This is a more difficult subject, at least in following the words of Philosophy, and I will probably read it through before raising it here, but two things that struck me, for my own unraveling of them:
"When the human mind knew the mind of God, did it know the whole and all its parts? Now the mind is shrouded in the clouds of the body, but it has not wholly forgotten itself; and, although it has lost its grasp of particulars, it still holds fast to the general truth. Therefore, whoever seeks the truth knows something: he is neither completely informed nor completely ignorant. He works with what he remembers of the highest truth, using what he saw on high in order to fill in the forgotten parts." (Book V, Poem 3, p. 98)
Well now, while I cannot deny my own beliefs intrude upon my reading, Boethius’ here seems to allude to a former life as well as an after one. Philosophy, in her opening remarks concerning the question of Free Will versus Foreknowledge by God, is making the point that man again is uselessly trying to arrive at an answer by assigning to God human qualities as they are known to man. But in this excerpt above, "When the human mind knew the mind of God,…" and "He works with what he remembers of the highest truth, using what he saw on high in order to fill in the forgotten parts" seem to strongly suggest that spiritual man exists both prior and beyond his own human lifespan. While it can also refer to humanity rather than the single consciousness, the "whoever seeks the truth" does seem to point strongly to the individual. Interesting…
This statement also implies individual knowledge:
"Everything which is known is known not according to its own power but rather according to the capacity of the knower." (Book V, Prose 4, p. 100)
This seems to reaffirm not only the difference between God and man, but from man to man himself.
The Lost Children: A Charity Anthology
Susan, your posts are just amazing. You need to get out of that frame shop, finish the degree, go to grad school, and start college level teaching!
Time and money now, Loretta, preclude my further study except for my own learning. Foolish youth wasted years within this lifetime; maybe in the next. But thank you, I appreciate your support!