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Single Idea 5762

[filed under theme 20. Action / C. Motives for Action / 3. Acting on Reason / b. Intellectualism ]

Full Idea

If the wicked obtained what they want - that is goodness - they could not be wicked.

Gist of Idea

The wicked want goodness, so they would not be wicked if they obtained it

Source

Boethius (The Consolations of Philosophy [c.520], IV.II)

Book Ref

Boethius: 'The Consolations of Philosophy', ed/tr. Watts,V.E. [Penguin 1969], p.119

A Reaction

This is a nice paradox which arises from Boethius being, like Socrates, an intellectualist. The question is whether the wicked want the good de re or de dicto. If they wanted to good de re (as its true self) they would obviously not be wicked.

The 21 ideas from 'The Consolations of Philosophy'

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]