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Written in the 6th-century from a prison cell as the author awaits execution for a crime he did not commit, The Consolation of Philosophy is a dialogue between Boethius and a mysterious woman—Lady Philosophy—who helps him rediscover wisdom and virtue.

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Philosophy now aims to show Boethius where true happiness is located. Since the Most High God is the source of all things, he is good. Also, he must have perfect Good, otherwise something else must possess it and be higher than him. Further, this implies that he must be in himself the highest Good, because otherwise he must either have obtained it from elsewhere (and so someone else would be preeminent), or it must be logically distinct from him (but then someone else must have combined goodness with God—and such a person would be God). If it is distinct, it cannot be identical with him, and so God could not be the highest Good (which would be sacrilegious to imagine about the Most High God). And since the highest Good is happiness, God must be happiness itself (for two perfect, highest goods cannot exist together). What results from this is the truth that people can only become happy if they attain divinity—if they attain union with him.

Further, although happiness is composed of many parts, they are not separate, like limbs of a body, but are all identical. The Good is the sum total of everything people desire. Thus happiness and the Good are identical. This means that, combined with the previous conclusion, God himself, in his substance, is the highest Good.

Written in the 6th-century from a prison cell as the author awaits execution for a crime he did not commit, The Consolation of Philosophy is a dialogue between Boethius and a mysterious woman—Lady Philosophy—who helps him rediscover wisdom and virtue.

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You’re invited to join the companion course that dives deep into each of the five books. There, we’ll explore each chapter, with guided readings, discussion prompts, and study tools to enrich your journey. Enroll today.

Now Philosophy promises to show what true happiness is. She proves that ability and power share by nature the same substance, as do honor, fame, and happiness. But human error divides this natural whole into fragments, and pursues them individually, and thus does not obtain either the whole or the parts. Even if someone attained the whole, he would not find true happiness since these pursuits do not give it in themselves. True happiness comes from being wholly self-sufficient, wholly able, wholly respectable, wholly well-known, and wholly happy. But earthly pursuits cannot provide this highest Good, this true happiness. May God guide us and show us where it can be found!

Written in the 6th-century from a prison cell as the author awaits execution for a crime he did not commit, The Consolation of Philosophy is a dialogue between Boethius and a mysterious woman—Lady Philosophy—who helps him rediscover wisdom and virtue.

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You’re invited to join the companion course that dives deep into each of the five books. There, we’ll explore each chapter, with guided readings, discussion prompts, and study tools to enrich your journey. Enroll today.

Lady Philosophy summarizes her reasons why the pursuit of earthly goods is not the pathway to happiness but to suffering. They do not in themselves give happiness since they cannot even offer what they promise, nor give you the entirety of every good thing.

Written in the 6th-century from a prison cell as the author awaits execution for a crime he did not commit, The Consolation of Philosophy is a dialogue between Boethius and a mysterious woman—Lady Philosophy—who helps him rediscover wisdom and virtue.

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You’re invited to join the companion course that dives deep into each of the five books. There, we’ll explore each chapter, with guided readings, discussion prompts, and study tools to enrich your journey. Enroll today.

Fifthly and lastly, the pursuit of physical pleasure gives anxiety, and too much pleasure brings regret. Even good pleasures, like marriage and fatherhood, have a sting in their tail.

Written in the 6th-century from a prison cell as the author awaits execution for a crime he did not commit, The Consolation of Philosophy is a dialogue between Boethius and a mysterious woman—Lady Philosophy—who helps him rediscover wisdom and virtue.

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You’re invited to join the companion course that dives deep into each of the five books. There, we’ll explore each chapter, with guided readings, discussion prompts, and study tools to enrich your journey. Enroll today.

Fourthly, fame cannot give perfect happiness since it is sometimes wrongly given. But even if fame is deserved, it cannot add to one’s happiness, since a wise person measures himself by what he knows of himself, not by what others think of him. And if fame is inherently desirable, lack of fame must be shameful—and yet no one is famous everywhere in the entire world. Noble birth is empty, since its praise belongs to one’s progenitor, not one’s self.

Written in the 6th-century from a prison cell as the author awaits execution for a crime he did not commit, The Consolation of Philosophy is a dialogue between Boethius and a mysterious woman—Lady Philosophy—who helps him rediscover wisdom and virtue.

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You’re invited to join the companion course that dives deep into each of the five books. There, we’ll explore each chapter, with guided readings, discussion prompts, and study tools to enrich your journey. Enroll today.

Thirdly, political power is limited in its extent, and so cannot give complete happiness. It also cannot eliminate fear from danger. In fact, many powerful people have been brought low because of their high positions.

Written in the 6th-century from a prison cell as the author awaits execution for a crime he did not commit, The Consolation of Philosophy is a dialogue between Boethius and a mysterious woman—Lady Philosophy—who helps him rediscover wisdom and virtue.

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You’re invited to join the companion course that dives deep into each of the five books. There, we’ll explore each chapter, with guided readings, discussion prompts, and study tools to enrich your journey. Enroll today.

Secondly, high position does not impart virtue, which is inherently valuable. In fact, high position can be tarnished by unworthy possessors. Therefore, high position has no inherent worth.

Written in the 6th-century from a prison cell as the author awaits execution for a crime he did not commit, The Consolation of Philosophy is a dialogue between Boethius and a mysterious woman—Lady Philosophy—who helps him rediscover wisdom and virtue.

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You’re invited to join the companion course that dives deep into each of the five books. There, we’ll explore each chapter, with guided readings, discussion prompts, and study tools to enrich your journey. Enroll today.

But can people find happiness through these goods? If not, then what looks like happiness in them is false. Philosophy turns to examine the goods people seek. First, money does not completely free you from lack, but rather creates the necessity of protecting it.

Written in the 6th-century from a prison cell as the author awaits execution for a crime he did not commit, The Consolation of Philosophy is a dialogue between Boethius and a mysterious woman—Lady Philosophy—who helps him rediscover wisdom and virtue.

Subscribe now and begin walking the path of wisdom with us.

You’re invited to join the companion course that dives deep into each of the five books. There, we’ll explore each chapter, with guided readings, discussion prompts, and study tools to enrich your journey. Enroll today.

The single concern of mortals is happiness, which is the highest Good of all, including all other goods in itself. However, mortals err in pursuing false goods like riches, respect, power, fame, or pleasures. In seeking these goods, they are really seeking happiness.

Written in the 6th-century from a prison cell as the author awaits execution for a crime he did not commit, The Consolation of Philosophy is a dialogue between Boethius and a mysterious woman—Lady Philosophy—who helps him rediscover wisdom and virtue.

Subscribe now and begin walking the path of wisdom with us.

You’re invited to join the companion course that dives deep into each of the five books. There, we’ll explore each chapter, with guided readings, discussion prompts, and study tools to enrich your journey. Enroll today.