Original scientific paper
Petrić's Perception of Plato and Aristotle according to the Appendix to Nova de Universis Philosophia
Ena Banić-Pajnić
; Institut za filozofiju, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Abstract
In all of the thus-far reviews of it, Petrić’s philosophy has most often been considered to be a thought that fluctuates between two poles – Plato and Aristotle’s philosophies – and at the same time, Petrić’s anti-Aristotelian standpoint is thought to be on a par with his pro-Platonic orientation. However, a rather interesting fact has not been observed – the fact that, as a Platonist, Petrić dedicated four very comprehensive volumes (Discussionum peripateticarum) to the reflection on Aristotle’s philosophy, and only a very few pages to the reflection on Plato’s philosophy. It is also interesting that these very few pages are not to be found in his principal works, but rather in the not well-known Appendix to Nova de universis philosophia. In this study, I shall point to the importance of the Appendix, which confirms not only the already observed complexity of Petrić’s relation to Aristotle, but also his – in respect of the modern age insight – interesting perception of Plato’s philosophy. In the Appendix in question, Petrić, in fact, considers Plato and Aristotle as both mystical and exoteric philosophers. Also, Petrić’s analysis of Plato’s philosophy in the Appendix is strikingly interesting, as well as his perception of the relation of the two philosophers, something that is based on the misconception of Aristotle being the author of mystic philosophy. And finally, something that is also interesting is the way that Petrić determines the relation of the two ancient philosophers towards the treatises Priscae theologiae, The Chaldean Oracles and the treatises attributed to Hermes Trismegistus, a bilingual publication of which is contained in the Appendix here at issue.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
72228
URI
Publication date:
3.12.2001.
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