boethius pete tastes a bit like aristotle mixed with plotinus seasoned healthily with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, served over roast plato. either heidegger or neitzsche once said that Christianity was platonism for the masses (maybe it was both, though surely it wasn't hegel) and i used to agree until reading these tracates (and thinking on the consolation)... christianity while embracing platonism at this stage of the game, certainly isn't simple. both are for the masses when boiled down to the essentials, but the details are deadly. 070219 ... stephshine details? deadly? NEVER. 070219 ... pete "It is indeed no desire for fame or empty popular applause that prompts my pen; if there be any external reward, we may not look for more warmth in the verdict than the subject itself arouses. For, apart from yourself, wherever I turn my eyes, they fall on either the apathy of the dullard or the jealousy of the shrewd, and a man who casts his thoughts before the common herd--I will not say to consider but to trample under foot, would seem to bring discredit on the study of divinity. So I purposely use brevity and wrap up the ideas I draw from the deep questionings of philosophy in new and unaccustomed words which speak only to you and to myself, that is, if you deign to look at them. The rest of the world I simply disregard: they cannot understand, and therefore do not deserve to read. We should not of course press our inquiry further than man's wit and reason are allowed to climb the height of heavenly knowledge..." 070219 ... stephshine brevity is good. details can be brief. 070219 ... unhinged i vaguely remember this guy having something to do with music theory....writing about it or something. back in the middle ages, the monks were really the only people who had time to think about music theory. 070220 ... pete boethius is known for his musical theory, though i've never ventured in to it.. i've read his philosophy and theology, but i'm sure his aesthetics is just as intriguing.. the idea that only monks had time to think and write is a horrible misconception that is tied up in the entire "dark age" mythology.. boethius was, at various times, the Consul of Rome, the head of the wetsern Roman bureaucracy (under Theodoric), his sons were co-Consuls, and so on.. Boethius came to his untimely end after supporting the Emperor of Rome, located in Constantinople, against the King of Rome, with his hq in Ravenna, on political and theological questions. Boethius was a proto-Catholic and Theodoric and the Ostrogoths (and most of the other germanics, excepting the Franks) were Arians.... long story short, not a monk by any means... 070220 ... unhinged oops i had a vague feeling i shouldn't write anything on this page because i really remember nothing other than the fact that boethius wrote some stuff about music theory and it was kind of kooky to the modern mind. something about the harmony of the spheres...??? shit, i wish i had my music history book and my primary source readings on music history from my undergrad. i hate it when i should know something and i can't remember it. 070220 ... unhinged www.iclassics.com/periodArticle?contentId=3036 keeping the old ideas alive. i feel like an asshole for generalizing. but it's something i do best until someone makes me feel bad enough to do some research. 070220 ... pete hey no worries, i'm sure neoplatonic protocatholic music theory would be wonky, i just know what i know from concentrated study in recent weeks and two years ago, and the fact that boethius is a lot of fun to read, especially the consolation of philosophy with its 'god proof box'... 070221 what's it to you? who go blather from