Inconceivable!

The very last thing that we touched on today was probably my favorite part of the whole work. I don't really have the space to quote everything that I want to, so I'm just going to put in the first paragraph of Book II Poem 7:

The man who recklessly strives for glory and counts it his highest goal should consider the far-reaching shores of heaven and the narrow confines of the earth. He will be ashamed of a growing reputation which cannot fill so small a space. Why do proud men try in vain to throw this world's burden from their shoulders? though their fame spread to remote lands and be sung by many voices, though their proud families acquire high honors, still death is contemptuous of such glory and treats the humble and proud in th same manner. [Unnecessary Censorship]

Boethius is your typical teenage philosophizer (read slacker) and is basically asking "What's the point?" Why do we strive to please others? get an education? spend our lives working at an office, or some other high-paying, but unsatisfying job? Why do we spend our lives working to buy what we want, becoming unsatisfied with what we have, then going back to work to get more money to buy the new MacBook, the shiny red Lexus, the two-story Tudor house in a gated community, The newest movies, the latest video games (Yes, I went there), The cutest clothes, the crappy pair of shoes that we'll wear not more than four times before they fall apart but cost $70?

You see where I am (he is) getting at? We buy all these things to earn recognition. We want others to remember our names. We want to go out with a bang. But what's the point. Your name may never even be heard outside your own country. much less the other side of the world. 

That's another thing he's getting at, let's assume we become famous, renowned all over the world for... let's say... curing cancer, or AIDS, or whatever you want. So for two or three weeks, governments are chomping at the bit to meet with you. News shows will pay through the nose to get you on their show. Everyone with a TV, radio, computer, or friends has heard of you. Congratulations, you've become king of the world for a couple of days. 

Now let's consider the size of your little domain. The earth has a diameter of roughly 7,926 miles. or .000000001 light years. The solar system that contains the earth is about .001 light years across. That's 1,000,000 times the diameter of the Earth. The milky way, our galaxy, is about 100,000 light years across, or 100 million times the size of the solar system. The observable universe is roughly 93 billion light years across. If you were to stack that up against the size of the earth. The results are 93,000,000,000,000,000,000 times the size of the earth. feel tiny?

But by the time you stop to fully understand how big that is, you've been replaced by pictures of cats, or hot dance crazes from foreign countries.

~~Cody Martin~~

P.S. commented on Becca's blog, "Water in the Well"

Water in the Well

I believe it was Dr. Brekke who said, “We are but a drop of water in the well of eternity.” This quote has been said over and over in many different ways, but it continues to shock me even though it is nothing new. It puts life into perspective, and makes me realize how small I really am. The wants and desires of my heart are insignificant in the grand scheme of things. Our society provides for a group of people who only care about themselves, but we should realize that we are but a small drop. However, even a small drop can make a difference. We can be a part of the ripple effect or we can simply take up space. The choice is ours. 

I commented on Hannah Burch’s “Temporal vs. Eternal”

The Greater Good

On page 43 of Boethius in Poem 1, the picture that is painted about good and how we perceive and are even fooled by it sometimes stood out to me. "Just so, by first recognizing false goods, you begin to escape the burden of their influence; then afterwards true goods may gain possession of your spirit." Obviously enough, at a surface level, this makes complete sense. If you drink un-sweet tea, and then go to McDonald's and get sweet tea from there, you will fully understand just how much you were missing out on.
Still, something that stood out to me was how he said that "true goods may gain possession of your spirit." When I thought about it, this was actually a very interesting way of thinking about how we approach or are captivated by things and ideas in our lives. Whether we realize it or not, when we acknowledge desire and pleasure towards things, we commit parts of our spirit to those things, and they "gain possession." Even so, what it says about first recognizing false goods, I would argue that one of the most impactful ways that happens is by experiencing higher goods and consequently "escaping the burden" of lesser ones.
To put a Christian spin on things as well, it is incredible how much easier said than done this is. Even when we come into more understanding of God, we still have to go through a process of getting free from the bondage of sin. All the while, every bit of ourselves that we win back, we ought to give to God that He can possess our spirit.

P.S. I commented on Susan Berner's "Glass Walls and Ivory Decoration"

How Christian is Boethius?

 I thoroughly enjoyed the first half of Boethius; this work is both insightful and in many ways very true. There are not many works that can successfully take Philosophy and apply to Theology. Even though the work of Boethius does not particularly reference the God of Christians, it stills implements moral Theology within it. Honestly, where could I begin with the parallels? Concerning nature, this one reminded me of something I've been studying. 

"Nature leads you toward true good, but manifold error turns you away from it." (pg. 46 Prose 3)

In my Christian Theology Class we have been studying Natural and General Revelation. Daniel Akin in his "Theology for the Church" will state that Natural Revelation gives the ability for human beings knowledge of a creator, but it does not lead them saving faith. This is because we are a fallen creation, tainted by sin and blocked by our own disease. In the same way Lady Philosophy says that we can understand truth through nature, but are distracted from the pleasures of the flesh. My point is that whether Boethius knew anything of the Christian faith or not, this idea was around even outside of the faith. This provoked me to think once again of the limits that the earth brings to us mentally and spiritually. Can one really see truth through nature, and if so, how far can it lead us until we must discern life and truth for ourselves?

"Honey is sweeter to the taste if the mouth has first tried bitter flavors....... Just so, by recognizing false goods, you begin to escape the burden of their influence; then afterwards true goods may gain possession of your spirit."

I also noticed this as very interesting. We spoke about this briefly in class but I find it fascinating. Lady Philosophy lays this out that it is good for one to abstain from temporal gains such as: fame, honor, wealth, etc. After one does this, he/she can see that the real good shines brighter and more deserving. A passage comes to mind as I read this. 

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matt 6:19-21

Maybe i'm wrong about this, but I see a lot of Christianity in this work, even though it's certainly not within its focus. Truth and God have so much in common. Suffering and true good are always side by side. The first half of this work was very encouraging for me.

I commented on Mallory Searcy's "Lord Thou Pluck Me Out."

Blog Time.....

On page 43 of Boethius, he speaks of all men trying to attain true happiness. He claims that there is an implanted desire for true good, “even though foolish error draws them toward false goods.” This idea is one that I had when we were reading Confessions.

We talked about the idea of sin being missing the mark in archery. The idea came to me that as fallen, corrupt men, we try to shoot for the “target,” but we are so corrupt that when we are trying to do what is good, or hit the target, we miss because we aren’t actually aiming for the right target. We may want to do perfect good, but what we think of as good is actually not even good. Or, it is better said by Boethius as “foolish error draws them towards false goods.” 

I commented on Susan Berner's post.

Avoiding Fortune

In class today we talked about how Boethius pledged himself to Fortune and it made me wonder if there was any way to avoid the ways of Fortune.  If something good happened in Boethius' life was he simply supposed to avoid it and not appreciate it so Fortune could not take a hold of him? However, if he didn't appreciate anything good in his life what kind of a life would that be?  Or is Boethius simply not supposed to get so extremely caught up in the good to where he cannot live his life unless something good is happening?

In a way this is what happened to Boethius.  He became so used to the good and happiness that he was not able to see the fragility of it. In Boethius' defense he never experienced the teaching of misfortune. Lady Philosophy says in Book Two Prose 8 that, 

I am convinced that adverse fortune is more beneficial to men than prosperous fortune. When Fortune seems kind, and seems to promise happiness, she lies. On the other hand, when she shows herself unstable and changeable, she is truthful. Good fortune deceives, adverse fortune teaches. Good fortune enslaves the minds of good men with the beauty of the specious goods which they enjoy; but bad fortune frees them by making them see the fragile nature of happiness.

 All of Boethius' life he had been lied to and so when the truth finally revealed itself through misfortune he sank into the state Lady Philosophy found him in in Book One.

If Boethius had not completely relied on happiness and good fortune could he have avoided Fortune? In my opinion avoiding Fortune is similar to avoiding the Fates: inevitable. If this is the life Boethius was fated to lead how could he have avoided Fortune especially with his lack of insight into misfortune? In a similar way it is impossible to control the wheels of fortune, but if we are capable of appreciating every situation we are handed it is possible not to be fooled by fortune.

(Commented on emilylaforce's Emotion vs. Reason)

Glass Walls and Ivory Decoration

                Even though we didn't talk about it much in class today, I saw a lot relating to the Christian religion in Boethius.  One part precisely is after Boethius has listed all of his troubles to Philosophy.  She answers him by saying ". . . I am not so much disturbed by this prison as by your attitude.  I do not need your library with its glass walls and ivory decoration, but I do need my place in your mind."  How similar is this to the Holy Spirit having a home in our hearts?  While we may do many good deeds and appear to be righteous on the outside, it is our attitude and they things that go on in our mind that God is concerned about. 

                Philosophy (if you look at it from Christian standpoint) that everything is in God's control, and we need not worry.  "You believe that the world is not subject to the accidents of chance, but to divine reason.  Therefore, you have nothing to fear.  From this tiny spark, the living fire can be rekindled.  But the time has not yet come for stronger remedies."  God is in control of everything so we need not worry, just has Boethius should not be concerned with his worldly prison, but focus more on the prison of pleasures that his mind is trapped in.  That is the prison every person needs to be weary of. 

-Susan

I commented on Mallory Searcy! :) 

Missing the Point

"I do not need your library... but I do need my place in your mind."

This line from Lady Philosophy really struck a chord with me.  The beauty and grander of the library are meaningless if the books are never taken to heart.  Cliche as this may be, I immediately thought of the church.  God doesn't need our church buildings or our sound systems.  We are to love Him and have His Word inside of us.  But so many times, we care more about the ability of the musicians than the meaning of the song (I would love to get into an Augustine reference, but I just haven't had the time to sort that one out yet), or the way the preacher speaks as opposed to what he's saying.  What is really disconcerting is the idea that many people don't realize they've completely missed the point.

P.S. Commented on Hannah Burch's "Temporal vs. Eternal"

Jesus Robe and Anti-zekiel

So now I'm going to do something completely out of the ordinary and relate the reading to scripture. In the reading, I noticed two that basically slapped me in the face. The first is found in Book I, Prose 3. It says::

Afterwards, the inept schools of Epicureans, Stoics, and others, each seeking its own interests, tried to steal the inheritance of Socrates and to possess me (in spite of my protests and struggles), as though I were the spoils of their quarreling. They tore this robe which I had woven with my own hands and, having ripped  off some little pieces of it, went away supposing that they possessed me wholly. Then, when traces of my garments were seen on some of them, they were rashly thought to be my friends, and they were therefore condemned by the error of the profane mob. 

When I read about people tearing the robes of Lady Philosophy in order that they may receive her wisdom, it seemed to me tied to oddly similar to the ninth chapter of Matthew. In the twentieth through twenty-sceond verses, it says:

 And a woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years, came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His cloak. for she was saying to herself, 'If I only touch His garment, I will get well.' But Jesus turning and seeing her said, 'Daughter, take courage; your faith has made you well.' At once the woman was made well.

There are a lot of similarities between the two. Both were seeking to gain something from the cloak of a higher power. Also, once both had made contact with the robes, they went out announcing what had happened and they were recognized as witnesses to the higher entity's power. Then once I thought about it, though they are similar, there are two drastic differences. First, the people tearing Lady Philosophy's cloak were doing so without Philosophy's permission. Though Jesus was surprised as told in the Luke 8:40, account, the cloak was not what healed her, but Jesus' power was what healed her. Secondly. while the men in Philosphy's recollection were trying to comprehend philosophy completely, the woman with the hemorrhage only wanted to be healed and was not in pursuit of the godliness of Jesus.

The second biblical allusion is the personification of Fortune by Philosophy from Book 2, Prose 2. Before I continue I would like to say that Fortune is comparable to the fleeting mortal things of this world. Book 2, Prose 2 says:

When nature produced you from your mother's womb, I found you naked and lacking in everything. I nourished you with my abundant gifts, and, being inclined to favor you (an attitude which you now seem to hold against me), I endowed you with all the affluence and distinction in my power." 

After all that fortune did for and to Boethius, he turned to Philosophy for consolation. This is a little confusing to me, because it seems to be a complete negation of Ezekiel 16. verses 4-5 says, "On the day you were born your cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water to make you clean, nor were you rubbed with salt or wrapped in cloths. No one looked on you with pity or had compassion enough to do any of these things for you. Rather, you were thrown out into the open field, for on the day you were born you were despised." Both Boethius and the personified woman that is the nation of Israel, were thrown out in the world lacking clothes or any abundance. Ezekiel 16:6-11 says, "Then I passed by and saw you kicking about in your blood, and as you lay there in your blood I said to you, 'Live!'...I bathed you with water and washed the blood from you and put ointments on you. I clothed you with an embroidered dress and put sandals of fine leather on you. I dressed you in fine linen and covered you with costly garments." Just like Fortune raised  Boethius from infancy, God raised Israel from its beginnings. But both Israel and Boethius grew tired of the treatment they received from their providers. They ran away from their providers and to two very different forms of comfort. While, the personified Israel turned to prostitution in the form of idols,  Boethius turned to Lady Philosophy. 

might be a bit of stretch, but I calls them likes I sees them. 

Josh Goldman

commented on Katelyn Ewing's "In Eternity"

In Eternity

"When you think about future fame, you imagine that you assure yourselves a kind of immortality. But, if you consider the infinite extent of eternity, what satisfaction can you have about the power of your name to endure?" (Boethius p. 38)

The entire paragraph this quote comes from really grabbed my attention. In essence, it says that fame only lasts for a very short amount of time - then it is gone. It has no lasting impact in eternity. Having a large number of followers on Twitter won't matter. Having millions of fans won't matter. Fame does not last.

In class, we wondered if this meant that none of the things we do matter - but I don't think that's what this passage is saying. It goes on to state that, "Finite things can be compared, but no comparison is possible between the infinite and the finite" (Boethius p. 38). Fame is finite - it will not last. Finite things are insignificant in infinity. The things we do that have an eternal impact are what will last. For us, things like fame will have no eternal impact. When we are in the presence of God, no one will ask us how famous we were. Only the things we do here to follow and serve God will be important in eternity.

P.S. I commented on Joshua Spell's post.
P.P.S. I really love this book!!!

The Power of an Idea

Lady Philosophy talks about the ideas she has put in Boethius’ brain. She says they are better than an entire library full of books, and I think she’s right. While books are one of the most wonderful things on this earth, ideas are so much more. A book is limited in what it can say; an idea can encompass an entire book and so much more in a small space. Without ideas, Christopher Columbus would have never taken the voyage that led to the discovery of the Americas. Phones, computers, televisions, cars, and so many other incredible technological inventions would simply not be here. While a book can inspire people to act, there has to be an idea behind the book or there would be no inspiration. It is the power of an idea that can change the world.

Tantum e tenebris receptum constabit,
~Meghan
PS – I commented on Tinsley’s “Lady Philosophy”

Emotion vs. Reason

Of course I would want to talk about emotions because I'm a girl, but before you let that stereotype blind you to what I have to say, I must pose this question - Can we truly control our emotions? Have you ever tried to not let yourself get angry about something terrible that happened and then your anger burst like a dam later when you weren't expecting it? Obviously this has happened to me before. Both God and Lady Fortune call us to not be ruled by our passions, but this doesn't necessarily mean we shouldn't feel anything at all. We were created in the image of God, and God has emotions. He's able to get sad, angry, joyful, and many other things besides, but his emotions are devoid of sin because he is good. In Ephesians 4:26, it says "In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry." So God wants us to feel what we feel so that we can work through it. Once the mind understands what's going on with the heart, its easier to control what you're feeling. I'm dissatisfied with this blot post because there is so much more I could write on this topic and so many questions that need answers, but this shall have to do for now... Commented on jannah's post

Boethius: Ghost in the Machine

"The unexamined life is not worth living," said Socrates; conversely, the examined life--that which transcends bodily concerns to pursue truth and moral perfection--is the only life lived excellently. Philosophy does not just bring consolation; it is a consolation in itself. To philosophize is to inquire the true nature of things, which forces Boethius to look past physical ailments (i.e., bodily imprisonment, fortune, etc.) and refocus on who he is essentially. Lady Philosophy tells him,

I know [a] cause of your sickness, and the most important: you have forgotten what you are. [You] are confused because you have forgotten what you are, and, therefore, you are upset because you are in exile and stripped of all your possessions.

Boethius' real exile is not King Theodoric imprisoning him, but his self-imposed exile from reason to despair, intellectual prostitution from one Lady to several Muses who offer empty comfort. For the Muses, says Lady Philosophy,

cannot offer medicine for his sorrows; they will nourish him only with their sweet poison. They kill the fruitful harvest of reason with the sterile thorns of the passions; they do not liberate the minds of men from disease, but merely accustom them to it.

Philosophy does not wish to mask his sickness, but cure it; not to suppress his rationality, but foster it; not to gloss over his true essence, but embrace it. Who is Boethius? Not the outward flesh that succumbs to passion, but the rational mind that dwells within crude matter--a virtual "ghost in the machine." The king can injure, maim and destroy Boethius' flesh, but he cannot touch Boethius himself. Therein lies his consolation.

"Ghost in the Shell" - 1995 film based Masamune Shirow's hit manga

EDIT: Commented on Jannah Lyons' "Lion King, Christians and Philosophy."

Lady Philosophy

When discussing Boethius in class today, our discussion really reinforced the true meaning of philosophy.  After all, especially when studying Plato last semester, the circular reasoning with no conclusion began to get a little old.  However, Lady Philosophy in Boethius shows the true meaning of Philosophy:  Making one think.  There may not necessarily be a clear answer, but the amount of work, time, and thought that one uses in discovering the answer makes it worth it.  Philosophy is the art of thinking, the art of understanding your own mindset, not the art of discovering answers.  Like we said in class today, sometimes the person is in your mind, the way that you think.  Philosophy teaches one how to think, how to ask, how to investigate answers. 

P.S. Commented on Mallory's post "Lord Thou Pluck me Out."