Book contents
- Boethius’ Consolation of Philosophy
- Cambridge Critical Guides
- Boethius’ Consolation of Philosophy
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Contributors
- Abbreviations of Boethius’ Works
- Introduction
- Chapter 1 Boethius’ Philosophiae consolatio
- Chapter 2 The Ascent from Π to θ, or On Philosophy’s Teaching a Blind Man to See
- Chapter 3 Lady Philosophy as a Feminine Personification of Wisdom
- Chapter 4 Boethius’ Christianity in the Consolatio
- Chapter 5 The Blending of Pagan and Christian Elements in Book III of the Consolatio
- Chapter 6 The Human Person in the Consolation of Philosophy
- Chapter 7 Self-Investigation, Self-Knowledge, and Inner Conflict in Boethius’ Consolation of Philosophy
- Chapter 8 What It Means to Be a God
- Chapter 9 A Consolation through Philosophical Insight?
- Chapter 10 Being and Existence in the Consolation of Philosophy
- Chapter 11 Circle and Sphere Metaphors for God’s Nature and Providence in Boethius’ Consolation of Philosophy and Dionysius’ On Divine Names
- Chapter 12 Time and Eternity in the Consolation of Philosophy
- Chapter 13 Boethius on Human Freedom and Divine Foreknowledge
- References
- Index
- Cambridge Critical Guides
Introduction
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 23 May 2024
- Boethius’ Consolation of Philosophy
- Cambridge Critical Guides
- Boethius’ Consolation of Philosophy
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Contributors
- Abbreviations of Boethius’ Works
- Introduction
- Chapter 1 Boethius’ Philosophiae consolatio
- Chapter 2 The Ascent from Π to θ, or On Philosophy’s Teaching a Blind Man to See
- Chapter 3 Lady Philosophy as a Feminine Personification of Wisdom
- Chapter 4 Boethius’ Christianity in the Consolatio
- Chapter 5 The Blending of Pagan and Christian Elements in Book III of the Consolatio
- Chapter 6 The Human Person in the Consolation of Philosophy
- Chapter 7 Self-Investigation, Self-Knowledge, and Inner Conflict in Boethius’ Consolation of Philosophy
- Chapter 8 What It Means to Be a God
- Chapter 9 A Consolation through Philosophical Insight?
- Chapter 10 Being and Existence in the Consolation of Philosophy
- Chapter 11 Circle and Sphere Metaphors for God’s Nature and Providence in Boethius’ Consolation of Philosophy and Dionysius’ On Divine Names
- Chapter 12 Time and Eternity in the Consolation of Philosophy
- Chapter 13 Boethius on Human Freedom and Divine Foreknowledge
- References
- Index
- Cambridge Critical Guides
Summary
Boethius’ Consolation of Philosophy was one of the most influential texts in medieval Europe. Yet it does not receive enough attention in contemporary scholarship on medieval philosophy. This is in part explained by the content and literary form of the Consolation. The direct influence of Plato and late antique Neoplatonism, the dialogue form, the alternating prose and poetry sections, and the wealth of references to classical literature and mythology contrast sharply with the sort of texts most contemporary scholars of medieval philosophy focus on. The essays in this volume tackle these interpretive challenges and reveal some of the rich philosophical insights the Consolation offers. Chapters 1–3 directly address its literary features and their philosophical significance. Chapters 4 and 5 consider the relationship between the Consolation and Boethius’ Christianity. Chapters 6–8 offer three different takes on the philosophy of selfhood, or philosophical anthropology, so central to the Consolation. Chapters 9–13 deal with the more standard metaphysical and theological issues, such as Boethius’ accounts of goodness, being, God, time, eternity, and human freedom.
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- Boethius’ ‘Consolation of Philosophy’A Critical Guide, pp. 1 - 11Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2024