constrained by what God already knew about the future. Boethius wrote his book “The consolations of Philosophy” when he was a prisoner to explain why he, who was believed to be a good Christian, had apparently been abandoned by fortune and God, and left to die by execution. Boethius was troubled by the problem of God’s omniscience, because it seemed on the surface that if God knows the future, he is wrong to reward or punish us for our behaviours. However, the Bible clearly articulates divine reward and punishment. Convinced that he was likely to be facing God’s judgement in the near future, Boethius wanted to find a resolution to this philosophical difficulty.
In Book V of “The consolations of Philosophy”, Boethius reflects upon the different possibilities. He asks himself “How can God foreknow that these things will happen, if they are uncertain?” If God is aware …show more content…
Before Boethius came to the conclusion that God is timeless, he wondered what God was doing all the time before he created the universe, and this could be a problem for those who believe that God exists in time in a sempiternal way. One could claim that a God who existed in time is much less powerful than a timeless God, because he is constrained by time. Perhaps a God who exists in time cannot be all-knowing if he doesn’t know that the future holds and has to handle unforeseen events. On the other hand, a God who exists in time seems to be more personal and capable of having relationships with us; a view of God which perhaps enables more scope for human free