The Debate Over the Origin of Genius During the Italian Renaissance: The Theories of Supernatural Frenzy and Natural Melancholy in Accord and in Conflict on the Threshold of the Scientific Revolution

516 Pages·2002·55.152 MB·English

by  Noel L. Brann

BRILL'S STUDIES
IN
INTELLECTUAL HISTORY
General Editor
A.J. VANDERJAGT, University of Groningen
Editorial Board
M. COLISH, Oberlin College
J.I. ISRAEL, University College, London
J.D. NORTH, University of Groningen
R.H. POPKIN, Washington University, St. Louis-UCLA
VOLUME 107
Plato and Aristode, fragment from Raphael's "School of Athens"
(Mansell/Timepix/ABC)
THE DEBATE OVER THE ORIGIN
OF GENIUS DURING
THE ITALIAN RENAISSANCE
TL· Tfaories of Supernatural Frenzy and Natural Melancholy in
Accord and in Conflict on tL· Threshold of the Scientific Revolution
BY
NOEL L. BRANN
BRILL
LEIDEN · BOSTON · KÖLN
2002
This book is printed on acid-free paper.
Cover illustration: Raphael's "School of Athens" (Mansell/Timepix/ABC)
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Brann, Noel L.
The debate over the origin of genius during the Italian Renaissance :
the theories of supernatural frenzy and natural melancholy in accord
and in conflict on the threshold of the scientific / by Noel L. Brann.
p. cm. — (Brill's studies in intellectual history, ISSN
0920-8607 ; v. 107)
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 9004123628 (alk. paper)
1. Genius—Italy—History. 2. Italy—Intellectual life. 3. Renaissance.
I. Title. II. Series.
BF412 .B77 2001
153.9'8--dc21
2001043421
Die Deutsche Bibliothek - CIP-Einheitsaufiiahme
Brann, Noel L.:
The debate over the origin of genius during the Italian renaissance :
the theories of supernatural frenzy and natural melancholy in accord
and in conflict on the treshold of the scientific revolution / by Noel L.
Brann.
-Leiden ; Boston ; Köln : Brill, 2001
(Brill's studies in intellectual history ; Vol. 107)
ISBN 90-04-12362-8
ISSN 0920-8607
ISBN 90 04 12362 8
© Copyright 2002 by Koninklijke Bull NV, Leiden, The Netherlands
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PRINTED IN THE NETHERLANDS
In memory of Jim Weaver

CONTENTS
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction 1
1. The Seeding of a Theory of Melancholy Genius:
the Medical, Theological, and Humanist Legacies 15
A. The Medical Perspective 15
B. The Theological Perspective 33
C. The Humanist Perspective 48
2. The Platonic Revival and the Philosophical Flowering
of a Theory of Melancholy Genius 82
A. Ficino's Reconstructed Genial Theory 82
B. The Genial Theory of Ficino's Florentine Circle 108
C. The Early Dissemination of Ficino's Genial
Theory 123
3. The Aristotelian and Skeptical Revivals and their
Disintegrative Impact on the Ficinian Genial Theory 153
A. The Averroist Restatement of the Ficinian Genial
Theory 153
B. The Naturalist Reaction: the Antecedents 162
C. The Naturalist Reaction: Pomponazzi 167
D. The Skeptical Reaction: Savonarola and
Gianfrancesco Pico 177
4. Persisting Obstacles to a Theory of Melancholy
Genius in the Later Renaissance 189
A. The Medical Obstacles 189
B. The Theological Obstacles 205
C. The Humanist Obstacles 221
5. The Late Renaissance Vogue of Melancholy Genius:
the Literary, Art, Occult and Philosophical Strains 247
A. The Mystical, Prophetic, and Amatory Testaments .... 247
B. The Poetic and Artistic Testaments 255
C. The Hermetic Testaments 277
D. Testaments of the Nature Philosophers 294
viii CONTENTS
6. The Problem of Melancholy Genius on the Threshold
of the Scientific Revolution: the Completion of the
Philosophical Dissolution 333
A. The Latent lines of Fracture 333
B. The Fideist-Skeptical Rupture 349
C. The Platonic Rupture 361
D. The Peripatetic Rupture 385
E. Campanella's Coup de Grâce 413
7. Conclusion 443
Bibliography 471
Index 489