Marsilio+Ficino

BIOGRAPHY **
 * 

Marsilio Ficino (1433-1499) was a Renaissance humanist scholar that worked with Greek and Latin text. Born in Florence, his father was a court physician for Cosimo de' Medici, a political leader over Florence. Ficino was expected to follow his father's path; however, his physician's training introduced him to Greek philosophy. He became intrigued with Plato and ventured forth to unlock the mysteries of Platonism and its connections with Christianity. In his quest to study philosophy, Ficino stumbled across astrology and became heavily influenced by Hermetic ideas of magic emanating from the heavenly bodies. Ficino learned Greek around 1450, allowing him to translate Plato's works from a new Platonic codex for Cosimo de' Medici. Medici's interest in Platonic study led him to establish the Platonic Academy in 1462. Located at the Careggi villa the Medici gave Ficino in payment for his translations, Ficino headed the Academy, which served as a place for debate and discussion. In 1473, Ficino took ordnances for priesthood in the Catholic Church, continuing his lifelong devotion to the faith. His beliefs fueled efforts to connect his studies of the ancient and Platonic wisdom with the Christian religion. He died in 1499 while writing a commentary on Paul's Epistle to the Romans that made use of Latin Vulgate corrections according to the original Greek.


 * MAJOR WORKS**

Ficino translated all the dialogues of Plato. He also wrote various influential commentaries; In his doctrine of human love, Ficino expanded upon Plato's interpretation of love, found in the Symposium and Phaedrus, adding the theories of Aristotle, Cicero, Cavalcanti, Dante, and other poets, as well as St. Paul's C//haritas.// In his view, love for another person is preparation for God's love, making every relationship a sort of communion. It is from his work we get the terms Platonic and Socratic love. Theologia Platonica was his chief philosophic piece, which dealt largely with immortality, as he considered it to be the central tenet of Platonism. Ficino believed that the masses would be saved and saved forever, and that belief was in accordance with God's design. Ficino's work fused Platonism and Christianity, as is exemplified in Theologia Platonica: "Oh, heavenly souls, desirous of the heavenly fatherland, let us disengage the bonds of earthly shackles, so that, borne up by Platonic wings and with God as our guide, we may freely fly to the heavenly seat, where at last we shall contemplate in peace the happiness of our race" (Ardis, 7) Ficino's Letters contain short treatises that were compiled over a more than twenty year period. The major themes of the letters are society and what he deems ethical leadership to be, according to his own philosophy. In one letter, he encourages order to warring states: "for we are all one in Him who alone in truth is one. We all stand fast in Him...We all love one another in Him who alone is worthy of love for His own sake; through Him alone each one is lovable; for His sake only each is worthy of love" (Allen, 334).


 * SIGNIFICANCE**

Although sometimes dismissed as repeating Neo-Platonism when translating Plato’s writings from Greek to Latin, he shows a great deal of original thought in his commentaries(Borchert 620). Human spirit had typically been divided into natural vital and animal states of being; he suggested there is “harmonic universal creature full of grace and truth” (Michael 356). Ficino's legacy comes largely from his doctrine establishing the concept of Platonic love and the immortality of the soul. He successfully integrated both with Christianity, writing that pure expression of love awakens a person’s nature to be in union with God and used logic to explain why not merely a select few would be saved. Ficino synthesized Platonism and Christianity, believing that the two were equally authoritative and furthermore, by aligning the two, those who could not reach truth solely by faith, could be aided by Platonic reason. In his view, Yahweh gave to the pagans their own "prophets" who would help lead them to Him, one of which was Plato. These "prophets" could never lead people to salvation, but they served as bridges that would lead people to Christ. Ficino made Plato's works relevant to Renaissance society by synthesizing the two traditions of Christianity and Platonism, together embracing the spirit of humanism. Ficino’s influence came from his translations, commentaries and ideas which shaped humanism’s philosophies. Ficino laid the foundation to the philosophy of renaissance humanism with his translations of Plato from Greek to Latin (Craig 653). 


 * BIBLIOGRAPHY**

Allan, Michael. "Ficino, Marsilio." //Encyclopedia of the Renaissance//. 2 vol. New York, NY: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1999. Print.

Allen, Michael, J.B. Marsilio Ficino: his theology, his philosophy, his legacy. Netherlands: Koninklyke Brill, NV, 2002. 334. Print.

Cassirer, Ernst, Paul Kristeller, and John Randall. //The Renaissance Philosphy of Man//. Chicago, IL: Phoenix Books, 1956. 185-212. Print.

Collins Ardis, B. The Secular is Sacred: Platonism and Thomism in Marsilio Ficino's Platonic Theology, Netherlands: The Hague, 1974. 7. Print.

Kristeller, Paul. //Eight Philosophers of the Italian Renaissance//. Standford, CA: Standford University Press, 1966. 37-53. Print.

Borchert, Donald. "Ficino, Marsilio." //Encyclopedia of Philosophy 2nd Edition.// Farmington Hills: Thomson Gale, 2006.

Craig, Edward. "Ficino, Marsilio." //Routldge Encyclopedia of Philosophy.// New York: Routledge, 1998.

Jensen, De Lamar. //Renaissance Europe: Age of Recovery and Reconciliation.// Lexington: D.C. Heath and Company, 1992.