|
|
 |
| Encyclopedia » |
|
|
|
|
Pico dela Mirandola, Giovani
|
|
GIOVANI PICO DELLA MIRANDOLA
(1463-1494)
Pico was the first Christian philosopher who tried to combine Magic with Kabbalah and Theology. In his view neither Cabbala neither Magic is in opposition with Christianity. He was unique in intention to combine all philosophies and religions, from Chaldean's oracles and Zarathustra to Hermetical texts, Kabbalah and Christianity.
Biography
Renaissance philosopher, Pico della Mirandola was born on 24th February, 1463 in aristocratic family Mirandola living near Mantua in northern Italy.
He probably met the architect Leon Battista Alberti in Mantua in 1472. First he studied canonic law at the university in Bologna, later he moved to Ferrara, where he met Dominican preacher Savonarola. Contacts with Medici and Marsilo Ficino were established in the same period. He continued his studies at the university in Padua and became friend with Jewish thinker Elia del Mediga.
His first work is Oratio de hominis dignitate, an introductory speech for a great meeting of philosophers and theologians, which he intended to prepare in Rome at the end of 1486, and the same year he also published 900 theses under the title Conclusiones secundum opinionem propriam. First, the Church refused six theses and after Pico’s advocacy thirteen. By the end of May Pico issued Apology on refused theses, which Pope Innocence VII condemned all. After that Pico withdrew to Paris, where he was imprisoned on January, 1488. Lorenzo di Medici helped him out with a support of his acquaintances at Sorbonne and offered him a stay in his villa in Fiesole near Florence. He wrote Heptaplus, de septiformi sex dierum Geneseos ennaratione with kabbalistic interpretation of Genesis from Bible in 1489 under Lorenzo's patronage.
Pope Alexander IV released him from the condemnation on June 18, 1493. He spent a lot of time with Savonarola.
He died in unexplained circumstances on 17th November in 1494, only 31 years old.
Bibliography:
- Conclusiones philosophicae, cabbalisticae et theologicae, 1484.
- Oratio de hominis dignitate, 1486.
- Conclusiones secundum opinionem propriam, 1486.
- Apologia tredecim quaestionum, 1489, (dedicated to Lorenzo di Medici).
- Heptaplus, de septiformi sex dierum Geneseos ennaratione, (dedicated to Lorenzo di Medici), 1489.
- De ente et uno, 1492, (dedicated to Poliziano).
- Disputationes adversus astrologiam divinatricem, 1496.
- De concordia Platonis et Aristotelis, (unfinished).
|
|
|
|
|
|
