Fast Reviews of Books in Renaissance Intellectual History:
Review R19990730

Contact: Dr. Heinrich C. Kuhn (ua212ac@mail.lrz-muenchen.de)
Document created: 1999-07-30
Last update:1999-07-30

Item reviewed:

Syncretism in the West : Pico's 900 Theses (1486)
The Evolution of Traditional Religious And Philosophical Systems
Tempe (Arizona) [Medieval and Renaissance Texts and Studies] 1998
XV, 595 pp. ISBN: 0-86698-209-4
Series:Medieval and Renaissance Texts and Studies ; 167

Price: USD 32 (= ca. EUR 36)
price in GBP: 28

[Biblographic data formatted for downloading]

This title was reviewed by: Martin Schmeisser of "Seminar für Geistesgeschichte und Philosophie der Renaissance, Universität München"

Item arrived at GGREN on:1999-07-05
Review was finished on:1999-07-29

The Review

• This book contains the first modern English translation of Giovanni Pico della Mirandola's "900 Theses (1486)" with a commentary and an ample historical and theoretical introduction in which S.A. Farmer tries to develop a general model of the growth of syncretic systems based on his studies on Pico's "900 Theses". The Latin text is based on the editio princeps (1486) preserved in the British and Vatican Libraries and is not as much adulterated as the pre-Farmer editions of Pico's "Conclusiones". Farmer informs us about his collations of the editio princeps with seven later prints : Mss. ÖNB Lat. 14708, ÖNB Palat. 5516, BSB Clm. 11807, UB Erlangen Lat. 646. The English translation and the large commentary make the text accessible to a non expert public.

• After a short preface (p. IX-XV) S. A. Farmer introduces his study on Pico's syncretism (i.e. the attempted union or reconciliation of diverse or opposite tenets or practices, especially in philosophy or religion) with a first chapter (p. 1-58) in which he provides a concise presentation of the historical and ideological background of the "900 theses" and their intention. In this chapter which is subdivided in several subchapters he is developing the aforementioned topics with Pico's text as the philosophical background (II, p.18), Pico's syncretism (III, p. 25), his mystical and philosophical goals hidden behind the structure of the text of the "Conclusiones" and his debating strategies.

  The second chapter (p.59-97) focuses on Pico's syncretic strategies in view of the general growth of syncretic systems of the premodern age.
  In several subchapters Farmer analyses syncretic processes in Pico's text leading for example to a monotheistic god and hierarchical order, referring to those processes as the underlying principles of any such system which, according to Farmer began to emerge in premodern thought as the inevitable result of "cumulative syncretic processes" operating over the ages.

  Chapter 3 (p. 97-132) discusses the problems pertinent to Pico's magic tied for example to hierarchical models typical to syncretic systems and Pico's lost Concord of Plato and Aristotle which was related to his debate.
  In this chapter Farmer also focuses on specific changes of traditional thought as a result of syncretic structures imposed on such thought and the problems rising from Frances Yate's view of Pico as a disciple of Ficino.

  Chapter 4 (p.133-179) is about the reception of the Pico's later works in view of his syncretism exposed in his "900 theses". Farmer suggests that some of Pico's later works had posthumously been adulterated by his nephew Gianfrancesco Pico della Mirandola and other key figures belonging to the conservative Savonarolean movement. In fact, Savonarola "controlled" Pico's papers after his death. This chapter is of particular interest to anybody concerned with the effect of Pico's later works on posterity.

  The second part of the book contains the Latin text of the "Conclusiones" with translation and ample commentary.

• prospective audience:
  This book is useful for any scholar concerned with Renaissance philosophy and cross-cultural studies, as well as for non-experts in these fields.

• Farmer's introduction surveys several problems rising during the lecture of Pico's "900 theses" and gives an uncommon access to Pico's works. This edition and translation of Pico's "900 theses" can be used as a text assignment for courses.

• The translation is precise and readable.
  This volume is a rather uncommon example for cross-cultural studies with a scrupulous edition of Pico's text.
  Available at a very fair price.

Biblographic data formatted for downloading

Author1:               Farmer, Stephen Alan (ed.)
Author2:               Pico della Mirandola, Giovanni 
Author3:               
Author4:               
Author5:               
Author5:               
main Title:            Syncretism in the West : Pico's 900 Theses (1486)
subtitle:              The Evolution of Traditional Religious And Philosophical Systems
edition:               
series:                Medieval and Renaissance Texts and Studies ; 167
place of publ.:        Tempe (Arizona)
publisher:             Medieval and Renaissance Texts and Studies
year:                  1998
no of pages etc.:      XV, 595 pp.
ISBN:                  0-86698-209-4
currency:              USD
price:                 32
currency:              GBP
price:                 28
aprox. price in EUR:   36