and Rodolph Agricola the German, endeavoured, by removing the rubbish with which the field of Dialectics was encumbered, to render them more available for useful purposes: then succeeded H. Cornelius Agrippa of Nettesheim (see § 289), Ulrich von Hutten, Erasmus, and his friend J. L. Vives, Philip Melanchthon (§ 294), Jacobus Faber, Marius Nizolius, Jac. Sadoletus," and Jac. Acontius. The methods pursued by these learned men in their attacks on the system of the Schools were very dissimilar, according to the different lights in which they viewed that system, and the different objects which engrossed their attention. Renewal of the Ancient Systems. 285. In consequence of these pursuits the systems of the Grecian and Arabian philosophers were brought into discussion, and the opposition to the Scholastic system reinforced. The doctrines of Aristotle and Plato were the first which thus regained their place; (the sort of knowledge then cultivated favouring their reception); and, subsequently, other theories allied to theirs. In this manner the Cabbala, the 1 Rudolph Husmann or Hausmann; born at Bafflen, near Gröningen, 1443, died 1485. RUDOLPHI AGRICOLE De Inventione Dialectica lib. III, Colon. 1527, 4to. Ejusd. Lucubrationes, Basil. 1518, 4to.; et Opera, cura ALARDI, Colon. 1539, 2 vols. fol. : 2 Born 1488, died 1593. Opera (ed. MUNCH) tom. I—V, 1821-5, 8vo. Berol. 3 Desiderius Erasmus, born at Rotterdam 1467, died 1536. DES. ERASMI Dialogi et Encomium Moriæ. Opera, ed. Clericus, Lond. 1703, 11 vols. fol. 4 Born at Valencia 1492, died 1540. LUDOVICI VIVES, De Causis Corruptarum Artium, Antverp. 1531; and De Initiis, Sectis et Laudibus Philosophiæ. Idem: De Anima et Vita lib. III, Bas. 1538. Opera, Basil. 1555, 2 vols. fol.; or, ed. MAJAN IUS, 8 vols. fol. Valent. 1782-90. 5 J. Lefevre, of Etaples in Picardy; died 1537. 6 Of Bersello; died 1540. JAC. NISOLII Antibarbarus, seu de Veris Principiis et Vera Ratione 'hilosophandi contra Pseudo-Philosophos libb. IV, Parma. 1553, 4to. Ed. G. W. LEIBNITZ, Francf. 1674, 4to. 7 Of Modena; died 1547. JAC. SADOLETI Phædrus, seu de Laudibus Philosophiæ libb. II. In pp. Mogunt. 1607, 8vo. Patav. 1737, 8vo. 8 Born at Trent; died 1566. Methodus sive Recta investigandarum tradendarumque Artium ac Scientiarum Ratio. Bas. 1558, in 8vo. so-called Mosaic philosophy, Theosophy and Magic, were annexed to the theories of the Platonists; and the Ionian and Atomistic doctrines with the Aristotelian. The Stoic and Sceptic systems at first had few defenders; nevertheless, as it is impossible that any of the ancient theories should give entire satisfaction in an age so different from that in which they first appeared, and as their effects were of course gradually brought to light, it followed that attempts were occasionally made to combine different views, while at other times they were separately attacked with Sceptical objections. In their choice of a sect, and their efforts to establish or destroy a theory, men were influenced by two sets of considerations, according as they proposed to themselves to establish a Theological system, or to promote discoveries in Natural Science. I. Revival of Platonism: Cabbalism, Magic, and Theosophy. Besides the works mentioned § 283, see the Sketch of the History of Philosophy by BUHLE. LUDW. DANKEGOTT CRAMER, Diss. de Causis Instauratæ Sæc. XV, in Italiâ, Philosophiæ Platonicæ, Viteb. 1812, 4to. SIEVEKING, Die Geschichte der platonischen Akademie zu Florenz, 1812. 286. The Platonic philosophy, which was eagerly received in Italy by men of fanciful minds, was fostered at Florence by the two Medici, Cosmo and Lorenzo,' and excited there a vivid enthusiasm; though wearing rather the character of the Neoplatonic school than of the Academy. Among the recommendations it possessed in their eyes was one which in fact was purely gratuitous, viz., that it was derived, as some of the Fathers believed, from the Jewish philosophy and religion; and hence its reputation of being aled to Christianity. A similar prejudice caused them to connect with Platonism the Cabbalistical and Mosaical doctrines. In addition to this, Platonism continually acquired fresh adhe 2 1 ROSCOE, Life of Lorenzo de' Medici. Bohn, Lond. 1846. ROSCOE, Life and Pontificate of Leo X, 2 vols. Bohn, Lond. 1816. 2 JOH. PICI Heptaplus, p. I, Franc. PICI Epist. lib. IV, p. 882. rents in consequence of the meagre logical system of the Schools, and its inaptitude to satisfy all the wants of human nature. Hence it allied itself to Mysticism; adopted the interests of the ideas of Reason; supported by argument the Immortality of the Soul; and served to balance the Naturalism of the mere Aristotelians; but also unfortunately in some respects favoured superstition, especially by the doctrine of the Intervention of the Spiritual World in the government of nature.1* An honourable exception must be made in the case of Astrology, which it uniformly rejected. § 287. SCHARPFF, Der Cardinal und Bischoff Nikolaus von Cusa, 1843. Among the first of those who bade adieu to the Scholastic creed was the Cardinal Nicolas Cusanus, a man of rare sagacity and an able mathematician; who arranged and republished the Pythagorean Ideas, to which he was much inclined, in a very original manner, by the aid of his Mathematical knowledge. He considered God as the unconditional Maximum, which at the same time, as Absolute Unity, is also the unconditional Minimum, and begets of Himself and out of Himself, Equality and the combination of Equality with Unity (Son and Holy Ghost). According to him, it is impossible to know directly and immediately this Absolute Unity (the Divinity); because we can make approaches to the knowledge of Him only by the means of Number or Plurality. Consequently he allows us only the possession of very imperfect notions of God, and those by mathematical symbols. It must be admitted that the Cardinal did not pursue this thought very consequently, and that his view of the universe which he connected with it, and which represented it as the Maximum condensed, and 1 FICINI Præfatio in Plotinum; POMPONATIUS, De Incantionibus, c. I. *With our present imperfect knowledge of the mysterious agencies operating in Nature we are hardly justified in stigmatizing as superstition what may after all turn out to be true. -- ED. 2 Nicolaus Chrypffs of Kuss or Kusel (hence called Cusanus) in the archbishopric of Treves; born 1401, died 1464. S thus become finite, was very obscure. Nor was he more successful in his view of the one-ness of the Creator and of Creation, or in his attempt to explain the mysteries of the Trinity and Incarnation, by means of this Pantheistic Theism. Nevertheless, numerous profound though undeveloped observations on the faculty of cognition, are found in his writings, interspersed with his prevailing Mysticism. For instance, he observes, that the principles of knowledge possible to us are contained in our ideas of Number (ratio explicata) and their several relations; that absolute knowledge is unattainable to us (precisio veritatis inattingibilis, which he styled docta ignorantia), and that all which is attainable to us is a probable knowledge (conjectura). With such opinions he expressed a sovereign contempt for the Dogmatism of the Schools.1 § 288. FICINI Opera in II tomos digesta, Bas. 1561, Par. 1641, fol. Commentarius de Platonicæ Philosophiæ post renatas Literas apud Italos restauratione, sivo Mars. Ficini Vita, auctore JоH. CORSIO ejus familiari et discipulo. Nunc primum in lucem eruit ANGELUS MARIA BANDINI, Pis. 1772. J. G. SCHELHORN, Comment. de Vita, Moribus, et scriptis Marsilii Ficini. In the Amænitatt. Literar. tom. I. Life of J. Picus, Count of Mirandola, in MEINER'S Lives of Learned Men, 2 vols. and Pici Opp. Bonon. 1496, fol. Opera utriusque Pici, Bas. 1572-3 et 1601, 2 vols. fol. 2 The examples of Pletho and Bessarion (§ 283) were improved upon by Marsilius Ficinus, a Florentine physician, who engaged with zeal and ability in the defence of the Platonic philosophy; both by his translations of Plato, Plotinus, Iamblichus, Proclus, etc.; and also his original productions, devoted to the commendation of that system. Cosmo de' Medici, (who died 1464), availed himself of his services in the foundation of a Platonist Academy, about 1460. But Ficinus was a Neoplatonist, who added to the 1 NICOLAI CUSANI Opera, Paris. 1514. 3 vols. fol.; Basil. 1665, 3 vols. fol. De Doctâ Ignorantiâ, tom. III. Apologia Doctæ Ignorantiæ, lib. I. De Conjecturis libb. II. De Sapientiâ libb. III. 2 Born at Florence 1433, died 1499. 3+R. SIEVEKING, History of the Platonist Academy at Florence, Götting. 1812, 8vo. system of the Academy some Aristotelian doctrines, and regarded the Hermes Trismegistus of the Alexandrians as the inventor of the theory of Ideas. In his Theologia Platonica he displayed ability in the statement of certain arguments to establish the Immortality of the Soul,' and opposed the doctrine imagined by Averroes, and maintained by the Aristotelians, of an Universal Intelligence. The object he proposed to himself was to apply his views of the Platonic system to the defence and explanation of Christianity. His enthusiasm won over John Picus, count of Mirandola,2 a learned man, of superior parts but extravagant imagination. He had studied the Scholastic philosophy, and imbibed the notion that the philosophy of Plato was derived from the books of Moses, whence he was inclined to deduce all the arts and sciences.3 In consequence of such a persuasion, he devoted himself to the study of the Oriental languages, and Cabbalistical books; from which he drew a large proportion of the theses which he proposed to maintain in a public disputation as announced by him at Rome, but which never really took place. From the same sources he drew the materials of his Essay towards a Mosaical philosophy, in his Heptaplus. He held in great esteem the Cabbalistical writings, to which he was tempted to ascribe a divine origin, and considered necessary to the explanation of the Christian religion; at the same time that he asserted their entire accordance with the philosophical systems of Pythagoras and Plato. His favourite design, which however he did not live to realise, was to prove the consistency of the Aristotelian and Platonic systems. In his maturer age when he had emancipated himself from many of the common prejudices of his time, he composed an able refutation of the superstitions of the astrologers. The reputation of the Count of Mirandola, his works, and his numerous friends, contributed to establish 'Theologia Platonica, sive de Immortalitate Animorum ac Eternâ Felicitate libb. XVII. Idem: in Opp. tom. I, Paris. 1641, fol. 2 Count and Prince of Concordia, born 1463, died 1494. 3 Heptaplus, part. I, Basil. 1601. 4 Conclusiones DCCCC. Rom. 1486, fol; Col. 1619, 8vo. 5 Apol. p. 82, 110, 116. JOH. PICI Epist. ad FICINUM, tom. I, p. 753. |