Reflections

Primary Sources

Thursday, December 5, 2019

Boethius, The Consolation of Philosophy 4.11


“Remember that corollary which I emphasized when speaking to you a little while ago, and reason thus therefrom:

“While happiness is the absolute good, it is plain that all good men become good by virtue of the very fact that they are good. But we agreed that happy men are as gods. Therefore this is the reward of the good, which no time can wear out, no power can lessen, no wickedness can darken; they become divine.

“In this case, then, no wise man can doubt of the inevitable punishment of the wicked as well. For good and evil are so set, differing from each other just as reward and punishment are in opposition to each other. Hence the rewards, which we see fall to the good, must correspond precisely to the punishments of the evil on the other side.

“As, therefore, honesty is itself the reward of the honest, so wickedness is itself the punishment of the wicked. Now whosoever suffers punishment, doubts not that he is suffering an evil. If, then, they are ready so to judge of themselves, can they think that they do not receive punishment, considering that they are not only affected but thoroughly permeated by wickedness, the worst of all evils?”

—from Book 4, Prose 3

Distracted by the expectation of further reward, I will look to everything except myself in order to find happiness for myself. I am caught up in a sort of moral version of the red herring fallacy, drawing attention to the good of something over there when I should rather be concerned with the good of this right here. 

“Did my situation bring me greater wealth, or power, or fame, or gratification?” This is a case of apples and oranges, because these things have nothing directly to do with my happiness. However much I may prefer such conditions, they will not make me better or worse.

“Have I done right? Was I thoughtful, sincere, and kind?” Now I am back on topic. I am recognizing the simple fact that how well I live is itself the only standard of how complete, and therefore how contented and fulfilling, my life can be.

Lady Philosophy again tells us that because the good man is also the happy man, the good man is also the divine man. I may express this with all the poetic images, or profound theology, or inspiring mysticism that I like, but it really just boils down to recognizing that the more anything acts according to its own nature, the more perfect it becomes, and the more perfect it becomes, the more it becomes like God, the measure of all perfection.

The apple tree, or the orange tree, or a creature like me, will all be satisfied when they are realizing themselves, consciously or unconsciously, in their own distinct ways. They can be at peace when their proper work is being done. Nothing else is required of them.

Conversely, the apple tree, or the orange tree, or a creature like me, will all be dissatisfied when they fail to realize themselves, consciously or unconsciously, in their own distinct ways. They can only strive to become more while there is work left to do. Something else is still required of them.

And so it is that the virtuous and the vicious stand in contrast to one another. In one there is presence, and in the other there is absence. This tree has borne fruit, and that tree is still barren. Here is achievement, and there is failure. This is the difference between happiness and misery.

Though I may not always understand how or why, I do know when I am in distress. The unease tells me that something isn’t right, that something must be done to make it better, that a need must be fulfilled. If I look honestly within myself, I will see that my emptiness can only come from failing to attend to my own character. All rewards and punishments of life hang in the balance here. 

Written in 11/2015 

No comments:

Post a Comment