“For it is in your power,” says Marcus Aurelius in the Meditation “to retire into yourself whenever you choose”. Struggling to live the virtuous life according to Stoic philosophy, the roman emperor wrote in his private Meditations about the Good, the Bad and the Indifferent. In order to avert angst over the Indifferent –those things that are by nature uncontrollable-, Aurelius practiced the stoic virtue of ¬autarkeia or mental independence of all things. In light of this, the following essay will explain Boethius notion of self-sufficiency in Consolation of Philosophy in relation to Hellenistic philosophy.
The Consolations opens with the apparition of a lady -personifying Philosophy- over an anxious prisoner who scolds the slings and arrows of fortune that caused his downfall into imprisonment. She claims that “if you seek the physicians help, you must uncover the wound”, that is, a problem must firstly be understood (i.e. the cause of his mental unrest) to initiate a proper inquiry towards a possible solution. Lady Philosophy plays the figurative role of a soothing mother (or nurse) treating his child; firstly, with mild “medicine” to render him more tolerant to its effects, and then progressing the dosage with a heavier one (i.e. philosophical insight of great depth and breadth).
Unbeknown to prisoner is the (perfect) order of nature; as a result, Boethius suffers from the harmful consequences of “grief, anger and melancholia”. Such intense emotions are wounding to the soul, therefore “unclouded” raison is the end cure of “the disease of emotion”. In replying to Boethius emotional remarks, Lady Philosophy is described as showing “calm demeanor of indifference”, thus exemplifying the cosmos relationship to men (i.e. having ...
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...gs considered, consolation is attainable by virtue of knowledge of the Good, and by the end of book V, Boethius understands that God orders all things sweetly (perfectly). The once unappeased prisoner can now surpass his situation, uplift his spiritual freedom from the bondage of his (physical and mental) cell and rise to contemplation of the divine perfection. Was Boethius a quasi-stoic in high office like Marcus Aurelius? Skeptical in his approach, like is ideal Cicero? Or, was Boethius a neo-platonic philosopher coming into grips with his Christian faith? What ever it may be, Boethius is certainty a divisive figure for the breadth of his philosophy and the depth of his notion of the self-sufficient life.
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Of Music: Understanding the Text 1. Boethius begins the essay by writing about the other senses, especially sight, before introducing the topic of music because our actions we part take are “not so obvious” why the way we are when we are listening to music and using our senses. The similarity of music and the senses are not so easy to comprehend our actions under the influence of music and the knowledge of our senses. 2.
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Thesis: The completion and substance of Oedipus Rex allows Oedipus to live grief-stricken throughout his successful search for justice.
Boethius was wrongfully accused of treason and imprisoned, leading him to question as to why God would allow bad things to happen to good people and how you can not be completely happy and there is never true happiness. The fear of losing happiness destroys happiness. "No man is so completely happy that something somewhere does not clash with his condition. It is the nature of human affairs to be fraught with anxiety; they never prosper perfectly and they never remain constant" Boethius (30). This quote represents the fear of losing happiness destroys happiness in my
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Boethius places an increased emphasis on God’s eternal goodness to prove He can neither causes nor condone wickedness, intending to provide comfort for the virtuous affected by injustice. Boethius’s belief concerning the interaction of evil and justice in the Consolation of Philosophy intends to comfort the virtuous from the seemingly wicked world. Lady Philosophy, representing reason, soothes Boethius’s initial concerns by explaining how evil, the absence of good, can never defeat justice, and that the wicked will receive their punishment when Providence sees fit. Boethius also places an increased emphasis on God’s eternal goodness to clarify the role of Providence in the natural plan of the world. Boethius advises the reader that true happiness can only be found in the stability of the self and a virtuous lifestyle.
Happiness is often viewed as a subjective state of mind in which one may say they are happy when they are on vacation with friends, spending time with their family, or having a cold beer on the weekend while basking in the sun. However, Aristotle and the Stoics define happiness much differently. In Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle describes happiness as “something final and self-sufficient, and is the end of action” (NE 1097b20). In this paper, I will compare and contrast Aristotle and the Stoics’ view on human happiness. Aristotle argues that bodily and external goods are necessary to happiness, while Epictetus argues they are not.
Marcus Aurelius was a famous philosopher in 121 through 180 C.E. He lived a hard life and even though he was surrounded by crowds he was considered a recluse. He was known for his kindness and mercy. The last years of his life were spent on a military campaign. It is said that these years were the hardest and loneliest. However, instead of becoming bitter and angry Aurelius wrote The Meditations. This was a diary or journal of his personal thoughts. He believed that by writing this it was his duty to his soul. The Meditations, is a popular piece of stoic literature. In this paper I will be describing how Aurelius used stoicism in book two of The Meditations and what I liked and did not like about what he said.
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