Boethius and the Learned Lady - Eliza Colbert
Of all the reading we had to do this week, The Abbot and the Learned Lady was my favorite because I thought it was both amusing and thought provoking. I’ll skip over the witty remarks and funny quips to talk about a specific subject that caught my attention. In their discussion, the abbot asks Magdalia what she thinks wisdom is. She responds, “This: understanding that a man is not happy without the goods of the mind; that wealth, honours, noble birth make him neither happier nor better” (29). I noticed this because it reminded me of Boethius.
In The Consolation of Philosophy, Boethius spends a lot of time on the idea that all men seek happiness. He comes to the conclusion that, while everyone goes about it in a different way, they are all trying to reach the same goal. This goal, despite what people think, is the Highest Good and this Highest Good is what we know as God. I won’t go into all the details of how Boethius reaches this conclusion, but I will note how this idea matches up with that of the learned lady.
As Boethius argues that everyone is actually pursuing the Highest Good, he talks about how nothing else will really satisfy that desire. This is very close to what Magdalia says. She says that the goods of the mind are the only things that will make a man truly happy. This is similar to Boethius’ idea, but Boethius takes it one step further. Rather than simply saying that the mind is better than physical pleasures, Boethius says that the spiritual is better than everything. And not just the spiritual, but specifically the Highest Good, the Summum Bonum.
Now, Erasmus presents Magdalia as more virtuous than the abbot. My question is, if she is supposed to be so virtuous, why does she not, like Boethius, place God as the only source of true happiness? I think perhaps it was because they were specifically talking about education and wisdom. Erasmus did not really address the spiritual side of these characters, though it was very much implied. I think that, if Boethius and Magdalia had a philosophical and spiritual discussion about this issue, they would end up agreeing with each other. Unfortunately, such a debate is impossible. We are left with simple theories and speculation. So what are your theories on the subject?
P.S. I commented on Abbigayle’s and Will’s posts.
What is so interesting to me about this entire encounter is the fact that Antronius is supposed to be regarded as a very spiritually sound man and he literally places external joys over the Lord. He thinks that drinking and having fun is what should make men happy and I could not disagree with him more.
ReplyDeleteI did not think about the connection to Boethius, but I love that you did! The part about joy in honors brought me back to last semester from one of the historic speech handouts that Dr.Downs assigned us. You are right though, I do think it is odd that the spiritual side of things in relation to happiness was disregarded and not even brought up. Maybe it was simply implied that spiritually happiness is the best and truest form while the others only bring worldly joy? I don't know, I am not quite sure.
ReplyDeleteYou know those times where you're so focused on winning the argument that you don't think of the logical answer until five hours later? Perhaps that's what happened. Magdalia was so intent on proving her point that she forgot to mention where the true source of happiness originates. Or perhaps there is a difference between virtuousness and godliness. Magdalia is a wise woman with an eye for the higher things of this world, but that doesn't make her a theologian.
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