Most learned Poliinnio, sir, I must tell you that even if you knew all the
languages
there are, which our preachers number seventy-two .
Bruno-Cause-Principle-and-Unity
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
.
You, yes, but I do not come to learn, for nunc meum est docere; mea quoque interest eos qui docere volunt iudicare [my office now is to teach; my concern is also to pass judgement on those who wish to teach].
Hence, I come with another purpose than that which must bring you, whose role is that of apprentice, novice and disciple.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Forwhatpurpose?
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Tojudge,Isaid.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Indeed,foroneofyoursortitisbettertojudgethesciences
and doctrines than for others, since you are the only ones to whom the lib- erality of the stars and the munificence of fate have bequeathed the power to draw out the sap from words.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? . And consequently also from thoughts, which are bound to words.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Assoultobody.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Words that, rightly understood, give a thorough grasp of the sense: thus, from a knowledge of languages (in which I, more than any- one else in this city, am expert, and in which I count myself no less learned than any who run minerval schools) is derived the knowledge of all science.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? . So, all who understand Italian will grasp the Nolan's philosophy?
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Yes,butitalsotakessomeexerciseandjudgement.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Awhileago,Ithoughtthatthisexercisewasthemainthing, because someone who knows no Greek can nonetheless comprehend all Aristotle's meaning, and also pick out many of his errors. Similarly we see that the idolatry surrounding the authority of that philosopher (mainly regarding natural things) has been entirely abolished among all who grasp the notions of this other sect; a man who knows no Greek, nor Arabic, nor perhaps Latin, like Paracelsus, can have a better knowledge of
7 Alludes to the obscene saying of Diogenes, 'planto hominem'. ? ?
? Third dialogue
? the properties of drugs and medicine than Galen, Avicenna and all those who communicate with the Roman tongue. Philosophies and laws are lost, not through a penury of word-interpreters, but through a scarcity of profound thinkers.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? . So, you number a man like me among the dull-witted multitude?
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? . God forbid. I know that, with study and knowledge (rare and remarkable things), you and your peers are thoroughly equipped to judge doctrines, after having sifted through the opinions of the people who champion them.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Sinceyouarenowspeakingthepuretruth,itisnotsohard to persuade myself that you have some motive. If it is not too hard for you, pray take the trouble to set it out.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? . I will say this (submitting myself throughout to your wise and prudent judgement): it is a common proverb that those who are not in a game follow it better than the ones playing. Similarly, those watching a play can better judge of the performance than the actors on the stage, and in the same way music can be better heard by someone not part of the orchestra or choir. It is the same with card games, chess, fencing and the like: and so, you other gentlemen pedants, excluded from all scientific and philosophical activity, not having nor ever having had anything to do with Aristotle, Plato and their kind, can better judge and condemn them with your grammatical matchlessness and natural presumption, than the Nolan, who finds himself on the same stage and in such familiarity and intimacy with them, having made out their most profound and innermost notions, that he fights them easily. I say that you, because you are outside every practice of gentlemen or extraordinary wits, can better judge them.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Ihavenoideahowtoanswerthisgrossimpudencepoint- blank. Vox faucibus haesit [The voice sticks in the throat]8.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? . So, your sort possess that presumption lacking in those whose feet are deep into the question; therefore, I assure you it is with good title that you usurp the function of approving this, reproving that, glossing still the other, here drawing up a table of concordances, there an appendix.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? . This complete ignoramus wishes to infer from the fact that I am versed in letters that I am ignorant of philosophy!
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? .
Most learned Poliinnio, sir, I must tell you that even if you knew all the languages there are, which our preachers number seventy-two . . .
8 Virgil, Aeneid, ii, ? ? ? . ? ?
? Cause, principle and unity
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Cumdimidia[andonehalf].
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? . . . . not only would it not follow that you, sir, are capable of judging philosophers, but what is more, it would certainly follow that you cannot help being the biggest, most bumbling beast that exists in human form; besides, there is nothing to prevent anyone who has the least knowledge of any of these tongues, even a bastard one, from being the wisest and most learned man in the whole world. Consider how useful these two have been now: one, a French archpedant,9 who has composed the Studies in the Liberal Arts and the Animadversions Against Aristotle, and another pedant scum, this one Italian, who has besmeared many an opuscule with his Peripatetic Discussions10. Everyone plainly sees that the first one very eloquently demonstrates his lack of intelligence, while the second shows that he has much in him of the beast and the ass, to put it bluntly. The first shows that he has understood Aristotle, at least, but badly. If he had understood him well, he might also have had the wit to wage honourable war with him, as the most judicious Telesio of Cosenza has. 11 Of the second, it is impossible to say whether he understood Aristotle either well or badly, but it can be claimed that he has read and re-read him, taken him apart, stitched him up again, and compared him pro [for] and con [against] with a thousand other Greek authors, going to the great- est lengths not only without any profit whatsoever, but etiam [even] to great loss. Whoever wants to see how far into insanity and presumptuous vanity a pedantic way of thinking can sink us has only to read this one book, before it disappears without a trace. But here come Teofilo and Dicsono.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Adestefelices,domini[youcomeattherighttime,masters]: your arrival prevents my glowing anger from exploding into thundering judgements against the vain remarks issued by this sterile chatterer.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? . And it blocks me from mocking the majesty of this most venerable owl.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Alliswelliftempersdonotflare.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? . WhatIsay,Isayinjest,becauseoftheaffectionIfeelforthe honourable master.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Ego quoque quod irascor, non serio irascor, quia Gervasium non odi [That holds for me too. If I grow angry, my anger is not serious, for I do not hate Gervasio. ]
9 Peter Ramus (? ? ? ? -? ? ), author of Scholae in Liberales and Aristoteliae Animadversiones. 10 Francesco Patrizi (? ? ? ? -? ? ). 11 Bernardino Telesio (? ? ? ? -? ? ).
? ? ?
Third dialogue
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Good. LetmetakeupmydiscussionwithTeofilo.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Thus, Democritus and the Epicureans, who claim that what is not body is nothing, maintain as a consequence that matter alone is the substance of things, and that it is also the divine nature, as an Arab named Avicebron has said in a book entitled Fount of Life. They also hold, together with the Cyrenics, the Cynics and the Stoics, that forms are nothing but certain accidental dispositions of matter. I, myself, was an enthusiastic par- tisan of this view for a long time, solely because it corresponds to nature's workings more than Aristotle's. But after much thought, and after having considered more elements, we find that we must recognize two kinds of substance in nature: namely, form and matter. For there must be an absolutely substantial act in which the active potency of everything is found, as well as a potency or substratum, in which an equal passive potency can be found: in the first, the power to make, in the second, the power to be made.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Anyonewhoreasonswellwillclearlyseethatitisimpossible for the former continually to make everything, without there being some- thing which can become everything. How can the world soul (I mean, all form), which is indivisible, act as shaper, without the substratum of dimen- sions or quantities, which is matter? And how can matter be shaped? Perhaps by itself? It seems we can say that matter is shaped by itself, if we want to consider as matter the universal formed body and call it 'matter', just as we would call a living thing with all its faculties 'matter', distinguishing it, not by the form, but only by the efficient cause.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . No one can keep you from using the term 'matter' as you wish, just as the same term covers different meanings in various schools. But I know that your way of considering it is only apt for a technician or physician strictly within his practice, for example that physician who reduced the universal body to mercury, salt and sulfur, a thesis that reveals the stupidity of his desire to be called philosopher more than some divine talent for medicine. 12 The aim of philosophy is not simply to arrive at the distinction of principles which is realized physically by the separation which results from the power of fire, but also to arrive at that distinction of principles to which no material agent can, since the soul, which is insepa- rable from sulphur, mercury and salt, is a formal principle; that principle is not susceptible to material qualities, but totally dominates matter and is not touched by the experiments of the alchemists, whose divisions are limited
12 The reference is to Paracelsus.
? ? ?
Cause, principle and unity
? to the three aforesaid elements, and who recognize another kind of soul, apart from this world soul, which we must define here.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Excellently said. And very satisfactory reasoning, for I see some people so lacking in judgement that they do not distinguish the causes of nature taken absolutely, according to the entire extension of their being, as philosophers do, and those taken according to a limited sense appropri- ate to their work. The first mode is excessive and vain for physicians as such, and the second is restricted and insufficient for philosophers as such.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . YouhavetouchedonthatverypointwhichearnsParacelsus praise. In discussing medical philosophy, he reproves Galen for having introduced philosophical medicine, and for having created such an annoy- ing mixture and tangled web that, in the last analysis, he comes across as a very shallow physician and a very confused philosopher. But let that be said with some reserve, since I have not had the leisure to examine all parts of his work.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Forwhatpurpose?
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Tojudge,Isaid.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Indeed,foroneofyoursortitisbettertojudgethesciences
and doctrines than for others, since you are the only ones to whom the lib- erality of the stars and the munificence of fate have bequeathed the power to draw out the sap from words.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? . And consequently also from thoughts, which are bound to words.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Assoultobody.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Words that, rightly understood, give a thorough grasp of the sense: thus, from a knowledge of languages (in which I, more than any- one else in this city, am expert, and in which I count myself no less learned than any who run minerval schools) is derived the knowledge of all science.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? . So, all who understand Italian will grasp the Nolan's philosophy?
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Yes,butitalsotakessomeexerciseandjudgement.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Awhileago,Ithoughtthatthisexercisewasthemainthing, because someone who knows no Greek can nonetheless comprehend all Aristotle's meaning, and also pick out many of his errors. Similarly we see that the idolatry surrounding the authority of that philosopher (mainly regarding natural things) has been entirely abolished among all who grasp the notions of this other sect; a man who knows no Greek, nor Arabic, nor perhaps Latin, like Paracelsus, can have a better knowledge of
7 Alludes to the obscene saying of Diogenes, 'planto hominem'. ? ?
? Third dialogue
? the properties of drugs and medicine than Galen, Avicenna and all those who communicate with the Roman tongue. Philosophies and laws are lost, not through a penury of word-interpreters, but through a scarcity of profound thinkers.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? . So, you number a man like me among the dull-witted multitude?
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? . God forbid. I know that, with study and knowledge (rare and remarkable things), you and your peers are thoroughly equipped to judge doctrines, after having sifted through the opinions of the people who champion them.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Sinceyouarenowspeakingthepuretruth,itisnotsohard to persuade myself that you have some motive. If it is not too hard for you, pray take the trouble to set it out.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? . I will say this (submitting myself throughout to your wise and prudent judgement): it is a common proverb that those who are not in a game follow it better than the ones playing. Similarly, those watching a play can better judge of the performance than the actors on the stage, and in the same way music can be better heard by someone not part of the orchestra or choir. It is the same with card games, chess, fencing and the like: and so, you other gentlemen pedants, excluded from all scientific and philosophical activity, not having nor ever having had anything to do with Aristotle, Plato and their kind, can better judge and condemn them with your grammatical matchlessness and natural presumption, than the Nolan, who finds himself on the same stage and in such familiarity and intimacy with them, having made out their most profound and innermost notions, that he fights them easily. I say that you, because you are outside every practice of gentlemen or extraordinary wits, can better judge them.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Ihavenoideahowtoanswerthisgrossimpudencepoint- blank. Vox faucibus haesit [The voice sticks in the throat]8.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? . So, your sort possess that presumption lacking in those whose feet are deep into the question; therefore, I assure you it is with good title that you usurp the function of approving this, reproving that, glossing still the other, here drawing up a table of concordances, there an appendix.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? . This complete ignoramus wishes to infer from the fact that I am versed in letters that I am ignorant of philosophy!
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? .
Most learned Poliinnio, sir, I must tell you that even if you knew all the languages there are, which our preachers number seventy-two . . .
8 Virgil, Aeneid, ii, ? ? ? . ? ?
? Cause, principle and unity
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Cumdimidia[andonehalf].
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? . . . . not only would it not follow that you, sir, are capable of judging philosophers, but what is more, it would certainly follow that you cannot help being the biggest, most bumbling beast that exists in human form; besides, there is nothing to prevent anyone who has the least knowledge of any of these tongues, even a bastard one, from being the wisest and most learned man in the whole world. Consider how useful these two have been now: one, a French archpedant,9 who has composed the Studies in the Liberal Arts and the Animadversions Against Aristotle, and another pedant scum, this one Italian, who has besmeared many an opuscule with his Peripatetic Discussions10. Everyone plainly sees that the first one very eloquently demonstrates his lack of intelligence, while the second shows that he has much in him of the beast and the ass, to put it bluntly. The first shows that he has understood Aristotle, at least, but badly. If he had understood him well, he might also have had the wit to wage honourable war with him, as the most judicious Telesio of Cosenza has. 11 Of the second, it is impossible to say whether he understood Aristotle either well or badly, but it can be claimed that he has read and re-read him, taken him apart, stitched him up again, and compared him pro [for] and con [against] with a thousand other Greek authors, going to the great- est lengths not only without any profit whatsoever, but etiam [even] to great loss. Whoever wants to see how far into insanity and presumptuous vanity a pedantic way of thinking can sink us has only to read this one book, before it disappears without a trace. But here come Teofilo and Dicsono.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Adestefelices,domini[youcomeattherighttime,masters]: your arrival prevents my glowing anger from exploding into thundering judgements against the vain remarks issued by this sterile chatterer.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? . And it blocks me from mocking the majesty of this most venerable owl.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Alliswelliftempersdonotflare.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? . WhatIsay,Isayinjest,becauseoftheaffectionIfeelforthe honourable master.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Ego quoque quod irascor, non serio irascor, quia Gervasium non odi [That holds for me too. If I grow angry, my anger is not serious, for I do not hate Gervasio. ]
9 Peter Ramus (? ? ? ? -? ? ), author of Scholae in Liberales and Aristoteliae Animadversiones. 10 Francesco Patrizi (? ? ? ? -? ? ). 11 Bernardino Telesio (? ? ? ? -? ? ).
? ? ?
Third dialogue
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Good. LetmetakeupmydiscussionwithTeofilo.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Thus, Democritus and the Epicureans, who claim that what is not body is nothing, maintain as a consequence that matter alone is the substance of things, and that it is also the divine nature, as an Arab named Avicebron has said in a book entitled Fount of Life. They also hold, together with the Cyrenics, the Cynics and the Stoics, that forms are nothing but certain accidental dispositions of matter. I, myself, was an enthusiastic par- tisan of this view for a long time, solely because it corresponds to nature's workings more than Aristotle's. But after much thought, and after having considered more elements, we find that we must recognize two kinds of substance in nature: namely, form and matter. For there must be an absolutely substantial act in which the active potency of everything is found, as well as a potency or substratum, in which an equal passive potency can be found: in the first, the power to make, in the second, the power to be made.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Anyonewhoreasonswellwillclearlyseethatitisimpossible for the former continually to make everything, without there being some- thing which can become everything. How can the world soul (I mean, all form), which is indivisible, act as shaper, without the substratum of dimen- sions or quantities, which is matter? And how can matter be shaped? Perhaps by itself? It seems we can say that matter is shaped by itself, if we want to consider as matter the universal formed body and call it 'matter', just as we would call a living thing with all its faculties 'matter', distinguishing it, not by the form, but only by the efficient cause.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . No one can keep you from using the term 'matter' as you wish, just as the same term covers different meanings in various schools. But I know that your way of considering it is only apt for a technician or physician strictly within his practice, for example that physician who reduced the universal body to mercury, salt and sulfur, a thesis that reveals the stupidity of his desire to be called philosopher more than some divine talent for medicine. 12 The aim of philosophy is not simply to arrive at the distinction of principles which is realized physically by the separation which results from the power of fire, but also to arrive at that distinction of principles to which no material agent can, since the soul, which is insepa- rable from sulphur, mercury and salt, is a formal principle; that principle is not susceptible to material qualities, but totally dominates matter and is not touched by the experiments of the alchemists, whose divisions are limited
12 The reference is to Paracelsus.
? ? ?
Cause, principle and unity
? to the three aforesaid elements, and who recognize another kind of soul, apart from this world soul, which we must define here.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . Excellently said. And very satisfactory reasoning, for I see some people so lacking in judgement that they do not distinguish the causes of nature taken absolutely, according to the entire extension of their being, as philosophers do, and those taken according to a limited sense appropri- ate to their work. The first mode is excessive and vain for physicians as such, and the second is restricted and insufficient for philosophers as such.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? . YouhavetouchedonthatverypointwhichearnsParacelsus praise. In discussing medical philosophy, he reproves Galen for having introduced philosophical medicine, and for having created such an annoy- ing mixture and tangled web that, in the last analysis, he comes across as a very shallow physician and a very confused philosopher. But let that be said with some reserve, since I have not had the leisure to examine all parts of his work.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
