Marsilio Ficino: His Theology, His Philosophy, His Legacy

Michael J. B. Allen, Valery Rees, Martin Davies

BRILL, 2002 - Architecture - 493 pages

This volume consists of 21 essays on Marsilio Ficino (1433-99), the great Florentine scholar, philosopher and priest who was the architect of Renaissance Platonism and whose long-lasting influence on philosophy, love and music theory, medicine and magic extended across Europe. Grouped into three sections, they cover such topics as priesthood, the influence of Hermetic monism, Plotinus and Augustine, Jewish transmission of the "prisca theologia," the 15th c. Plato-Aristotle controversy, the soul and its afterlife, the primacy of the will, "theriac" and musical therapy, the notions of matter, seeds, mirrors and clocks, and other fascinating philosophical and theological issues. Also considered are Ficino's critics, his relationship to the Camaldolese Order, his letters to princes, his influence on art, on Copernicus, on Chapman, and the nature of the Platonic Academy. Contributors include: Tamara Albertini, Michael J. B. Allen, Francis Ames-Lewis, Donald Beecher, Christopher S. Celenza, Stephen Clucas, Arthur Field, Hiroshi Hirai, Moshe Idel, Dilwyn Knox, Sergius Kodera, Jill Kraye, Dennis F. Lackner, Jorg Lauster, Anthony Levi, John Monfasani, Valery Rees, Clement Salaman, Peter Serracino-Inglott, M. Stephane Toussaint, and Angela Voss.

Contents

• Ficino the Priest: 1
• Ambrogio Traversari Marsilio Ficino and the Christian Platonic Tradition: 15
• Theological Aspects of his Platonism: 45
• The PostPlotinian Ficino: 71
• Ficino Augustine and the Pagans: 99
• Echoes of Egypt in Hermes and Ficino: 115
• Prisca Theologia in Marsilio Ficino and in Some Jewish Treatments: 137
• Life as a Dead Platonist: 159
• Marsilio Ficino and the PlatoAristotle Controversy: 179
• Two Correlatives of a Renaissance Concept of the Mind: 203
• The Musical Magic of Marsilio Ficino: 227
• Ficino Theriaca and the Stars: 243
• Concepts of Seeds and Nature in the Work of Marsilio Ficino: 257
• the Concept of Matter in Ficino: 285
• Ficino Archimedes and the Celestial Arts: 307
• Neoplatonism and the Visual Arts at the Time of Marsilio Ficino: 327
• Ficinos Advice to Princess: 339
• The Platonic Academy of Florence: 359
• A Renaissance Neoplatonist and His Critics: 399
• Ficino and the Poetry of George Chapman: 419
• Bibliography: 443
• List of Contributors: 467
• Index: 469

About the author

Michael J. B. Allen is Distinguished Professor of English, University of California, Los Angeles.

Martin Davies is Associate Editor of The I Tatti Renaissance Library.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Marsilio Ficino: His Theology, His Philosophy, His Legacy; Brill's Studies in Intellectual History, ISSN 0920-8607
• Editors: Michael J. B. Allen, Valery Rees, Martin Davies
• Contributor: Martin Davies
• Edition: illustrated
• Publisher: BRILL, 2002
• ISBN: 9004118551, 9789004118553
• Length: 493 pages
• Subjects: Architecture / Interior Design / General; History / General; Philosophy / History & Surveys / Ancient & Classical; Philosophy / History & Surveys / Renaissance; Religion / History