Hello, Philosophic Fantasizers
Tomorrow, Mazzin and I are going to split you up into two groups in order to discuss and respond to the following questions (with one group focusing on Book 4, and the other Book 5). After we've shared our responses to those set of questions on the board, we're going discuss a final integrative question with the class as a whole.
If you want to get a head start, I'm posting the questions below. Good luck, and we'll see you in class tomorrow!
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Book 4
1) Who for Lady Philosophy is considered non-existing, and why?
2) According to lady Philosophy, how do the wicked never avoid punishment?
3) What is considered punishment to Lady Philosophy?
Book 5
1) Can there be any foreknowledge which has no necessary outcome? Explain.
2) How does Lady Philosophy reconcile Boethius’ prospective challenge: “Will the arrangements which I make cause a change in God’s knowledge, so that when my intention switches from one thing to another, his knowledge too seems to vacillate?” (114)
Integrative Question
How is Lady Philosophy’s argument about punishment significant to her argument about free will?
Comments (2)
Michael Pruess said
at 9:47 am on Feb 22, 2010
Am wondering about the significance of, in Book 5 Chapter 1, the fact that Boethius speaks in the past tense while Philosophy in the present. (ex. "How, pray?" said I. "Thus," says she: "Whenever...") This is not consistent throughout the chapter, much less throughout the work. It feels to me as though B might be passing the info along to posterity through her lips, "this is the way things are. Why? Because she _says_ so."
As if for a brief moment the frame of story disappears and Philosophy speaks directly into our time.
(I know this had nothing to do with the above questions; this is the Books4-5 page yes?)
Karena Ajamian said
at 8:24 pm on Feb 23, 2010
Perhaps this would be a POV similar to what God has according to Lady Philosophy, since, "God's gaze anticipates everything that is to happen, and draws it back and recalls it to his knowing in the present" (114).
Clip from The Curious Case of Benjamin Button:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvrzATr4gaQ
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