Description:

Hybridism in Renaissance Love Philosophy from Mario Equicola to Cervantes

A LECTURE BY ARMANDO MAGGI, University of Chicago

The Renaissance love philosophy is often seen as a vast corpus based on a set of static Platonic dogmas. Maggi’s talk aims to bring to the fore the tensions and contradictions identifiable within this extremely popular literary and philosophical genre, especially regarding the themes of sexual intercourse and divine versus human enlightenment. In particular, it will examine relevant texts characterized by a philosophical ‘hybridism.’ Unlike the popular term ‘syncretism’ usually associated with Renaissance philosophy, ‘hybridism’ points to failed or only partially successful attempts to merge diverse approaches into one coherent intellectual system. It will analyze tracts by Mario Equicola, Agostino Nifo, Brunoro Zampeschi, Tommaso Garzoni, Guido Casoni, Cervates, and Cristóbal de Fonseca. ​