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Single Idea 5754
[filed under theme 25. Social Practice / A. Freedoms / 2. Freedom of belief
]
Full Idea
The only way one man can exercise power over another is over his body and what is inferior to it, his possessions. You cannot impose anything on a free mind.
Gist of Idea
You can't control someone's free mind, only their body and possessions
Source
Boethius (The Consolations of Philosophy [c.520], II.VI)
Book Ref
Boethius: 'The Consolations of Philosophy', ed/tr. Watts,V.E. [Penguin 1969], p.70
A Reaction
Written, of course, in prison. Boethius had not met hypnotism, or mind-controlling drugs, or invasive brain surgery. He hadn't read '1984'. He hadn't seen 'The Ipcress File'. (In fact, he should have got out more…)
The
24 ideas
from Boethius
15035
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If universals are not separate, we can isolate them by abstraction
[Boethius, by Panaccio]
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23308
|
Reasoning relates to understanding as time does to eternity
[Boethius, by Sorabji]
|
5752
|
Where does evil come from if there is a god; where does good come from if there isn't?
[Boethius]
|
5753
|
The regular events of this life could never be due to chance
[Boethius]
|
5754
|
You can't control someone's free mind, only their body and possessions
[Boethius]
|
5756
|
Happiness is a good which once obtained leaves nothing more to be desired
[Boethius]
|
5757
|
God is the supreme good, so no source of goodness could take precedence over God
[Boethius]
|
5758
|
God is the good
[Boethius]
|
5759
|
Varied aims cannot be good because they differ, but only become good when they unify
[Boethius]
|
5760
|
The power through which creation remains in existence and motion I call 'God'
[Boethius]
|
5761
|
God can do anything, but he cannot do evil, so evil must be nothing
[Boethius]
|
5763
|
The bad seek the good through desire, but the good through virtue, which is more natural
[Boethius]
|
5762
|
The wicked want goodness, so they would not be wicked if they obtained it
[Boethius]
|
5764
|
When people fall into wickedness they lose their human nature
[Boethius]
|
5765
|
The reward of the good is to become gods
[Boethius]
|
5766
|
If you could see the plan of Providence, you would not think there was evil anywhere
[Boethius]
|
16692
|
Divine eternity is the all-at-once and complete possession of unending life
[Boethius]
|
5767
|
Rational natures require free will, in order to have power of judgement
[Boethius]
|
5768
|
God's universal foreknowledge seems opposed to free will
[Boethius]
|
5769
|
Does foreknowledge cause necessity, or necessity cause foreknowledge?
[Boethius]
|
5770
|
Rewards and punishments are not deserved if they don't arise from free movement of the mind
[Boethius]
|
5771
|
Knowledge of present events doesn't make them necessary, so future events are no different
[Boethius]
|
14665
|
We can call the quality of Plato 'Platonity', and say it is a quality which only he possesses
[Boethius]
|
16661
|
There are two sorts of category - referring to things, and to circumstances of things
[Boethius]
|