Thishereness
6 days ago
- #Renaissance
- #Mysticism
- #Philosophy
- Giovanni Pico della Mirandola, a Renaissance philosopher, planned to ascend to angelic status through mystical practices but was thwarted by the Pope.
- Pico's 'Oration on the Dignity of Man' is often misinterpreted as a humanist text; it actually advocates for mystical self-annihilation.
- Pico's life was marked by scandal, including an alleged kidnapping of a Medici's wife, and ended with his assassination at age 31.
- Pico's work blended Christian, Jewish (Kabbalah), and classical philosophies, aiming to show their underlying unity.
- His 'Nine Hundred Conclusions' were banned by the Pope for heresy, marking the first papal book ban.
- Pico's later life was influenced by Savonarola, and he renounced his earlier excesses, focusing on spirituality.
- Modern scholarship, like Brian Copenhaver's, reveals Pico's medieval scholastic roots, challenging Renaissance humanist narratives.
- Ada Palmer's 'Inventing the Renaissance' critiques traditional views of the Renaissance, arguing it lacked a distinct 'X factor.'
- Pico's legacy reflects the tension between medieval scholasticism and Renaissance humanism, embodying the era's intellectual struggles.