Logos AND muthos transformed. A novel interpretation of Boethius' Consolatio based on his philosophical and literary precursors

• Applicant: Privatdozent Dr. Friedemann Drews
• Subject Area: Greek and Latin Philology ; Protestant Theology ; History of Philosophy ; Roman Catholic Theology
• Term: since 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 543937120

The book-project proposed here aims at a novel interpretation of Boethius' Consolatio philosophiae as a whole und focuses on the interface of the aspects of myth and logos. From the outset of the Consolatio, their interrelation is prefigured in the mythical epiphany of lady Philosophy, which has to be understood allegorically and serves as a hermeneutic key to interpreting the Consolatio while, at the same time, shedding light on the relation of myth and logos. In contradistinction to certain opinions held in Boethian scholarship, the philosophical content of the Consolatio should be taken seriously. The work itself is to be seen as a coherent unity. In its didactic-therapeutic scope, it reveals inner consistency to a greater extent than assumed so far, a fact which has to be demonstrated with regard to the close synthesis of philosophical logos and of the likewise rational interpretation of myths. On the one hand, the project focuses on Boethius' transformation and integration of certain ancient myths into the neoplatonic, predominantly monotheistic picture of the world as common in late antiquity and as also, at least implicitly, compatible with Christian theology. On the other hand, the philosophical logos itself - while being portrayed with mythical vividness (cf. the passages on Orpheus and Eurydice, on Circe, and on the figure of fortuna) - has to be expounded. Being on a par, muthos and logos mutually shed light on each other; muthos infuses life into the (allegedly) 'abstract' philosophical logos. The philosophical argumentation - especially the one in book IV and V - deserves a new and thorough examination: Several lines of interpretation that have been proposed so far neglect the philosophical consistency of the Consolatio due to either formalistic assumptions or modern presuppositions. The focus of the proposed monograph will therefore be the transformation of both the philosophical logos into mythical "garments" (cf. the allegorical dress of lady Philosophy in Cons. I, 1, 3-5) and of the philosophical potential of muthos that Boethius elaborates in a new way for his historical time. Methodologically, the book will pay attention to the numerous texts that served as precursors for Boethius and that he refers to by a close reading before transforming and reinterpreting them. Also, the book will incorporate novel (German) translations of crucial passages of the Consolatio.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants