Ethics

[6.7.3] Bernardino Telesio’s on Ethics and Knowlege

A. L. KomáromiLeave a comment

Bernardino Telesio (1509–1588) “The ethics exposed in the 9th book of De rerum natura is strictly naturalist. The only objective which Telesio ascribes to the spirit is self-preservation and self-improvement …”. The importance of knowledge comes from the self-preservation and- improvement.

  • Self-preservation and self-improvement characterize spirit.
  • Knowledge is a component of spirit.
  • Natural philosophy and medicine are theoretical knowledge.
  • Knowledge to control is subkind of knowledge and terminates emotion and desire.
  • Emotion and desire can be provoked and suppressed.

The following OntoUML diagram shows Bernardino Telesio on ethics

Telesio on ethics and knowledge
ClassDescriptionRelations
Spirit“The ethics exposed in the 9th book of De rerum natura is strictly naturalist. The only objective which Telesio ascribes to the spirit is self-preservation and self-improvement, the former lying in its ability to react suitably to influences from the external world, the latter in its capability of finding means to improve its state of being”componentOf Knowledge
Self-preservation“Telesio ascribes to the spirit […] self-preservation […], lying in its ability to react suitably to influences from the external world” characterizes Spirit
Self-improvement“Telesio ascribes to the spirit […] self-improvement […], lying […] in its capability of finding means to improve its state of being“characterizes Spirit
KnowledgeKnowledge
TheoreticalKnowledgeThis comes about through theoretical knowledge, specifically through natural philosophy and medicine (cf. DRN book VIII, ch. XXI) subkind of Knowledge
NaturalPhilosophyThis comes about through theoretical knowledge, specifically through natural philosophy and medicine (cf. DRN book VIII, ch. XXI)subkind of TheoreticalKnowledge
MedicineThis comes about through theoretical knowledge, specifically through natural philosophy and medicine (cf. DRN book VIII, ch. XXI)subkind of TheoreticalKnowledge
KnowledgeToControlKnowledge to control “This comes about through […] learning to control one’s own emotions and desires. “
This is a subkind of knowledge.		subkind of Knowledge
Emotion&Desire“This comes about through […] learning to control one’s own emotions and desires. “terminates Emotion&Desire
Provoke; Suppress“According to Telesio, we can voluntarily provoke and suppress affections and their related actions (DRN book IX, ch. I; vol. III, p. 332f.); what is more, we are able to master the degree to which we desire and are affected (DRN book IX, ch. II; vol. III, p. 334). The principle of moral virtue is said to be a knowledge of what is helpful and what is damaging for survival and well-being in human society. All virtues and vices are reduced to self-conservation.”participates in Emotion&Desire

Sources

  • Boenke, Michaela, “Bernardino Telesio“, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2018 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.).

First published: 08/12/2022

[6.6.2] Pierro Pomonazzi on Fate

A. L. KomáromiLeave a comment

Pietro Pomponazzi (1462–1525) in 1520, completed De fato, de libero arbitrio, et de praedestinatione (On Fate, Free Will, and Predestination), where he stated, that:

  • God is the efficient cause of the world
  • Celestial and sublunary bodies depend on God
  • Humans are sublunary bodies and are characterized by a lack of free will.

The following OntoUML diagram shows Pomponazzi’s model on the absence of free will:

Pomonazzi on free will
CLASSDESCRIPTIONDESCRIPTION
GodGod is the efficient cause of the world
EfficientCauseGod is the efficient cause of the world role of God
CelestialBody“On Fate, Pomponazzi argued that God, as the efficient cause of the world, acts on the sublunary world using the celestial bodies.“subkind of Body
SublunaryBody“On Fate, Pomponazzi argued that God, as the efficient cause of the world, acts on the sublunary [bodies] world using the celestial bodies. God is the principal cause, and the celestial bodies are the instrumental cause of accidental effects in the celestial bodies. world, which Alexander and Thomas Aquinas viewed as contingent and without a cause (1.7.II/15). The celestial bodies’ motion, contiguous to the lower world, drives and determines alterations on earth. Therefore, accidental effects, ultimately resulting from God acting as an efficient cause, occur by necessity (1.7.II/16). Pomponazzi maintained that they are mistakenly called contingent as a result of human ignorance of causes and future events but not from any irregularity in matter, natural powers, or celestial influences. Rather, all accidental effects and what appears to result from luck or chance can be traced back to fixed causes
(1.7.II/23–26).”		subkind of Body
BodyA sublunary or celestial body. subkind of Human
HumanA human person
LackOfFreeWillLack of free will:
“Pomponazzi maintained that human will functions just like the rest of nature. It depends on an eternal, external mover, namely God’s will and the celestial motions (1.9.2.10).
Just as for other natural beings, if there is a potentiality and no impediment, by necessity the potentiality will be realized. Thus, the human will reacts to external factors according to its powers and the absence of impediments (1.9.2.12). Consequently, the human will depends on higher, universal causes. The apparent ability of humans to deliberate between choices using reason, however, is an illusion because every actor is in fact directed toward one of the choices by external causes (1.9.3.2–4).
The rejection of the existence of free will presented difficult ramifications for Christian ethics and theology, which depend on the freedom to choose a virtuous life. In resolving these difficulties, Pomponazzi chose fate over freedom because he thought that it better preserved God’s complete power and providence. If God had granted freedom to humans, the lack, or extreme rarity, of truly virtuous humans on earth demonstrates the absence of a truly providential plan in which humans’ freedom to choose a completely moral good life is realized. Similarly, if humans have the ability of free choice, God must not know these future decisions and humans are thereby limited with respect to his knowledge and power. As a consequence, Pomponazzi opted for fate and determinism, rejecting what he considered to be a denial of God’s providence, omnipotence, and omniscience. The world’s order and the cosmic laws that govern the eternal motions of the universe include the existence of good and evil as part of the necessary cycles of change.”		characterizes human

Sources

  • Martin, Craig, “Pietro Pomponazzi“, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2021 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.).

First published: 05/11/2022