Recognizing the Masks of Testimony

Derrida may be understood to use the image of a mask to think about the relation between testimony and reality. A testimony is like a mask that “covers” an objective reality in that a witness’s testimony is an affirmation of their claiming to have been present in some space at some time (76). Consequently, a testimony cannot be guaranteed because once it is, its sense of reflecting a witness’s presence…

Why consider Providence?

Lady Philosophy may be understood to have addressed Boethius’s immediate concerns about the loss of his fortunate position in life in Books I and II through her explanation of the nature of Fortune. This explanation appears to partially succeed in consoling Boethius, as he tells her once she is finished, “You do revive me, so that I am no longer absolutely devastated by the blows of fortune but seem at…