Boethius

What is Boethius’ state as the book opens? (1–2)

He is imprisoned and is in a state of misery because he can’t enjoy is old life due to fate.

As he languishes, who appears? What state is she in? (2–3)

:any Philosophy. She is majestic and not of this time, but is faded and torn because of neglect

What does she think of Boethius’ attendants? What does she recommend as the cure for his ills? (4)

She thinks that they are making him wallow more. The cure is the fruits of reason/appeal to reason with help from Lady Philosophy.

Why has she come to him in this hour? (7–9)

Because philosophy doesn’t abandon an innocent man. He has forgotten her lessons and she has come to restore him.

At I.IV, Boethius gives a lengthy outpouring of frustration. What is the core of his frustration?

Why do bad things happen to good people and good things happen to bad people. How can injustice exist.

In prosecuting the case against him, why would it have been a significant issue for Boethius to be trained in philosophy, as he says on p. 17?

People have wrongly used philosophy, which created a negative connotation to philosophers. In corrupt courts, it was a threat so it would be used against him.

How does Lady Philosophy characterize Boethius’ banishment? (20)

He says he is the one tourmenting and banishing himself; he is not truly banished from philosophy and reason.

What does she diagnose as the cause of Boethius’ sickness? (24)

He has forgotten who he is, exiled himself, and has forgotten what is truly good.

What is Philosophy’s opinion of Fortune? (27)

She is seemingly good, but will tear people down. She is a fickle friend that people cannot trust since she is changing.

What is the nature of Fortune? Why shouldn’t Boethius be so upset about having been dropped by Fortune into a very large pile of trouble? (28–29)

She is consistently inconsistent. He should’ve knew what to expect from being on fortune’s wheel.

Why should Boethius actually be pretty pleased to have had such a sudden reversal in fortunes? (28–29)

Since he is not at a low, he must go back up. He learned her true nature and will see his friends’ true colors.

When Philosophy gives Fortune’s case, what does Fortune have to say for herself? (31–34)

She gave him everything that was hers, and then she took It back for herself. It is her nature and she can’t be upset over that. She doesn’t have stability, so don’t look for it in her.

Despite Fortune’s clawbacks, what does Boethius still have that ought to give him consolation and hope? (37–38)

He knows nothing truly lasts and change comes in time; change should come soon. He also can hold onto his virtue, intellect, and family and cannot have those taken from her.

What was Boethius’ error in searching for happiness? Where is it to be found? (39–41)

Happiness was never in fortune’s gifts. It is a mood that you can’t prevent from passing.

What is beauty? Why does this matter in the argument? (44–47)

Beauty=good. There is beauty in the living the can reason, and an object cannot have beauty; it isn’t living nor has reason. If you are living and rational, why are you caring about nonliving things more than your own life? These things aren’t truly beautiful, there are greater things.

Why is power also not what Boethius ought to value? (48–51)

Because having power over another can hurt both parties.

Why is glory similarly pointless? (52–55)

There is a limit to its extent in time in place.

What is the wealth Boethius has really gained through all this? Why might Fortune occasionally “deserve men’s respect and deference”? (56)

Because she is true when it is misfortune. It taught him to not rely on fortune and to know your true friends.

What does it mean for Boethius to be distracted by images? To what might Lady Philosophy be referring? (III.1)

It means he isn’t in true happiness, but simple pleasures. She could be referring to the appearances of happiness, than real happiness.

What is it that all people want? (III.II)

Happiness is the perfect state with everything they want/ It is the complete, self

Like Aristotle, Philosophy proposes several things that happiness might be off the bat. What are they? (III.II)

Wealth; Honor; Power; Glory; Pleasures

Are these things interconnected and interdependent or separated and siloed? (III.II)

They are interconnected and interdependent, but if God isn’t the center, it makes everything worse and miserable.

Why does wealth not make one happy? (III.III)

It can free you from worries, but it creates new worries, like having to watch over the wealth.

Why not honors and high office? (III.IV)

Cannot improve how you are perceived, more often love favor, and it can make you worse when you are given power.

Why not power? (III.V)

Power is unstable and temporary, which happiness isn’t. The power is limited to his boarder and people, and he is always fearful.

Why not glory? (III.VI)

Glory is temporary and limited to place and time.

Why does Lady Philosophy lump nobility in with fame rather than with power or high office? (III.VI)

Because Nobels are people whose families have a member in high office, and they are famous for the connection to that one person. It is an inherited reputation.

Why not pleasure? (III.VII)

Beasts could be happy if it was just pleasure. It is temporary, followed by regret, and creates our own torments/enslaves the soul to the body.

Can all of these things in combination provide happiness? (III.VIII–IX)

No, because they are not rooted with God. ****

What then is true happiness? (III.IX)

The highest good: happiness which is in line with God.

How do we know that a perfect version of something exists? (III.X)

We know something is imperfect by comparing it to something that is less imperfect.

Where is perfect happiness to be found? How do we recognize the perfect? (III.X)

It is hard, but we can find by looking at the source of all good. It is God, and he is complete and self

How do the five things we’ve considered so far relate to this true, perfect happiness? (III.X–XI)

The five things come from when we try and be God

What is the “end and object of all things”? How does Lady Philosophy go about showing this? (III.XI)

All things are governed towards the good through unity. For humans, that means perfect happiness/good.

Why is a thing “destroyed as soon as it ceases to be a unity”? (III.XI)

When a part ceases to exist, or isn’t organized, it doesn’t necessarily mean fatal, but it destroys something. For example, if a runner loses a leg, its running goal is destroyed.

Who or what governs the universe? (III.XII)

God governs, who is the highest good.

To what end is the universe governed? (III.XII)

So that all things turn towards the good and is governed to be unified.

What is evil? (III.XII)

Evil is the same as Augustine, it is the lack there of, or the lack of the good. God cannot do it, so it cannot exist.

What is the question with which Boethius opens Book IV? What is Philosophy’s answer? Why? (IV.II)

Why do bas things happen to good people, and good things happen to bad people. Things don’t actually happen int he way we see this. Good people have virtue which is good, and the wicked people have vice, which destroys them.

Why do the evil ultimately have no power? Why is the “power” to do evil a misnomer? (IV.II)

Because choice has ability and will involved. We are all willed at happiness, and not having the ability for the good means you don’t have power.

Why does Philosophy think the wicked abandon virtue for vice? (IV.II)

Ingorance of means; Lack of self control; Disordered desire

But Philosophy did say that virtue is always rewarded. What is its reward? (IV.III)

You become better and closer to being aligned with God. Goodness isn’t always material.

And conversely, what is the punishment for vice? (IV.IV)

They are enslaved to their desires; You become a worse person; You have to live with what you did

Why are the wicked happier if they are punished than if they are not? (IV.IV)

If they were punished externally, it helps them not unjustly avoid their punishment, which adds good into their life. It is a correct, a possible cure.

Should we hate the wicked? (IV.IV)

No, they could learn that pt the punishment is a cure. Sometimes we also misjudge what is truly evil.

When do we know that rulers are wise? (IV.V)

When their happiness spreads to those that they govern and works for the common good.

Why is Boethius the character concerned that rewards and punishments often seem to be the result of random chance? (IV.V) How much of an answer can we give to this kind of problem? (IV.VI)

Because justice looks inconsistent and that our perspective is too limited to be able to understand correctly. We can give a very limited answer since we only know those things that are proportionate to our being.

What is the difference between providence and fate? (IV.VI)

Providence is the general plan for order and behavior made by God. Fate is how these things happen from our perspective.

How does fate relate to providence? Does this allow space for us to have free will? (IV.VI)

Providence is divine reason, and fate is the unique things following providence. There is diving fore knowledge, but nothing means we have to do a thing because God is watching, He works our decisions into creation.

How can we justify providence in giving material/temporal goods to the wicked? (IV.VI–VII)

Because it leads to temptations that stray away from God. Good and evil is also a matter of perspective and things that seem good, are not in actuality.

What does Lady Philosophy give as reasons that bad things sometimes happen to good people, even under divine providence? (IV.VI)

Sometimes its not as evil as we think; Sometimes its meant to teach you about yourself; Sometimes so you are an example to others

Is there such a thing as bad fortune? (IV.VII)

No, it is all good in a rewarding, punishing, testing, or corrective manner, which all can help us.