Library / Philosophy

The Consolation of Philosophy

Boethius

When you lose everything, find what no one can take. Written in prison while awaiting execution: a dialogue with Philosophy on fortune and true happiness.

Reading: 5 chapters
Format: Text + tutor
Price: $4.99

Read chapter 1 free

Checking your access…

AI tutor grounded in the text. Quotes and interpretations are shown separately.

About the book

A work to return to, not to consume.

Boethius had everything: office, prestige, family. Accused of treason, he was imprisoned and sentenced to death, and in that cell he wrote this book. Philosophy appears to him as a woman and, instead of pitying him, asks him questions. Why does he weep over what Fortune gave and took away, if it was never truly his? Where is the happiness that does not depend on wealth, fame or power? How does human freedom fit with an order we do not control? The dialogue moves through five books that alternate prose and short poems, from the prisoner's first outpouring to the deepest questions about good and providence. It was one of the most read books of the Middle Ages, and it remains serious company for anyone going through a loss.

The Sun, your reading tutor

Answers from this edition and says when it interprets beyond a quote.

nothing is wretched, but thinking makes it so, and conversely every lot is happy if borne with equanimity.

Boethius · — Chapter 2

See it in context →

Inside the book

Chapters

01
Book I: The Sorrows of Boethius26 min read
Free →
02
Book II: The Vanity of Fortune's Gifts34 min read
Included
03
Book III: True Happiness and False51 min read
Included
04
Book IV: Good and Ill Fortune42 min read
Included
05
Book V: Free Will and God's Foreknowledge33 min read
Included

The author

Boethius

Boethius (c. 480–524) was a Roman philosopher and statesman. He became consul and served as a senior official under the Ostrogothic king Theodoric in Italy. He translated and commented on Aristotle, aiming to carry Greek learning into Latin. Accused of conspiracy, he was imprisoned and executed near Pavia. The Consolation of Philosophy, written in those months, was copied and translated throughout the Middle Ages.

Questions

Is it a religious book?

It is a philosophical dialogue. It speaks of God and providence in the language of ancient philosophy, without relying on Scripture.

Am I really talking with Boethius?

No. The conversation is an AI recreation* inspired by the text: it is not Boethius and it can be wrong. Use it to think the book through, not as the author's own word.

How much does it cost?

The book costs US$4.99, or it comes included in ChaTutor Plus. You can read the opening of chapter 1 without signing up. A free account unlocks the whole chapter, the tutor and a full book free every week.

Is the book complete?

Yes: the complete text, chapter by chapter, in English and Spanish.

* AI recreation. Not the author; it may contain errors.