I TATTI STUDIINE S ITALIAN RENAISSANCE HISTORY SponsobryeV di lIl a Tani HarvaUrndi verCseinttyfe orIr t alRieanna issSatnucdei es FlorenIctea.l y IN DEFENSE OF COMMON SENSE LoreVanlzlHoau 'sm anCirsitt ique oSfc hoPlhaisltoisco phy LodNia uta HARVARD UNIVERSITY PRESS CambirdgMea.s sachusetts LondoEnn.g land 2009 J I G Copyrig©h 2t0 09b yt heP residaenndFt e lloowfHs a rvaCrodl lege Alrli ghrtess erved Primeidnt heU niteSdt atoefsA merica LiborfaCroyCngms a /llwging-Dillnt-aP ublicatioll NautaL,o di. Ind efenosfce o mmons en:s LeorenVzaol lhau'msa nicsrti tioqfu e scholapshtiilco soIpL hoyd iN auta. p. cm.-(TIa ttsil UdiienIs t alrieanna isshainscteo ry) Includbeisb liograrpehfiecraelan ncdei sn dex. ISBN9 78-0-674-0()a2l6pk9a.-p 9e r) I.V allLao,r enz'o4,0 7-'4527.H. u manism.3 .S cholasticIi.Ts imd.e . B785·VII44N382009 thmee moojfro Nyho nr( tIh9 34-2oo8) To - ...... �--------------.... Contnets Prefacixe ItnroductiIo n PART ONE TheA rraocnk AristoteliaMne-tSacphhoylsaisctsi c TheA nalyosfTi hsi nSgusb:s taQnuaclei,at nyd, the 1 Treeo fP orphyrIy3 2 Thinagn Wdo rdA: C ritioqfTur aen scendTeernmtsa l4 8 FroamG rammtiacPaoli onfVt i eTwh:e R eduction 3 oft hCea tegori8e2 s VIII CONETNTS PART TWO SouNla,t uMroeri,aty al,n Gdo d Soualn dN aturAe C:r itioqfuA er istotPeslyicahno logy 4 andN aturPahli losophIy2 9 TheV irtuaensdr heR oadt oH eavenPllye asureI5 2 5 6 Speakianbgo utth eI neffabTlheeT: r inityI 9I PART THREE TowaarH du manDiisatl ectic 7 DialecIt:Pi rco posittihoeSn qsu,a orfeC ontraries, Prooafn dA rgument 2II 8 DialecItIFi:oc r mosfA rgumentatio23n9 ConclusViaolnal:na d " OrdinLaarnyg uaPghei losophy2"69 LisotfA bbreviatio29n3s Notes 295 Bibliograp3h7y5 Index 397 Perafce Thes ubjoefct th ibso owki lllie klbye v iewweidt shu spibcyin oonat f we ofm yc oelalguienms e dviaeplh lioso.Ap chcyordtoia nw gi dehleylv di eiwn thecsicetl eRse,n aishsuamnacnewi esrtmese no fl ettteerxsts,uc ahlo lpaerrs­, haposr atobrutsc ,ea ritnnloytp hoislophwehro"s nk ow gao oadr gument (anadb aodn ew)h etnh esye e oTnheew.yo" u lrde gaLrodr eVnazlo'la sas sault ons cholastic-tAhroiusgathsaot nta etltiaoacntnk h vee rfyae turweehs a ve comteo s eaes t hhea llmarokfgs o opdh liosoprhiyg:o raorugsu mteinotna, concepctluaarli ficaantdri aotni,oa nnaall yTso ibses .u rteh,se c holastics sometiwmeerasel ittleen tthouos iinam satkiidcni gs tinacntdci roenast ing newt ermoignyoB.lu tth eaytl eastt-hseohs ies toorfpi ahonisslo pthhyi nk, nowti thosuotmj esu tices-upeuadrn a genndoaut n leit kheoiwrn , tio. e., clarainfyda naltyhzceeo nceapntdts e rwmesu se tihni nkainndsg p eaking aboutth weo rlodu,r sealnvdoe ussr,y stoefmb se l.iT ehfess cholacsotni­cs structtheedo orfit ehwseo rltdh,me i ndkn,o wletdhggeeo ,o ldei ,lfa nguage, anadr gumteinotjnau,s t ast owdeaH ye.dn oca eb ,o odke vottoeod n oef t he sharpcersitto ift chsas tt yolfpe h liosocpahbnye a tb est ofh imsetroerliyc al inetrefsortm:a p hoislophpiociaonlftv ietwh,he u manicsrtist'wi aqssu ue­ perfi,cu inaafil,ar ndm isrdeicted. PREFACE x Manoyf m yc olleiangt uhfieees l odfR enaishsuamnacnewi isltmal k e thoep povsiietFweo. tr h ehmu,m anwiassam n i moprtasntta rptoiinongnt threo ardom odetrynI.in venotfo reasmn pr iicsatluo dfmy ant,h heu ma­n istsi-tiss oo ft eanr guedu-lsiaezrcetdh ougrhhte,ti ozretidhc eooglya,n d hisctiozrteihdse t uodfly a nguTahgeess.ec hoblealriste hvateth h eu masnst i righdtilsiyms stehdse c holastic thetohraeii eTrsru. e as,so mhceua ­stles in manimsitgshh atv geo nael itttolfoae ir nt hepiorl embiucbtsa ,s ictahleliry posiwtaicsoo nr r.Ae bcototkh aptu tosno ef t hfeo undfiantgho eftr hsi s hu­ maniasptopa rcohnt hpeh ilosorpahcki-ctaahpsler esentm igshtstue deym tod ofr omt imteot imet-hiesr elfieolktryoeb e wveidwe itshu spifcrioomn thsiisad wsee lWla.sn otth weh oploe ionfVt al lcar'ist tiofiq nuieos nhc e and fort hasalttly o lfpe h iloys?Io wtpo hultdh erebfeio lrle- atdojv uidsVgeaedl la byt he svtearnyd haehr idmss healrdfe jeacsot need- spiedrevdea,rn sde ,e ven absurd. Nod ouIbh ta veex aggetrhaetpseoeds sriebtaliceo bnustt,h uen derlying assumpftriowomhn istc hhe pyr ocaerevede rmyu cahl iivnte o d'sas ycholar­ shiIpnt. h bioso kh avter iteod b geoy otnhde assems putioannstd,h ubse ­ 1 yontdh dei scipbloiunnadryat hrasitete six liblse tt wtehesent uodfmy e dieval philosaonptdhh ye oloontg hyoe n hea nadn td haotfR enaishsuamnacne­ isomn t hoet hIeftrh. e irosen heu manwihsodt e mansdusca hna pproach, iitVs a llaash, e w ats he mvoeshte mcernitot fti hcAe r istno-tseclhioalastic paradigaml,sa ory,ge utat bhlmeyo ,sp th ilosompihnidcoeanldeIl .hty a so,f cournsoebt,e emny i ntenetiittohonde erb uonrtk ou nrcitipcraalhilisyme . Whath avter iteodd o pilsah cipesr ogiranim th si staolsr eitctbiyln ogo king 1 closaethl ihysa ndloifhn isgso urbcoetsh, thheet aorngaeensttd sh o en es frowmh ihcehd erihviiesns s piarnamdto itoinv aBtuiIth o anva.el tsroi teod analaynzedev alhuiaastr eg umaennpdtr So gfrarmoa mw idheirs topreirc­al specgtoiivneg,a bnfdao crkw ianhr ids tTohriry.se quciarreeasfd ujlu stment off ocaunscd r itoefjr uidag mienon rtd teoar v oainda chrroaendiissnat gnidc thpei tfjaulmsletsn tiosnuecadhst, h aep plicoafct oinocnea pntds criteria thhaete xplirceijtelcyte d. Yewth amty o velri aneltrprethaadtsr iio,vnI et n'h ln,IkS 't ehc on.v.IC tion thaVatl l.ha u.m'asnicsrti toifsq cuheo ltahsotuiegcexh mtp liafufi nedsa men­ tSaI..MplS ue, cr pheh. nII nslpIsaohaubsyleoo-t uahttnseh dti i rtsser annungeolltdm eih ifs tossar ct ohisfpoot hlniiasclt iohssafmnoaoa pnrnha ail-cya­l lytaincc.dao ln tl.nt ermea(nldiI msf a y u steI·h wS o rn-dIo'us. t t ll1wcittihoinn) modeprhnI olpohsY-cIhsa rearecidbtzy p a.m akis ntg a naIY S'lb Sya, b sct.tr iaon PRFEACE Xl andd isseacntdbi yot nh,iet n roducotfai t oenc hnvioccaallba urTyh.io sn,e caanr guew,h agtiis v pehsi losiotipsmh pyto arnacnedv itya,al nidItt hink theirnseo d enyinight a tbshr aotu sgihgtn irfiecsaunBltutp tsh .i loscoapnh y alesaos bielcyo bmeec,a oufts heve e rsya mfeae turage asm,oe fi tosw n-an abstarnatdch te oraeftafiitcrha allte atvheweso rilptdu rporrot sa naanldy ze explfaraib ne hiunsdi,an l ga nagguteh actab ne u ndersotnoloydi tobswy n practitiopnheliross.o ptShhoeemroresre ,hef a,v dee velaoh peeadl (tohuryn ­ hetahlya,c cordoitnhge srtksoe) p ticipshmi laobsootuphthe ioacrnaiadleb s­ strsapcet culSaotmiheoa nv.ee v ebne codmoew nrihgohsttt iOlweat rhdi s cravfiornt gh eorizing.t hThehi rsotuoOgfprh hyoi ulto stohpsihksye ptical, cautinoontacerab yne h earadnI,db eliieitvas ve i tiamlolpryt vaonitTc hee. conflbiecttw teheens ep otswiot( isoknesth cehraeedd,m t iteadlsy ,it dyepaels ) mayw elblei rresvoalbbleec,a iugtso eet sot hhee aorfpt h ilosisoteplBhfuy.t iitps o ssiItb hlietn,ok fe e,ls ympaftorhb yo tohf tahnedm ctoon stihdiesr dilaecttiecnasaliss o onm etfhuriinutglaf ncdr eaAtpipvleti.ote hdte h emofe thbioso Iks ,u ggtehsawtte nneoegtdi vuepo uard mirafortt ihotenh eoreti­ catle,c hnaincda ls,lp iezwceaidyoa fp hilosobpyht ihszeci hnogl taosa tpi­cs precVialaltcaeos n vitchtaittoh snit sy olfpe h iloscoapenha ysb ielcyo me an inward-lgoaomtkehi anmtgy stifies reantlhiegrth httteehh naisnni gstse ts outtoe xplain. The wroiftt ihnibgso o hka bse eann i netllecatduvaeln taunrdIae ,mi n­ debtteosd e vefriraelnf dorse ncouragseumpepncotrr,ita t,lc i ocmmenatnsd, stimulcaotnivnegr seanrt oiuotnesH. a nJkisimhn osw aende ariltnye riens t myw orakn odv etrhy ee ahrasos ff ermeedg ooadd viecveeb,ne twtienrae n,d thbee sotfp osssiubglsgete icoonnsc erapn lianfcgore p ublicHaetc iaorne.­ fullrye atdhb eo oiknt ypesacnrodif epfrtev da lusaubglsgete ioJonhsMn.o n­ fsaanwia so bviomuysfi lrysp to rotfc ailnl2 00wh2e Inb egatnow orokn Vallaan,hd e h abse ehne luplef vesri nHceea .l sroea tdh e botoykp reiisnpc t andga vmee s omvee ruys efsuulg tgieos.Tn hsea nonymroeuasdf oerHr a r­ varUdn ivePrrseitstusyr noeudtt o b eC hrCiesl enwziatw,hh omi,n ciden­ tallyI,h afdou ndesdo myee aerasr al" ifeacrnl uobfa"w ell-kAnmoewrni can politoifcw ihaincw,her emaitnheed otnwlOm ye mberasm.t hanktfou l I himfor h issu gtgieosannscd r itfieecdbaalIc a km.m ost graBtreiCfuaoln­ to penhafvorem ra neyx chaonngm east tceornsc erVnalilanang dR enaissance philoys,ao swp ehlalsf orh iksi nidn vittaoct oilolna boonar na teed oift ion