On Consolation: Finding Solace in Dark Times

How does one find meaning in life and have hope for the future if they have no religious belief? This is a central question of Ignatieff’s (The Ordinary Virtues) new book. The book’s immediate context, with the challenges and crises associated with the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, makes this question particularly relevant. Ignatieff focuses on the concept of consolation, or finding solace in the face of such realities as tragedy, anxiety, and failure. He views consolation as the opposite of resignation, in that one struggles against these challenges and finds individual and shared meaning in the face of them; consolation also involves hope, with the opportunity to begin again after disaster or defeat. Ignatieff addresses consolation here by examining historical figures and their writings to demonstrate how they drew upon their religious traditions in difficult situations; among them are Biblical figures (Job; Paul), philosophers (Boethius; David Hume), politicians (Cicero; Marcus Aurelius; Abraham Lincoln), literary figures (Dante; Albert Camus), artists (El Greco), and musicians (Gustav Mahler).