Boethius

• What did Boethius and Augustine disagree about?

Summary of Boethius: God exists and is omniscient (1) Augustine incorrectly concludes (2) Divine providence implies that all human actions are necessary Augustine considers the following assumption: (3) The necessity of all human action implies that no human actions are free Augustine validly but unsoundly infers from (2.A) and (3.A): (4) No human actions are free Augustine correctly assumes that (5) Some human actions are free To avoid the contradiction of (4.A) and (5.A) Augustine reaffirms (2.A) but repudiates (3.A) and adopts volunteerism. (6) In contrast to Augustine Boethius repudiates (2.A) and avoids volunteerism. (7)

When and where did he live?

480-524 AD Rome

• What is the name of his essay (the one you were assigned to read)?

Consolation of Philosophy

What language(s) did he know?

Greek and Latin

• Who was Theodoric?

Theodoric (known as Theodoric the Great and Flavius Theodoricus, 451 or 454 - 526 CE) was the king of the Ostrogoths who, at the encouragement and direction of the Roman emperor Zeno, invaded Italy, deposed King Odoacer, and ruled over a kingdom of Romans and Goths from 493-526 CE

• How did he die?

capital punishment. skull crushed

• Did Boethius think that God's knowledge of the future makes the future necessary?

no

• Did Boethius think that God knows the future?

yes

• Did he translate some of Aristotle's works on logic into Latin?

yes

• Was Boethius a compatibilist?

yes