Consolation of Philosophy

Medieval English Literature

Outline

•Context

•Form

•Function

•Legacy

Context

•Anicius Severinus Manlius Boethius, c.475-526

•Post- “fall of Rome”, ruled by Ostrogoth Theoderic from Ravenna (n. Italy)

•Ostrogoths: Austria, N. Italy

Fall of Rome

•Internal social collapse

•Overexpansion

•Decadence

•Loss of civic virtue and use of mercenaries

•Price controls, taxation, etc.

Results of the fall

•Increasing marginalization of power centers

•Growth of indigenous languages, decline of Latin

•Economic collapse

•Relatively de-centralized Christianity

Boethius

•“The last of the Romans”

•Statesman family

•Writer of various philosophical texts

•Became Theoderic’s “Master of Offices”

•Lost favor for fighting corruption

•Treason, execution of Boethius and family

Form•Consolation of Philosophy as a

prosimetrum

•Five books, in prose with songs interspersed

•Largely dialogue between B. and Lady Fortune; cf. catechisms and Socrates

•Debate between student/pupil

•Christian vision

Function

•Overt purpose is to console Boethius for his sudden fall in fortune

•Concept of “Lady Fortune”

•Latinate anthropomorphizations of ideas

•Presentation of a “fatalist” yet consoling world-view

Argument of CoP

•Book 1: Boethius in prison cell, in despair, Dame says there is no reason to complain

•Wider perspective shows wicked do not thrive

•Hierarchy of success: goods and greater good

Book II•Distinguishes between ornamental and

non-ornamental goods

•Riches, status, sensual pleasure are transitory

•Friends, family, love are greater rewards

•Loss of riches provides austere opportunity

•“Perfect happiness” as God

Books III-IV•God as final cause

•“Helm and rudder” of the world

•Happiness is good, thus wicked are never happy

•Wickedness is punishment because it dehumanizes

•God as efficient cause: Fate and destiny

Book V

•Volition within larger chain of predestination

•Chance versus freedom: Example of farmer digging up treasure

•True freedom: Contemplation of God, lost in pursuit of material wealth

Fortune•Arbitrariness on Earth, God as prima

causa

•Luck (good or bad) from human perspective

•Thus Earthy values are arbitrary and worthless

•Non-arbitrariness is found in contemplating God

Legacy•Enormously influential in the Middle Ages

•Concept of “fortune” and “fate” as opposing forces in life

•Translated into every European language

•Embodied into many literary texts (e.g. Troilus and Criseyde)

•Replaced: empiricism, optimism, humanism