Boethius’s ‘Consolation of Philosophy’: 3 Insights Into the Nature of Happiness
The "Consolation" was so popular that Alfred the Great, King of the West Saxons from 871 to 886, translated it into Old English. Geoffrey Chaucer and Queen Elizabeth I also offered their own English translations in the 14th and 16th centuries. So why has this book been so influential, and why is it worth considering today? The answers lie in the story of its author.
Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius
Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius was born in Rome in around A.D. 480. His father, an influential statesman, died when Boethius was a young boy. Thanks to the support of a wealthy family friend, Boethius studied music, mathematics, theology, and philosophy with private tutors. His rare ability to read and write in Ancient Greek earned him esteem as a scholar. He was interested in preserving Plato and Aristotle's works through translations, a project that set an influential example for monastic orders; these eventually became the greatest repositories of ancient knowledge in the Middle Ages.Boethius's superior intellectual powers also helped him succeed in the world of politics, which captivated him after he read Plato's " Republic ." At 25, Boethius became a senator. At 33, he was elected consul, which gave him executive power over the senate's legislations. Not long after his rise to consulship, he was chosen as a personal advisor to Theodoric, the king of the Ostrogoths whose rule was equivalent to the position of emperor in the Western Roman Empire.Despite an impressive record, Boethius's political career was cut short when he was accused of conspiracy against Theodoric. Innocence notwithstanding, Boethius was imprisoned in Pavia, Italy, in 523. One year later, he was brutally executed.
In that fatal year, Boethius went from a wealthy and influential statesman to a starving prisoner with no power whatsoever. This sudden change of fortune cost Boethius his life, but it also inspired one of the most influential texts in the Western canon. In the dreadful filth of his prison cell, where the only certainty was impending death, Boethius wrote "Consolation of Philosophy." These three insights from the book reveal the depth of Boethius's mind, which was able to soar even when his body was fettered in chains.The "Consolation" begins with a pithy poem where Boethius laments his situation:I am worn out. Death, if he comeNot in the years of sweetnessBut often called to those who want to end their miseryis welcome. My cries he does not hear;Cruel he will not close my weeping eyes.
At this low point a mysterious figure appears. Her "eyes were bright as fire," and "her complexion was lively, her vigour showed no trace of enfeeblement; and yet her years were right full, and she plainly seemed not of our age and time." She is Lady Philosophy, who has come to rescue Boethius from his predicament.Lady Philosophy immediately scolds Boethius's defeatism, reminding him that wallowing in self-pity can't solve his unease. A symbol of reason and clarity, Lady Philosophy tells the prisoner that the only way to overcome his sorrows is to understand their nature. The way to understanding is reason.
As a first "remedy" for Boethius's spiritual illness, Lady Philosophy discusses fortune. By "fortune," she means all worldly things, like wealth, power, and even physical health. As she tells Boethius, these things are inherently volatile. Our material status could change from one moment to the next. A financial crash could deplete all our savings. An illness could impair our health irrevocably. Or, as was the case for Boethius, a political schema could flip our lives upside down.
Fortune seems to be indifferent to human suffering. It bestows blessings only to take them away without notice. Lady Philosophy warns Boethius that relying on fortune for happiness is not only useless, but also counterproductive. Wealth, power, and health—each can be lost in a moment. If we place faith in volatile things, we'll become dependent on circumstances beyond our control.
Instead, Lady Philosophy urges Boethius to search within himself for a more lasting and stable source of happiness that fortune's whims can't destroy. Real contentment doesn't come from earthly affairs. It must arise from a stable inner self rooted in truth.After convincing Boethius that fortune is unreliable, Lady Philosophy moves to "providence," implying that a heavenly order governs the universe. She encourages Boethius to consider that, while misfortunes appear meaningless or unjust, they may be part of a divinely orchestrated story. We may think that that story is arbitrary, but Lady Philosophy suggests that such a story is guided by reason and wisdom. Although we can't always grasp the purpose behind worldly events, they're caused by a benevolent Creator. As such, they ultimately serve the good.Boethius struggles with this idea. He's trapped in a prison cell where he doesn't deserve to be. How could that be good? Lady Philosophy tells him that divine providence works in harmony with human choices. When we accept providence, we relinquish a narrow view of personal suffering and see ourselves as part of a greater, divinely ordered reality. Despite his terrible circumstances, this perspective allows Boethius to appreciate his misfortune, fostering in the prisoner a precious, healing equanimity.If providence was difficult for Boethius to understand, so was the problem of evil. It's one thing for Boethius to accept his situation in the prison cell. But what about the injustices that got him there? Why would a divine order allow Boethius's accusers to inflict harm?Lady Philosophy has a blunt but truthful answer: Injustices can contribute to our moral and spiritual development. Though painful in the moment, reflecting on our hardships can yield insights into our inner self, like the ones Boethius reports in the "Consolation." These insights bring us closer to self-sufficient wisdom. Evildoers cannot say the same. Evil lacks the power to disrupt providence's plan. Even though we may think that evil people only harm others, Lady Philosophy claims that evil people actually only harm themselves, because they distance their souls from the good. On the contrary, virtuous people find fulfillment by aligning with virtue and moral integrity, whether or not they're victims of evil. In the face of injustice, the virtuous can remain at peace by trusting in a divine order that ultimately favors the good.Reason, Virtue, and Faith in the Divine Order
Boethius's journey from confusion and despair to understanding offers timeless insights into the nature of happiness. It's no accident that so many influential figures devoted time, money, and attention to the "Consolation of Philosophy." One of its most memorable conclusions is that happiness can't be reduced to simple pleasure. It's something much deeper and more lasting that can only flourish once we adopt reason as our north star.Everyone experiences hardships. Our struggles vary in gravity, but they all seem to rob us of happiness. The "Consolation of Philosophy" reminds us that reliance on external circumstances is inevitably inadequate to attain spiritual stability. That stability is found within, in the cultivation of an inner life that adopts reason, virtue, and faith in the divine order as its guiding principles. These insights came from a prisoner awaiting his violent death. The least we can do to honor Boethius is to consider his wisdom and apply it to our own lives.
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