Platonic Theology, Vol. 1: Books I–IV

by Marsilio Ficino, Michael J.B. Allen (Translator), James Hankins (Editor)

The Platonic Theology is a visionary work and the philosophical masterpiece of Marsilio Ficino (1433–1499), the Florentine scholar-philosopher-magus who was largely responsible for the Renaissance revival of Plato.

A student of the Neoplatonic schools of Plotinus and Proclus, he was committed to reconciling Platonism with Christianity, in the hope that such a reconciliation would initiate a spiritual revival and return of the golden age. His Platonic evangelizing was eminently successful and widely influential, and his Platonic Theology, translated into English for the first time in this edition, is one of the keys to understanding the art, thought, culture, and spirituality of the Renaissance.

Genres: Philosophy, Theology, Renaissance, Religion, Christianity

368 pages, Hardcover

First published April 26, 2001

About the author

Marsilio Ficino (Italian: [marˈsiːljo fiˈtʃiːno]; Latin name: Marsilius Ficinus; 19 October 1433 – 1 October 1499) was an Italian scholar and Catholic priest who was one of the most influential humanist philosophers of the early Italian Renaissance. He was also an astrologer, a reviver of Neoplatonism in touch with every major academic thinker and writer of his day and the first translator of Plato's complete extant works into Latin. His Florentine Academy, an attempt to revive Plato's Academy, had enormous influence on the direction and tenor of the Italian Renaissance and the development of European philosophy.

Reviews

[Maya Joelle]

Read sections for a class on Christian Platonism. A good time. I like Ficino. I don't know if I'm brave enough to ever try and read all of the Platonic Theology. But I certainly think everyone who thinks Platonism is bad should read a little of this. Ficino is a pretty orthodox Christian and is telling us to not dismiss the Platonists, but see how what they're doing is good, though not the full knowledge of the truth. And he's hoping to show non-Christians how Platonism leads to Christianity. How very C.S. Lewis of him.

(That was a joke. I do wonder if Lewis read Ficino though.)

(Just looked and he quotes him once in Discarded Image and mentions him in Studies in Medieval and Renaissance Literature. And says has has two Venuses. What. Why is C.S. Lewis the coolest person ever. I am going to read more Ficino because I want to be even a fraction as cool.)

[Alex Kartelias · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the greatest philosophers the west has ever produced. Despite the Renaissance leading towards cultural and scientific materialism, he was one of the few exceptional philosophers who saw the necessity of not only refusing the transgression and rebillion against Aristotle like Bacon and Locke, but arguing the necessity of both Plato and Aristotle. Others philosophers/metaphysicians such as St. Maximus The Confessor and Ibn Sina have also accomplished this task, but if the west desires to wake up from 'enlightenment'-certainly not The Buddha's Enlightenment- Ficino magnum opus is a window into such an awakening. An essential philosopher in the true sense of the word.

[Shae Himmel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve only skimmed some sections I found interesting, as I’ve read much of the Platonic corpus, Plotinus’ Enneads, and some secondary literature on Proclus and Iamblicus. That said, if you’ve read any of the former, you’ve already seen the gist of Ficino’s work here. That said, his presentation is poetic and artfully meticulous, moving from arguments concerning prime mattter unto the prime agent of change, God, in a five-fold structure.

As for providing a unique Neoplatonic philosophy, however, Ficino falls a bit short. His incorporation of Thomistic binaries makes his thinking clear, but this, again, provides for nothing immensely unique or earth shattering.

[LittleFlowerEnjoyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5. Theres some excellent melding of Catholic Scholastic theology and Platonic thought, as it comes close to what was achieved by Aquinas in melding Aristotelianism with Catholicism. Yet, there's some problems with the latter two books wherein they get into the idea of the World Soul. Which was condemned as heretical by the Church and affirmed in the case of Giordano Bruno. But, that said, Ficino makes a point of conceding to the will of the Church, were he wrong on that point (he was).

Overall a great book. Worth reading if you have a love for Platonism and Catholic theology.

[Dionysius the Areopagite · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marvelous.

[Blunt Of Mercia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very readable latin, but the type of book one only reads in sections.


Here is a 2 vol abridgement in latin and Italian:

Vol 1:

https://archive.org/details/ficino-ma...


Vol 2:

https://archive.org/details/ficino-ma...


And the manuscript Ficino had made for Lorenzo de Medici:

https://iiif.biblissima.fr/collection...



Most of the more interesting parts (for me) are in book II where Ficino paints us his picture of what God is, by identifying various abstract concepts with Him, almost in the manner of the Islamic names of Allah.

E.G.

In chapter I unity, truth and goodness are identified, being merely different faces (i.e. personae — though he does not use the term) of the summa ens. The influence of this idea can be seen in Spenser's Una (Truth).

"Unitas, veritas, bonitas, idem sunt, et super ea nihil sunt."

As a corollary of this, though it is not expressed so blatantly in the text : Truth is beyond reason : thus we cannot reach it by rational argument alone, else reason would have to be superior to truth— which is impossible, since truth is the subject of reason's inquiry.

We see then the germ of renaissance magic and hermeticism. Perhaps also the modern new age movement. Dissatisfaction with the epistemological problems that come with analytic philosophies, like the logical atomism of today, and the scholasticism of the middle ages. People come to think "if we cannot have truth by reason truth must not be rational."

C.V He uses a form of Anselm's ontological argument to show the eternity of god.

In C.VI we meet the very famous and influential idea of the Anima Mundi or world-soul. Panentheism is the technical word for this doctrine but "God is soul of the world" falls better on the ear. Giordano Bruno was burnt for holding this opinion, and I marvel at the fact Ficino was not condemned as a heretic— indeed! He was a priest. He speaks against pantheism (i.e. Spinoza's God, who is identified with the material world itself.)

VII god's activity, in this chapter he identifies God with Necessity :

"Talis est utique Deus substantia simplex, necessario per se subsistens. Quam ob causam Orpheus Deum appellavit necessitatem. Δεινη γαρ αναγκη παντα κρατυνει. Id est: « fortis necessitas omnibus dominatur ». Si summa essendi necessitas Deus est, et quod est summum in quolibet genere, unum est dumtaxat, nulla res praeter Deum erit talis essendi necessitas."

Ficino says that the idea of purely physical causes is profane, for it denies god to be the cause of physics. Nature is rather an instrument than a cause.

In chapter 1 of Book IV the Anima Mundi is explained more fully.

[Hannah Trower · Rating 5 out of 5]

I sure love Ficino. More Platonic than Theology, at least in this volume, Ficino draws heavily on Zoroaster, Proclis, and Plotinus (with occasional quotes from Aquinas or Augustine, etc, and just enough emphasis on the threefold nature of God---Truth, Good, and Unity---to make it clearly inspired by a Christian context). Very systematic and scientific. Some things are reasonable even today and others just made me scratch my head in confusion. You can tell, even through the translation, that Ficino really loves this subject and his study.

[wyclif · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read in an attempt to keep my Latin in serviceable order.

[Jake Schroeder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bring back pure reason. It was so good.

[Colin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first volume of Ficino's famous attempt to make Neoplatonism and Christian theology agree. A curious book, rather dry at times, but well-argued in its way . . . I'm looking forward to reading volume two!