Boethius’ Consolation of Philosophy Essay Example for Free

Boethius’ Consolation of Philosophy Essay Hundreds of philosophers existed thousands of years ago. It was a time when the only leisure you could probably do was think, theorize, analyze and discover things. Obviously, two thousand years can change the habit of people and these days, thinking would take a lot of effort. The discovery of new things never stop as people have that urge to continue improves lives. In history and philosophy classes, great thinkers and philosophers were often studied. It is pretty amazing to read their works and come up with such incredible thoughts at that time. Often, they talk about leadership and politics. It was a time when countries are still developed and lands are yet to be discovered so a great leadership was very important. Although we would still analyze and review the philosophers’ works, more often their teachings cannot be applied to the current times. Sometimes change does not only involve technology and advancement, it can also apply to leadership and certain philosophical views. A great factor would involve the changing times. The lifestyle and the culture of the people are much different thousands of years ago. It was a time that women were limited to do domestic chores. Philosophers like Plato and Aristotle, wrote about what they of women during that time. It was probably a time when the role of women in the society is not defined. Of course, women nowadays are powerful and strong. They have created their mark in the society and gender bias in a lot of major industries is non-existent. That is why a lot of rules and laws cannot be applied to the world today. However, there are still some teachings that can be used up to now. These are the teachings that involve a great perspective in life. Sometimes, an illustrious perspective on life makes a person great. Anyway, the brain is the most powerful organ that is why the mind should take control of one’s lives. Teachings about life are very important that is why some philosophers and great thinkers are idolized and people formed a religion to continue preaching their teachings. One of the members of the long list of philosophers is Boethius. Although not as familiar as Aristotle and Plato, Anicius Manlius Severinus is the real name of this Roman philosopher but he was more famously known as Boethius. Boethius was born from a wealthy and educated family and like any other kids during that time; he studied poetry, mathematics and philosophy. Theodoric, the Gothic King ruling from Italy to Rome, appointed him court minister. Soon, his two sons became court ministers as well. He was a bold and brave man, with thoughts envied by a lot of people. His boldness is what brought him down as he became the object of vengeance of those oppressed. Boethius was known to check in the oppressions of some leaders. He was then accused of treason and was stripped of his dignities. In 524, he was executed in Pavia. While in prison, Boethius immersed himself in writing and there he wrote his greatest work. His masterpiece, The Consolation of Philosophy, talks about random thoughts about nature, justice and evil doings. The Consolation of Philosophy is a work mixed of prose and verse. It is a copy of Boethius conversation with Philosophy during the lonely years of the prisoners’ life. The work was theistic overall but it did not indicate whether the writer was Christian or not. In the Consolation of Philosophy, Philosophy showed Boethius how uncertain earthly fortune is and there is nothing more secure than virtue. Boethius was the last great Roman writer who translated Aristotle’s work. His translations were the sole means of studying Greek philosophy for a long time. His manuals on geometry, music, philosophy, arithmetic and astronomy were used in medieval schools. It may seem that Boethius may be having apparitions in his prison, but these visions came with a great message and a deeper insight. Boethius saw the reason behind his imprisonment and his conversations with Philosophy ended his misery and opened his eyes to better things, better perception. There was more to a great fortune and earthly things. It was probably some of the great things that Philosophy advised him that can still be applied up to the modern times. The first part of the book opens with Boethius having some afternoon thinking and writing when all of a sudden a woman appears in front of her. He described the woman as very beautiful and having a very powerful presence. He distinctively described her dress having embroidered the Greek letter Pi at the bottom and on the top hem, Theta. There was a ladder in between the two letters. She was holding books to her right hand and a scepter in the left. She was the Muse of Poetry. Boethius was currently having one of his many melancholy moments. Tears were trickling down Boethius’ eyes when the Muse of Poetry became angry. She was questioning the existence of sluts in Boethius’ place. She says that they only provide him temporary happiness that will not help him in his condition but instead will worsen it. The Muse of Poetry then pushed away the girls and they left in dismay. Boethius was teary-eyed as they left but eventually the Muse will explain why she did such thing (O’Donnell 21). The first part of the book shows how deserted Boethius feelings was in the prison that he tries to enjoy his self from getting temporary happiness. Apparitions or not, the Muse of Poetry shooed away the cause of all these but Boethius couldn’t help but feel terrible of her act he even questioned her authority. This lesson can still be applied to modern times. Often, when people have problems they are pushed to do band-aid solutions that will give them a short term solution to their problem. It is such an emotional thing to do that people do not even think of the long term effect or even the long term solution to their problem. A concrete example would be poverty. It is a sad fact that poor people are often pushed to do the bad thing. When a person is desperate to get food, he often steals. This solution just makes things more complicated as that person ends up ruining his life by spending it in jail. It is one of the many things that emotions take over and the mind stays behind. People often think of short-term solutions to their problems without considering the long-term consequences of these short-term solutions. The next stanza talks about how the Muse of Poetry consoled Boethius grieving soul. It was very well written with descriptions of how miserable Boethius has been. She assured Boethius that everything was going to be okay and that it was a time of healing not grieving. The Muse narrated how he brought up Boethius—being the great man that he is now. And although his situation may seem to be not bright, these too shall pass for the Muse is there to protect him and assure him that his virtues will prevail in this hardship (O’Donnell 24). This stanza was definitely was of the most touching part of the book. Really, this was the consolation of philosophy and one can’t help but feel for Boethius suffering. He was deprived of the life he deserved yet his imprisonment didn’t stop him from writing wonderful works. The second stanza also hints on the probable religion of the Philosopher—Christianity. The Muse somehow reminds me of Mother Mary and how she would protect her son from danger. It also signifies that the philosopher believes in a supernatural being that is more powerful than the earthly soul. Like any other human being, Boethius was going through probably the toughest battle in his life. And every human goes through that. No matter how driven or optimistic we are in our lives, there will always come a point that we want to give up. What the Muse was trying to communicate was that Boethius was born and made greater than his problems. And that does not exempt us. This made be theistic, but God won’t give us a problem that we could not bear. It is just normal that we feel like giving up at times especially when all hope’s lost but all we have to do is to stick to that goal and the universe will conspire to make life better for us. The next stanza talks about how the night ended and the day started with Boethius describing his physician examining him. The physician turned out to be Philosophy and she narrated how she has been with Boethius all along. She narrated how she started with Plato and Socrates and how she has turned out to be what she is now. She explained to Boethius how she has been taking care of him all throughout his life. The next stanza narrates his conversation with Philosophy. She tested him of the things he knew and welcomed him of her questions. The first thing that Philosophy asked him was if believed that life is full of chances. And he bluntly answered that God governs his creations and everything happens for a reason and he will never abandon His creation. The Philosophy then asked him why he was in such grief when he believes that God knows the best for him. By then, the writer was dumbstruck for he did not know the answer. The Philosophy knew something was missing and she was right. Boethius soon confessed that he was overpowered by grief. He knew the answer but he was just miserable to realize that the answer was just right in front of him. Philosophy then declared that the reason of his sickness is his grief and it was he who created all of those (O’Donnell 28). The following lines were so powerful that one cannot help but relate to Boethius’ situation. Pretty sure every one has gone through that pain. It was a feeling of emptiness and pity. It was as if the world has gone against us and everything is so not going our way. At the back of our minds, we know that something great is lurking around. We just have to be patient as good things come to those who wait. It was also just a matter of believing and working for whatever it that we want. It was a matter of realizing that we are in control of our lives—through God’s guidance that is. In general, the teachings of Philosophy can definitely still be applied to modern times. We all go through trials no matter what time or age we may be. It is just a matter of perspective. And although Boethius didn’t have any material thing left for him, it was his virtue that was more important than anything else. And that applies to all of us as well. Work Cited O’Donell, J. Life of Boethius. Pennsylvania: University of Pennsylvania. Pages, 1996.

Essay --

In the arriving court , the judge exemplifies a lot of challenges , as a quality aspect of the court. According to research a judge is an officer who has been elected to bring justice and reap the law throughout the court of justice (). As a judge, common requirements are measured in order to pursue the job qualification. Therefore , the U.S. Bureau of Labor stated that , â€Å" a judge must attend undergraduate school , which a study of choice is not mandatory. Judges must hold a prior legal practice and hold a Juris Doctor degree. While obtaining the degree , one must complete a series of legal classes at law school approved by the ABA (). After , successfully completing the level of achievement an aspiring must pass a bar exam to move to the next level. After successfully passing the bar exam ,one is appointed as an attorney in till obtaining judgeship. Having a strong board behind you for support can boost one's promotion opportunities into being elected for the judge position. Next , on the personnel staff is the District Attorney best known as the D.A.. A district attorney is a prosecuting officer who shows presentation throughout the state in specific trails (). Duties vary for a DA , duties like educating the public and the enforcement of law about how crime prevention can be stopped. District attorneys have a load of employees working hard their wings. According to significant sites , a DA must hold a legal education and a state licensure. Before , the acquirement of DA requires , a high school diploma and a undergraduate degree of four years is required (). Yet , a Juris doctor from a ABA school is required . As the list of personnel continues on ,the next listed job is the hearing officers. Hearing officers make change over ... ... information giving to him/her (1). Moreover , one must not currently have any felony charges nor been convicted of a felony. The only way that one will not have to complete any form of jury duty is if one is in the armed forces being active duty or working for any professional departments. Juror's really play an important part of the court personnel when making verdicts for the courts. Being on a Juror committee can really be stressful if the case is very popular. If the case is local the juror shouldn't have to stay no longer than a week in till the case is closed. Juror's are not to talk about the case in open conversations with peers beside in the court room , while making serious decisions . The juror's have their own claimed section in the court room where the judge has a close distance between them. The next presented personnel in the courts is the defendant

Justice In Society Essay

In every society, most people desire for justice. Even most of our great political thinkers and philosophers used to ponder about this word and exerted some effort to seek and define it. For a long time, there was a debate whether justice is a man centered word. It means that justice is present if an action promotes the welfare of humans. American heritage dictionary defines justice as the quality of being just and fair. (batlevy.com) There are instances when the issue of justice is not only applicable for humans. What is justice becomes the issue of killing animals for food or damaging the Mother Nature for human welfare. Is it justice when it involves animals or physical things? In some cases, it becomes the issue of living a good life. But not at all times, living good means living a just life. A person can live good even virtuous life but still stepping on the rights of other people.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã¢â‚¬Å"Plato contended that justice is the quality of soul, in virtue of which men set aside the irrational desire to taste every pleasure and to get a selfish satisfaction out of every object and accommodated themselves to the discharge of a single function for the general benefit.† (Bhandari, www.bu.edu)   It means that justice is a responsibility of human beings regardless of their own pleasure and needs. Although an action deprives human being of their pleasure and welfare, it is still justice as long as it demonstrates fairness. One example is the execution of justice through penalties and punishments. It sounds not good for the criminals and law breakers. But it demonstrates fairness and is widely acceptable in our society. If justice is just for the welfare of human beings, it will be hard to execute justice because punishment will become a big issue. References American Heritage Dictionary. 2000. Retrieved February 22, 2008 from http://www.bartleby.com/61/76/J0087600.html Bhandari, D.R. Plato’s Concept of Justice: An Analysis. Retrieved February 22, 2008 from http://www.bu.edu/wcp/Papers/Anci/AnciBhan.htm      

The Perversion and Triumph of Christian Ideas in Dracula...

Throughout the Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula, one is presented with the presence of many Christian ideals and symbols throughout the text. Count Dracula’s appearance and actions seem to display the perversion of various Christian ideals and symbols and Dr. Van Helsing uses various Christian symbols to defeat Count Dracula. Given that Van Helsing and his posse are able to use the Christian imagery to drive Dracula back to Castle Dracula and eventually defeat him, Stoker might be suggesting that the power of the Christianity and the Christian God will always prevail in a match against evil and the devil. In the Christian religion, the devil is the not-as-powerful antagonist of God. There are many ways in which Count Dracula could be†¦show more content†¦This appearance is often described as having pointed ears, sharp teeth, a pitchfork, and wings. Although Dracula will not be found toting around a pitchfork, the other attributes can be likened to his character. One will find that the novel states â€Å"The mouth, so far as I could see it, was fixed and rather cruel-looking, with peculiarly sharp white teeth†¦ his ears were pale and at the tops extremely pointed† (Stoker). One will also find that Dracula could also take the form of a bat, which presumably fulfills the winged aspect of the devil. In Dr. Seward’s diary, Seward asks Van Helsing â€Å"Do you mean to tell me that Lucy was bitten by such a bat; and that such a thing is here in London in the nineteenth century?† (Stoker). To which Van Helsing replies, in an extended way, that this is true. So, in Dracula’s appearance, one will find further affirmation that Dracula may serve to represent the devil. Dracula’s actions are also significant in explaining how he might represent the evil of the devil in that Dracula’s actions are perversions of Christian ideals or beliefs, just as the devil. The most notable of these perversions is the way in w hich Dracula is able to survive, taking blood from humans. This could be taken to be a perversion of Communion. In the book of John in the Bible, Jesus tells hisShow MoreRelatedEssay about bram stokers dracula1424 Words   |  6 Pagespeople are familiar with the novel Dracula, by Bram Stoker. It is typically referred to as a horror story sure to give a good scare. However, Bram Stoker was not merely out to give his Victorian audience a thrill ride. Many symbols and themes, particularly those of the main antagonist Dracula, were brought into the novel to teach a lesson. Oddly enough, Dracula resembles other forces of evil in other religions as well. A strong comparison exists between Dracula, Satan, and Hindu demons. Of courseRead MoreGothic Horror : The Epic Battle Of Good Versus Evil2409 Words   |  10 Pagesit† (Dittmer 1). The theme in Dracula is that classic Gothic theme of the epic battle of good versus evil. â€Å"In this novel this is expressed in a very direct wa y, there is never any question as to who is right and who is wrong. According to Duran â€Å"it can be clearly seen the protagonists on the side of good have many endearing qualities while the antagonists on the side of evil have a pact with Lucifer and are of the purest evil† (mikeduran.com). Bram Stokers Dracula demonstrates how religion can influenceRead More Sociopolitical Philosophy In The Works Of Stoker And Yeats Essay2659 Words   |  11 PagesIrish authors of the period, Bram Stoker and William Butler Yeats, offer their views on this â€Å"problem† in their works of fiction. These include Stokers Dracula and Yeats On Bailes Strand and The Only Jealousy of Emer, and these works show the authors differences in ideas on how to deal with this threat to civilization. Stoker feels that triumph over this threat can only be achieved by the defeat of these â€Å"demonic† forces through modernity, while Yeats believes that only by facing the violent and