Boethius, The Consolation of Philosophy 4.28

"Wherefore everything which is subject to Fate is also subject to Providence, to which Fate is itself subject. But there are things which, though beneath Providence, are above the course of Fate. Those things are they which are immovably set nearest the primary Divinity, and are there beyond the course of the movement of Fate.

"As in the case of spheres moving round the same axis, that which is nearest the center approaches most nearly the simple motion of the center, and is itself, as it were, an axis around which turn those which are set outside it.

"That sphere which is outside all turns through a greater circuit, and fulfils a longer course in proportion as it is farther from the central axis; and if it be joined or connect itself with that center, it is drawn into the direct motion thereof, and no longer strays or strives to turn away.

"In like manner, that which goes farther from the primary Intelligence, is bound the more by the ties of Fate, and the nearer it approaches the axis of all, the more free it is from Fate. But that which clings without movement to the firm Intellect above, surpasses altogether the bond of Fate."

—from Book 4, Prose 6

All created things, by the very fact that they come to be and pass away, and through their acts of changing for the sake of an end, are ordered and given purpose by Providence. Yet not all created things share in Providence in the same way, for by their specific natures they are gifted with different levels of freedom.

We are quite used to thinking that for something to be free in any sense, it would have to be completely outside of the power of anything else. We easily overlook the possibility that the agency of a lesser being can exist within the agency of a greater being, and that the lower can be granted its own power by what is higher. We become accustomed to assuming that there must be a conflict of hierarchy, where there could just as easily be a harmony of hierarchy.

In other words, the fact that God possesses absolute power does not exclude creatures possessing different degrees of relative power, all according to their specific forms, all acting as parts of a whole.

A parent has authority over his children, yet he may also permit his children to learn from their own choices. A boss has control over his workers, yet he may also allow his workers to follow their own judgments.

In its strictest sense, Fate applies most to those creatures that do not move themselves in any way at all, and are only moved by other things. As creatures are gifted with their own life, with senses, with instincts, and ultimately with reason, they gain more self-control, and are less subject to Fate alone. They still work within Providence, but they also perform more and more of their own work.

It took me a little while to visualize it, but the image used here by Lady Philosophy was of great assistance in understanding this concept. It allows me to appreciate the various grades of things acting together, as beings cooperating in Being. Just as the pieces of the puzzle only make sense in the big picture, so the actions of individuals relate to one another in a unity.

Imagine a set of concentric circles or spheres, upon which we can place increasing degrees of perfection in beings, from the outside toward the inside, until we come to the center, where we find total perfection. The outer circles move more widely, the inner circles more narrowly, though all receive their motion from the center. It helps me to actually animate it in my own imagination, and not just look at it in a static state.

Approaching to the middle, creatures become more complete. Approaching to the edge, creatures become more incomplete.

Approaching to the middle, creatures becomes more independent. Approaching to the edge, creatures become more dependent.

Approaching to the middle, creatures become more free. Approaching to the edge, creatures become more determined.

All are moved from the axis, but all move in their own ways. The closer to the source of the motion, the more like that source of motion. Self-sufficiency increases or decreases for what is closer or further from the point of origin.

Another way to picture this is with Matryoshka dolls, those nesting figures where each hollow larger one contains another hollow smaller one, and so on, until the last figure is solid. I could certainly line them all up separately, but the charm is in putting them all together.

Some things are held firmly by Fate, while other things are more able to rise above Fate through their own freedom. All of them, however, still proceed out of the single source of Providence.

Written in 11/2015