Pico Flashcards

According to Pico della Mirandola, what unique attribute did the Supreme Maker give to man instead of a fixed nature?

A share in the particular endowment of every other creature.

Pico describes man as a creature of _____ image, meaning he has no fixed form.

indeterminate

Where in the universe did God place man so he could easily observe all things?

At the very center of the world.

In Pico's 'Oration', what does God tell Adam regarding his 'visage' or appearance?

That he has no visage proper to himself.

Unlike other creatures restricted by laws, by what faculty does man determine the 'lineaments' of his own nature?

Free will.

How does man's nature differ from that of 'all other creatures' regarding their laws of being?

Other creatures are defined and restricted by laws laid down by God, while man is not.

Pico states that man is made neither of heaven nor of earth, nor mortal nor immortal, to allow him to be the _____ of his own being.

free and proud shaper

According to Pico, what happens to a man who decides to descend into 'lower, brutish forms'?

He loses his human dignity and becomes like an animal.

What is the result if a man chooses to rise to the 'superior orders' of life?

His life becomes divine.

What did God bestow upon man at creation that contains the 'germs of every form of life'?

Seeds pregnant with all possibilities.

If a man cultivates his 'vegetative' seeds, what type of organism does Pico say he becomes?

A plant.

According to Pico, what does a man become if he cultivates his 'sensual' seeds?

A brute (or animal).

What form does a man reveal if he cultivates his 'rational' seeds?

A heavenly being.

If a man cultivates his 'intellectual' seeds, Pico claims he will become an _____.

angel (and the son of God)

What state does a man reach if he withdraws into the 'center of his own unity' and transcends all creatures?

He becomes one spirit with God.

Which animal does Pico use as a metaphor for man's ability to transform his nature?

The chameleon.

Which figure from Greek mythology does Asclepius use to symbolize man's mutability?

Proteus.

In Hebrew esoteric theology, into what does the holy Enoch transform?

An angel of divinity (malakh-hashekhinah).

According to the Pythagoreans, what happens to men who are 'guilty of crimes'?

They are transformed into brutes or plants.

What did 'Mohamet' say happens to a man who 'deserts the divine law'?

He becomes a brute.

According to Pico, what is the essential quality that makes a tree a tree, rather than its bark?

Its insensitive and unresponsive nature.

What is the essential quality that makes an angel an angel, rather than the absence of a body?

Spiritual intelligence.

Pico argues that a man 'dedicated to his stomach' and crawling on the ground should be considered a _____.

plant.

A man 'bedazzled by the empty forms of the imagination' and a slave to his senses is classified by Pico as a _____.

brute.

How should a 'philosopher' who judges all things by reason be regarded?

As a creature of heaven and not of earth.

What does Pico call a 'pure contemplator' who is 'wholly withdrawn into the inner chambers of the mind'?

A higher divinity clothed with human flesh.

Why is man designated as 'every creature' in sacred Mosaic and Christian writings?

Because he transforms himself into the likeness of every form of life.

The Chaldean saying 'Enosh hu shinnujim vekammah tebhaoth' translates to the idea that man is a creature of _____ nature.

multiform (or ever-changing)

What is the 'damning gift' Pico warns against in the context of man's free choice?

The abuse of free will to fall to the estate of brutes.

Pico encourages readers to be 'impatient of mediocrity' and 'pant after' what?

The highest things.

Which three orders of beings in the 'court beyond the world' does Pico urge humans to emulate?

Seraphim, Cherubim, and Thrones.

What is the primary reason Pico says he was 'compelled' to the study of philosophy?

To understand and attain the high dignity of the human condition.

What 'monstrous persuasion' regarding philosophy does Pico claim has invaded the minds of his time?

That philosophy should not be studied at all or only by very few people.

Why do many people in Pico's era account as 'wise' only those who use wisdom for profit?

Because they reduce philosophy to a 'profitable traffic' or monetary gain.

Pico uses the figure of 'chaste Pallas' to represent which field of study?

Philosophy.

What does Pico identify as the 'sign' that certain individuals are not true philosophers?

Their pursuit of philosophy depends on monetary value or reward.

For what reason does Pico claim he has 'never philosophized'?

Save for the sake of philosophy itself.

What are the only 'fruits' Pico hopes to secure from his laborious researches?

Cultivation of mind and knowledge of the truth.

How has philosophy influenced Pico's reliance on the opinions of others?

It taught him to rely on his own convictions rather than the judgments of others.

According to Pico, what is the effect of a school attacking 'established truths' with slander?

It confirms the truth, fanning it to life like embers.

Why did Pico choose to study the opinions of 'all schools' rather than just one doctrine?

To achieve an 'effulgence of truth' through the confrontation of many systems.

Pico criticizes the limitation of studying only 'Latin authors'; which two other cultural groups does he insist must be discussed?

The Greeks and the Arabs.

According to Pico, who inherited the thought of the 'barbarian nations' before passing it to the Latins?

The Greeks.

What is the 'felicity' of man according to Pico?

To have what he chooses and be what he wills to be.

Pico quotes Asaph the Prophet to remind man of his potential divinity, saying: 'You are all _____.'

Gods and sons of the Most High

What does Pico mean by describing philosophy as 'chaste Pallas'?

Philosophy is a pure pursuit of wisdom that should not be 'prostituted' for money.

In Pico’s view, why is the study of 'the causes of things' and 'God's counsels' often held in contempt?

Because people seek only knowledge that procures 'profit or favor'.

Pico identifies the pursuit of truth 'for its own sake' as the defining mark of a _____.

philosopher

What does Pico mean by 'saving ambition'?

A drive to disdain earthly things and reach for the highest divine heights.

According to the text, when are 'spiritual beings' fixed in their mode of being?

From the very moment of creation (or soon thereafter).

What defines the nature of a 'beast of burden' according to Pico?

Its brute and sensual soul.

What provides the 'harmonious order' to the heavens in Pico’s description?

The orbicular form (or its specific nature).

Pico mentions 'Evantes the Persian' to support the idea that man has no _____ semblance.

inborn and proper

What metaphor does Pico use to describe how truth is 'fanned to life' by discussion?

Embers being stirred.

Who are the 'Latin authors' Pico lists as being insufficient if studied in isolation?

Albert, Thomas, Scotus, Egidius, Francis, and Henry.

According to Pico, man is the only creature born with the condition of being _____.

what he chooses to be

What does Pico claim philosophy has taught him regarding 'public concerns'?

To concern himself less with whether he is well thought of than whether his actions are evil.

In the hierarchy of being, what follows the cultivation of the 'intellectual' seed?

Becoming an angel and a son of God.

What does Pico suggest is the result of man being placed at the 'center of the world'?

Greater ease in glancing around at all that the world contains.

Pico warns that through 'abuse of the generosity' of God, man might pervert his free option into a _____.

damning gift

What specific phrase does Pico use to describe the state of being 'one spirit with God'?

The solitary darkness of the Father.