Neretina S.S. Man is the One Who Argues With Fate
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15688/lp.jvolsu.2024.3.5
Svetlana S. Neretina
Doctor of Sciences (Phisosophy), Professor, Chief Researcher, Institute of Philosophy of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Goncharnaya St, 12, Bld. 1, 109240 Moscow, Russian Federation
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https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2063-062X
Abstract. The article talks about how the early medieval philosopher Boethius, "master of all services" at the court of the Ostrogothic king Theodoric, condemned to death for high treason in the book "The Consolation of Philosophy," solves the problem of what a person is. This was not only a philosophically pressing problem but also an existential problem, closely related to the time of its appearance, since a high-born Roman in trouble found himself in the middle of the struggle between Arianism (the creed of Theodoric) and Christianity of the Nicene version (which Theodoric admitted), but for whom Arianism was heresy. An effort of thought was required to prove the correctness of the actions of a person who had not lost his dignity, who at the same time did not attempt "lese majeste," which was considered high treason. Boethius connects the solution to the problem of what a person is with the concepts of providence, predestination, free will, and ways of combining them, which ultimately determine the fate of a person, revealing the content of predestination. The book is a dispute between two understandings of fate: fortune, representing a free spirit in the game of diverse contingencies, and fate, revealing the only thing predetermined for anything among the countless possibilities of providence. Initially rejecting the understanding of man as a rational mortal living being, Boethius is inclined to think that man is one who is able to challenge his own destiny, resolutely resisting the understanding of fate as a ruthless executor of the lot that fell by chance. Boethius, radically breaking with ancient traditions, likens fate to art, which, before its plans are completed, allows the creator to freely use his capabilities and abilities to act. Necessity allows freedom to challenge itself. "The effect of art would be negligible if everything were played out forcedly." The book reveals traces of the Arian faith, which at that time competed with orthodox Christianity, and philosophical analysis of this suggests that Boethius had hope of changing his fate.
Key words: philosophy, fortune, fate, providence, predestination, free will, necessity, Highest Good.
Citation. Neretina S.S. Man is the One Who Argues With Fate. Logos et Praxis, 2024, vol. 23, no. 3, pp. 46-52. (in Russian). DOI: https://doi.org/10.15688/lp.jvolsu.2024.3.5
Man is the One Who Argues With Fate by Neretina S.S. is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International 
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