Consolation of Philosophy

(Definition of Psychiatrist). In Boethius’s Consolation of Philosophy, Lady Philosophy, a personification from the narrators mind, assumes the role of a Socratic teacher who guides her student through questions and discussions. As Boethius awaits his execution in a prison cell, we are introduced to Lady Philosophy, Boethius’s old nursemaid who he is unable to recognize because of his anxiety and anger for the people who have wronged him. Lady Philosophy has arrived to help Boethius and uses a…

to buffer her blows. However, in our pursuit of good fortune, we lose everything lasting. In The Consolation of Philosophy, Lady Philosophy contends with this tendency. She condemns our lust for Fortune and offers an alternative to her slavery. To leave the bondage of…

The so called “press”, as it once was known as, no longer exists today in the same capacity. “The press” refers to the information gained from newspapers, for it was printed on the printing press. However, since today we gather information from so many different sources that it does not make sense to call it simply “the press” anymore. News and journalists are all a part of the collective body known as “the media”. According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the media is embodied by “the means of…

Everything that is said, worn, bought, eaten, and even drank by a celebrity, influences an enormous amount of individuals to follow exactly what is being done. The question is why? Why do everyday individuals feel the need to copy and mimic those who strive tremendously in the superstar category? The answer to that is simple, insecurity. Ordinary people, such as myself, encounter uncertainties and doubts about one self. We each undergo a tornado of what ifs; what if this looks weird on me,…

may have had more of an effect on Chaucer, which then lend themselves to Chaucer’s poems “The Book of the Duchess” and “Troilus and Criseyde” leaning so heavily on Fortune. Before Chaucer wrote “Troilus and Criseyde,” he translated The Consolation of Philosophy by Boethius, which is believed to have been a huge inspiration for Chaucer’s use of Fortune in “Troilus and Criseyde.” Boethius allows for Fortune and free will to coexist, and though Chaucer seemed to take hold of this idea, there are…

Boethius and Lady Philosophy discuss many issues, but come to the conclusion that God foresees everything and there is no free will. What is meant to happen is inevitable, therefore prayer cannot alter the future. Prayer eases people of what they cannot control. Lady Philosophy eases Boethius of his worries in his last days. In Book I, the relationship between Boethius and Lady Philosophy is introduced. While awaiting his execution, Boethius does not pray to God but rather to Lady Philosophy.…

ording to Albert Camus the greatest problem about philosophy is, “why not commit suicide?” Many philosophers agree that the separation of the body and the soul is how to reach the ultimate goal in philosophy, but Albert Camus argued that suicide is an immediate separation of the body and the soul. While this point delivers a fascinating question, Socrates, Saint Augustine, Boethius, and the Buddha all have answers to why a person should not commit suicide. Providence and rule are the greatest…

In order to produce agreeable arguments that do not challenge the status quo of their times, authors often adapt their views and opinions to fit preexisting ideologies. In The Consolation of Philosophy, Boethius concludes his work with a depiction of god that largely mirrors the Christian viewpoint. However, he alters his definition of god as the work progresses. Originally, he portrays divinity as an abstract, absolute goodness that all men strive for both naturally and actively. In contrast,…

A seminal philosopher across fields from epistemology to aesthetics and politics, Immanuel Kant is famous best known for his work in ethics and his famous categorical imperative. At the heart of his conception of the moral law is the question of how virtue and happiness relate. In his Critique of Pure Reason, Kant describes the immortality of the soul and the ontology of a supreme being as being fundamentally unknowable through theoretical human reason, neither able to proved or disproved.…

Our comprehension of fickle Fortune and the role it plays in our lives are questions that both Boccaccio and Boethius attempt to answer. In his Consolation of Philosophy, the medieval philosopher, Boethius, believes that we should not embrace fickle Fortune’s goods because they can easily be taken away. A devout Christian, Boethius sees Fortune as a spiritual test on our path to finding God and eternal happiness. In the Decameron, Boccaccio takes a more earthly view, claiming that Fortune is…