If you want to see more films about some of history's greatest philosophical minds check out our curriculum playlist: goo.gl/AVtBYq We release new films every week on this channel and new content every day on our app: goo.gl/jqt4KR

Words to live by: "Happiness cannot consist in things governed by chance."

Apologies for an error in the film: towards the start, we say that Boethius translated Plato and Aristotle from Latin into Greek. It should - of course - be the other way around. Sorry!

I like it when you say that philosophy shouldn't be a academic game but a practical tool for everybody. Philosophy makes us look with wonder to the world, thereby it gives us deep insights and offers sustainable happiness. Therefore philosophy is not only valuable for intellectual academics, but for every thinking creature. With greetings from Holland ;)

In modern thought, Jim Rohn so wisely said, *Work harder on yourself than you do on your job.* ... Because you yourself, your body and your work ethics, are your own fortune.

Boethius' own life and his book are very much a companion book of the Book of Job.

Finally philosophy is back.

I happened on Boethius when I was in a real bad way (unemployed, no classes, relationship just ended, etc.). He will always be a role model of mine for the things he was able to observe in the face of the things to which he was subject. A true philosopher king, whose words stretched way down from his pedestal of suffering to my comparably tiny troubles.

Happiness cannot consist in things governed by chance.' So powerful.

I came upon Boethius's book at a time of deep sorrow in my life. It was wonderfully refreshing, and seemed to me full of much common sense as well as a toolkit with which to clamber out of the slough of despond in which I found myself. There seems to be quite a lot of modern psychology in there, and to think that this work was penned in the 6th Century, is utterly amazing.

My mother had spent two weeks in jail in Mecca. She never calls from nowhere, so we had no idea until she came back and told us the story. Well, I wondered how a woman in her sixties could endure being imprisoned unfairly in a foreign country where she didn't know anybody, didn't speak the language, and didn't know when she was going to be free again! When I asked her she said: " That place had its own harmony. Worldly life cannot delude you in prison". Well, she thought that not Fortuna but Allah ( it is all the same ) had arranged this for her, to try her. I must say that she did very well. She told me that a week later a man from the Turkish embassy visited her. And when he asked her how she was doing she said: " I am innocent, I don't belong here.But I am very fine. I am observing the people around." I thought it was really admirable. But here is the thing: if you are not a believer, the real challenge is to cultivate the same strength within yourself, despite NOT having a God to trust... 2. So in this case, if you wish to build your own "inner citadel", and develop your " fate independent mental powers", another great book can help enormously: " The Consolations of Philosophy" by Alain de Botton ( the narrator in this video and the founder of this channel ) That's the one book that taught me to love philosophy! I always get back to it. There he offers us the help of six philosophers in all these areas: Socrates on Self Confidence Epicurus on Happiness Seneca on Anger Montaigne on Self-Esteem Schopenhauer on Love Nietzsche on Hardship He made a documentary about each of them too. They are on his other youtube channel with these titles. Don't miss them! They all have a life changing quality. You'll learn a lot, laugh a lot and you will find real consolation. 3. Another book that came to my mind is: "The Sixteenth Round, From Number 1 Contender to Number 45472" written by Rubin " Hurricane " Carter, a middleweight boxer at the top of his career, who was wrongfully convicted and had to spend almost 20 years in prison. Bob Dylan's song " Hurricane" tells his story. I have put the book in my reading list after watching the excellent movie, where Denzel Washington plays the Hurricane. There you will see this man whose life had been stolen from him, reading and writing non stop, talking about Dostoevsky, Emile Zola, Mandela to his visitors.... People like Hurricane are the monuments of human dignity. And I thought that once on earth my mother was right: "worldly life cannot delude you in prison". That's why these people have the quality of focus and depth they have. There is so much we can learn from them.

There's no treasure of wisdom that we should ever be so thankful for as The Consolation of Philosophy.

This is a cute video and I really like the presentation, but I think it needs to be pointed out that Stoicism isn't the only influence in the Consolatio. Boethius uses Stoic ideas as the 'gentle medicine' offered to sooth the prisoner early in the dialogue, but when pressed to go deeper on providence, the problem of evil, and determinism, Lady Philosophy ends up favoring Platonist ideas with vaguely Christian aims.

I'm so glad this series is back - I can't wait to hear more. The way these videos make the wisdom of old so accessible, relevant and easy to absorb help me hugely

Finally, some more straight up philosophy!

The true happiness can be achieved only through wisdom.

inner citadel? I had no idea that another person than myself had this comforting concept - how interesting

The curriculum is one of my favorite things to come out of the internet in these past few years. Thank you so much for continuing to add to this enlightening project.

I am currently reading The Consolation of Philosophy and finding much truth and solace in it. Thank you for the great video!

Your videos always illuminate my day. Thank you for all you do. I just bought your Great Thinkers book and I am thoroughly enjoying it.

Oooo. One of my favourite philosophy texts. This and Meditations.

Wonderful! Thanks for creating this. I wondered when Boethius would appear. Educating and opening up a world of great writers who many may not know about. Thank you Mr De Botton.

That was beautiful

I am just thrilled with your educational videos on philosophy and philosophers and everyday dilemmas ! Thank you.

There's lady philosophy in every single one of us; we just need to think and listen.

I can't get enough of your philosophy videos, thank you 🤗👏

to say, these videos are helpful, is an understatement. to say, these videos are very enjoyable, is an understatement. to say, that alains narration is so beautiful, is an understatement. thank you so much!

Lady Philosophy visited me too, she wanted me to walk, now in my mind we are strolling with these lovely ideas that you've presented me with.

These are, hands down, the best videos of the channel!

I bought the book and I am reading it now. It is AMAZING! Worth every penny. Thank you.

"Boethius's wisdom was to be the last eloquent outcry of the guiding ideas of classical philosophy, and in particular it's Stoic branch. Thereafter, Christianity subsumed its insights..." This is untrue. I've noticed this often in productions by the School of Life: there is a strong aversion to Christianity, and religion in general, and a reluctance to give credit where credit is due. Boethius was a devout Christian; he wrote theological treatises which would be seminal for later medieval Trinitarian theology. His affinity for Stoic philosophy was not unique: every major Christian thinker until the late medieval era praised Stoicism for its ethics and Platonism for its metaphysics. Boethius himself would be celebrated well beyond the medieval era. Boethius was not a classical Stoic philosopher whose teachings were subsumed by later Christians; he was a devout Catholic whose philosophical teachings REPRESENTED Christian philosophy.

I live for these particular videos that sheds light into histories greatest minds. And the literary figures videos are also very stimulating. ❤❤❤❤

Perhaps better call Lady Philosophy "amoral" rather than "immoral"?

Could you do more philosophical videos please.And it would be really interesting to see some philosophers from Asia or middle Eastern countries.I would especially like to see a video about Rumi on your channel.Bc the world had/has great thinkers not just from Europe and America but from all around the world.😍

Love,absolutely love this channel.

This video made my week and got me going on the right track again. So good! 👍👍

I read this book many years ago. It's very good especially when going through rough times.

i have read this book for my acient philosophy course's essay. It is such a great book. Highly recommended

Yes! These types of videos were really missed

A beautiful description of what Lady Philosophy can doo for us in the face of Dame Fortuna's blandishments. Thank you.

Gives a new meaning to some of the mythical aspects of the Elder Scrolls games with for example Boethia :)

Great introduction, thank you for this!. I'm sure someone else said this before, but Boethius did not translate Plato and Aristotle from Latin into Greek, but vice versa (0:56).

I am beyond this part now. It is our destiny to be put down from our fortune and that shouldn't let us demotivate us from following the things we in our most childish state wanted to. Resorting to our inner citadel is completely wrong if one is very respectful towards the history and nature. The power that makes us awesome is not the nirvana we can achieve by giving up our sins. It is the power of drama and adventure that comes from within us by keep standing up from every fall of fortune. A life not lived is a life never lived.

What a soothing voice.... Love it!

Finally .. an addition to that fine collection

This is basically the message of the book of Job in the Old Testament. We are all at God's mercy and it's a mistake to believe we are owed anything that we have or desire. Everything is a gift, temporarily bestowed by God. We should praise him for every moment he blesses us and expect that it may be taken from us at his whim... that's the message anyway.

this is absolutely fantastic and eye opening insight. thank you so much for this enlightening summary!!

This has been the most relatable video for me in my history of philosophical talks 😍😍😍😭😭

Very deep. Great post...thank you for sharing.👏👏👏👏👏👏

Another great School of Life video. Thank you

One of TSOL’s best videos

I'm glad philosophy is back x

aaaah, i missed this kind of video! thank you TSOL 🙌🏾

Boethius is also mentioned frequently in one of the most hilarious works of fiction I've ever read, A Confederacy of Dunces. (Highly recommend!)

Just started reading him. Great videos. Thank you

Estoy atravesando una encrucijada personal y esto me ha ayudado a enfocarme en lo que realmente importa. Gracias.

" - and she has come to visit Boethius in his cell in order to remind him of some of the fundamental truths of his favourite subject, largely as defined by the Stoic school of Greece and Rome. " - Boethius was a neoplatonist not stoic philosopher. Also Later Stoicism was influenced by middle platonism. Concept of difference beetween Providence (Pronoia) and destiny (heimarmene) was work out by Plotinus in Ennead III.2 and III,3 The concept of arisig above was based at the metaphysical concept of selfsufficiency, simplicity, as defined in Enneads (asimilation to The One, henosis). It is also implicit in universal, speculative teleological statement: "Then all things seek the good, which you may in fact describe as being the good itself which should be longed for by all."" which is very similiar to Ennead 1.7 and VI.9 But generally i like Your work.

Botton, you are amazing ! 😀👏👋

Thank you for speaking more quickly. I've been watching these at 1.25 speed.

This has got to be the best SoL video ever.

thank you for your Bias, Alain!! I love this chanel!

Our philosophical growth is what can achieve for us the true internal serenity.

The stuff about fortune is only the first two books of five, less than half of it. Boethius also attacks the stoics by name in the book, saying that they and the epicureans tore the garments of Lady Philosophy and deceived themselves into thinking that they possessed the whole of philosophy.

So EXCELLENT! I LOVED IT!!!! You got my attention and the bell ring!

Thank you for this new tool.

Thank you! Fortuna has not allowed me anything in this life, only the hope of something in the future. It's better to make our purpose in life to exist in the present moment, no matter what that moment may hold. So long as we think that life should be this or that more, we will either be lucky enough to attain it or we will suffer. It is not up to us, no matter how hard we try to achieve anything. It's not wrong to reach for something more but life doesn't always give us what we wish to attain.

To Fortuna and Lady Philosophy, life's outer and inner teachers.....lovely video on a harsh topic.

Excellent content as usual. Keep em comin

I needed this. Thanks

These videos are terrific.

Wow. I wish Boethius had been included in my Western Civ readings decades ago. Thanks!!!!

I missed this kind of videos on this channel

CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES!!!! SHOUTOUT!!!!

Thank you very much

I LOVE Philosophy works!!!

wonderful! thanks!

Brilliant!! Thank you very much you are awesome

How similar the teachings of Lady Philosophy is to Buddha's. It is amazing how people of different cultures and origins independently come to the same conclusion on life.

Thank you !!

I think that Fortuna can take everything a from us. We are subject to the constant, never-ending changing state of affairs after all. Our minds can deplore, we may lose loved ones, we change our minds, we fall in and out of love. Nothing is static. One would think the best thing for us would be to understand and accept that life is constantly changing, nothing is definitive, and that is very scary to be honest, but common. Change can be sad and painful but it can also be beautiful. It's hard to wrap your head around things sometimes but the healthiest thing we can do is trust that whoever/whatever brings change, does it for the better, because everything happens for a reason even if we can't understand it straight away.

I legit reading this book for my philosophy class rn..

I gotta say, it's not "how little of our lives is in our hands", we hold a big chunk of our lives to make our future. That's why, when you find yourself in a thorny road, look back on the past road that you have walked, because it is your leg that lead you to that path to that road, you chose that road yourself. Remember you have the opportunity or privilege to sculpt your own future and be grateful for it. When you find yourself in a thorny road, learn from it so later you won't found yourself walking to the same thorny road. While there might be some who will say that they don't have the opportunity and the privilege to make their own choice, I hope you won't give up on looking on other choice and push yourself on pursuing it (good thing of course)

Damn, I needed this!

I also missed Philosophy on School of Life... great that "its" back (to the roots :) )

Very well said...

Recently started reading this book i didn't underdtabd it came to youtube and yep my fav channel has the explanation

His philosophy is much like Buddhism in its rejection of being attached to the things which inevitably bring pain. To have an inner citadel or center which can bring consolation to anyone, like the moneyless monks reflecting on life.

Wonderful.

this video is my new favorite!

Please start making more videos like this again.

This is excellent and coincidentally comes at the perfect time. Thank you. It does seem even more extreme than stoicism. I think I will stick with everyday endurance because regardless of what lady philosophy says, he did physically have a wife and two sons and then he did not. He could have comforted himself remembering that they did belong to him and that, philosophically, that continued even though he could not see them.

your videos inspired me to study philosohpy , and now im dreaming to go to a philosophy college :)

Please do Rilke !

I appreciate the greater ability to recover from hardship that this would convey, but it also tells us to not seek things that would objectively make us safer and happier. Maybe you'll say that this is only a misinterpretation, but it seems to be a strong implication: why seek what can never be yours (permanently)? Of course life isn't permanent- yes things can be taken away, but our temporary lives would be empty without things like love, money, and greater stability. They don't need to last forever to be important.

Fine Fine Fine Film Mr. Alain de button

Glad to see a curriculum video. It has been nearly a year since the last one on Emil Cioran appeared. I would like to see more of them. How about one on Dante or Stendhal?

I fuckn like this guy's explanations of this stuff...Thanks a lot, Alain.

Please do Hermann Hesse!

Great video, as usual!

Great video, please make more curriculum episodes