1556 · 46837 — Basel, [Per Henrichum Petri, 1556 - on colophon]. An absolutely lovely copy of the exceedingly scarce first edition, first printing, of one of the most influential and important works in the history of modern thought. A work that has for a long time been overlooked due to the gross neglect of the history of Renaissance philosophy, but which has nonetheless been seminal to the development of scientific and philosophical thought from the 16th century and onwards. With a purely naturalistic and immanent view of the natural process, Pomponazzi here frees man's thought from the bounds of religion and provides modern thinkers and scientists with pure empiricism and naturalism. ""Er will das ""Wissen"" and die Stelle des ""Glaubens"" stellen"" - ""die ""dämonische"" Kausalität des Glaubens weicht der Kausalität der Wissenschaft"" (Cassirer, p. 110 + 111). 8vo. Contemporary full limp vellum, with vellum cords to hinges. Remains of vellum ties to boards. A bit of brownspotting, but all in all a lovely, completely unrestored copy in its first binding. Five large woodcut initials and large woodcut printer's device to verso of last leaf. (16), 349, (3). Adams: P-1827" Wellcome: I:5153" DSB: XI:71-74.A.H. Douglas: ""The Philosophy and Psychology of Pietro Pomponazzi"", 1910.M.L. Pine: ""Pietro Pomponazzi: Radical Philosoper of the Renaissance"", 1986.Thorndyke: ""A History of Magic and Experimental Science"", Vol. V, 1966 (4th printing)P.O. Kristeller: ""Eight Philosophers of the Italian Renaissance"", 1965.J.H. Randall, in: ""The Renaissance Philosophy of Man"", 1956 (4th impression).B.P. Copenhaver & C.B. Schmitt: ""Renaissance Philosophy"", 1992.E. Cassirer: ""Individuum und Kosmos in der Philosophie der renaissance"", 1969 (3. Aufl. - orig. 1927).See also: Kristeller: ""Renaissance Thought and its Sources"""" ""Medieval Aspects of Renaissance Learning"""" ""Renaissance Thought II, Papers on Humanism and the Arts"". ""Pomponazzi's thought and reputation were extremely influential in the centuries after his death. Even before it was printed, his treatise ""On incantations"" circulated widely in manuscript among philosophers, physicians and early modern naturalists (see Zanier 1975). Due to his mortalist theory of the soul, 17th-century ""free thinkers"" regarded Pomponazzi as one of their own, portraying him as an atheist (see Kristeller 1968"" Paganini 1985). Enlightenment thinkers of the 18th century pushed to extremes his distinction between natural reason and faith, while 19th-century positivists, such as Ernest Renan and Roberto Ardigò, saw in Pomponazzi a forerunner of their own beliefs and a champion of naturalism and empiricism."" (SEP).
