Basic Problems of Renaissance Neo-Platonism & Croatian Renaissance Philosophers
191-1911112-1108
Project Director dr. sc. Erna Banić-Pajnić
Summary:
Recent research of Renaissance philosophy (Blumenberg, Yates, Vasoli, Rossi, Walker, Zambelli, Garin, Blum, Gerl etc.), has identified with precision the key problems reflected upon by Renaissance Neo-Platonism regardless of the fact that syncretistic thought is at issue. Although Renaissance Neoplatonism primarily focuses on the interpretation of Plato’s philosophy, it attempts to answer – by reaching for the Neoplatonic and other related philosophical-theological traditions – specific questions imposed by the spiritual-historical context. One of the fundamental problems of Renaissance Neo-Platonism is the question of the interpretation of the relation God – World – Man. Although the latter is handled within the framework of the onto-theological discourse, Renaissance Neo-Platonism arrives at tenets which one can legitimately associate with the formation of modern science. Both leading European Renaissance philosophers (N. Cusanus, M. Ficino, Pico, J. Reuchlin, F. Giorgi etc.) and a number of Croatian Renaissance philosophers (such as F. Patricius, P. Skalichius, J. Benignus, G. C. Delminio) were involved in solving the aforementioned problems. The project intends to conduct a comparative analysis of the works of the above philosophers with the aim to detect both the similarities and differences between the solutions offered, as well as to examine their mutual influences through the analysis of: the cosmological tenets and the complex of questions related to pia philosophia; the significance and role of mathematics; the reception of the Hermetic and Cabalistic traditions, and particularly the reception of the ‘Christian Cabbala’ ; the conception of nature with astrological-magical elements and cosmology ; the philosophy of light; the conception of art in the Renaissance Neo-Platonism. The importance of this research lies in the fact that it aims to investigate – for the first time – the relations between individual Renaissance philosophers, which have thus far been only presupposed and not established based on in-depth text analyses. This research will provide insight into the significances of Renaissance Neoplatonism and in particular the meaning(s) of the solutions offered for the formation of modern science. A comparative analysis of the solutions offered by the above-mentioned philosophers will facilitate an objective evaluation of the contributions to European philosophy made by Croatian Renaissance philosophers.
Project assistants:
Erna Banić-Pajnić
Mihaela Girardi-Karšulin
Anto Mišić
Ivana Skuhala Karasman
Marko Tokić