Boethius, the Latin Father: Academic Treasures of Zhejiang University

Author: Hu Longbiao
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-09-22
Features: Boethius (480—524) was a rare encyclopedic thinker at the beginning of what is known as the "Dark Ages" in European medieval times, making outstanding contributions in logic, philosophy, theology, mathematics, literature, and music. He is known as the "Last Roman Philosopher," the "Father of Scholasticism," and the "Greatest Latin Father After Augustine." This book is the first series of works in China that examines Boethius's thought, focusing on his logical and metaphysical ideas. Who was Boethius? He was an encyclopedic thinker in the 5th century, making significant contributions in logic, philosophy, theology, mathematics, literature, and music. Western academia calls him the "Last Roman Philosopher," the "Father of Scholasticism," and the "Greatest Latin Father After Augustine." Choosing such a Western ancient thinker for systematic research requires the ability to study in both the fields of logic and metaphysics, to balance the two major parts of Boethius's thought system that occupy a dominant position, to overcome the great difficulties encountered in collecting materials and interpreting texts, and to break through the traditional evaluation models in Chinese academia to provide a fair assessment of Boethius. Dr. Hu Longbiao has basically achieved the expected goals set in the design of his thesis through arduous efforts. The publication of this thesis will play a positive role in helping Chinese scholars understand the development of ancient and medieval philosophical thought and conducting in-depth research on the philosophy of the Church Fathers.