Spectrum of Consciousness

Triumph of Aquinas

here's a little site on the Iconography of Aquinas

Pico and Henry of Ghent

Amos Edelheit, "Pico della Mirandola and Henry of Ghent" in A Companion to Henry of Ghent
370 Pico's admiration towards scholastic philosophy is evident in his writings.
372 It is important to see that for Pico scholastic philosophy represents a stage in the development of philosophicl trdition... This should be regarded as part of Pico's positive attitude towards scholasticism.
Pico completely disregards the chronological sequence
373 Pico had in his library Henry's Summa theologica, his Quodlibeta, and another unknown work which was ascribed to Henry, Improbatio quorundam actorum
The 900 Theses and the Apology are, on the one hand, the loci classici for a discussion of the relation between Pico and the scholastic philosophy, since they contain plenty of references to scholastic authorities. But on the other hand, these texts, which belong to Pico's Roman period, contain some essential methodological difficulties for modern scholars: with regard to the Theses, we simply do not have any explicit evidence (beyond the notion of concordia, a certain harmony between all philosophical schools) concerning Pico's general aim in collecting and presenting these theses.
374 identifying Pico's sources and the way he used them (citing or paraphrasing his sources, his accuracy in working with his sources, etc.) can give us some important details regarding the 'reception' of scholastic philosophers, and in our case, of Henry of Ghent, in the Renaissance. It is not impossible that in some of these details we shall find out some indications of a specific influence.

Theses according to Henry
1. There is a light which is superior to the light of faith, by which the theologians see the truth of theological science.
2. Paternity is the principle of producing in the father.
3. Processions are divided in divine matters between the intellect and the will.
4. This proposition should not be confirmed: 'The father is the essence of the son'.
5. Demons and sinful souls suffer from fire, in as much as it is hot, [that is] by a suffering of the same kind as that which bodies suffer.
6. Operations of angels are measured by determined time.
7. Angels understand through a scientific habit which is natural to them.
8. Irascible and concupiscent [powers] are divided in the same wy in both the superior and the inferior appetite.
9. Having some specific and definable reality is common to both fictions and non-fictions.
10. Friendship is a virtue.
11. Formally, the approval of some creature is respect.
12. With respect to this, it is necessary for mutuality of a real relation that a foundation would be set with regard to another [foundation] out of its own nature, just as with regard to its own perfection.
13. Relation is not really distinguishable from a foundation.

375 Thesis 1 is basically present in Henry's Summa, art. VI, q.1, where the medieval master claims that in theology there are matters held by belief through faith, but the divine light helps the faith. In the comparison between the philosopher and the theologian in art. VII, q.1, the theologian is described as someone who considers first singular matters which were held by belief through the light of faith, and then intelligible matters through the light which is beyond and above the infused light of natural reason. The spiritual man mentioned in art. VII, q. 13, whose intellect is enlightened by superior light, is also close to Pico's theologians. The more general epistemological problem is dealt by Henry in rt. I, q.2, which is focused on the problem whether man can know anything without divine illumination. Neglecting the possibility of knowing pure matters naturally, i.e. only through created intellectual faculties, Henry contends that every act of knowing involves the influence of the first intelligible entity who is the first agent in any intellectual and cognitive act, just like the presence of the first mover in any movement. This divine influence assists man in every act of understanding. This view is more radical than Pico's thesis (which reflects a more traditional and accepted view regarding theology) and includes every science, not only theology, and thus, for instance, makes it impossible to distinguish between theology and philosophy. One the other hand, Pico's thesis is focused on a specific distinction between a superior divine light and a 'common' light of faith.

379 Pico's thesis [2] does show an understanding of Henry's view on this issue, and includes an interesting term, processiones, which I could not locate in Henry's discussion of this point. Henry mentions potencies and actions or operations in God, not processions in divine matters. This term might reflect another discussion of Henry or an intermediate source used by Pico, or even Pico's own interpretation and understanding of Henry's opinion.
380 [Thesis 4] reflects his own elaborated synthesis, rather thn a direct fragmentary citation; it shows a good good understanding of some of the more technical, abstract, and complicated issues dealt by the Parisian master.
Thesis 5... Henry points out that we need some explanation for the fact that a spiritual entity can suffer from corporeal fire... The only possibly solution, contends Henry, is that God supernaturally imprinted a common faculty in the nature of angelic and human spirits, through which they can suffer from corporeal fire... Pico's thesis accurately reflects Henry's opinion.
381 [Henry on the angel]
382 the fact that angelic operations are measured in determined time is not emphasized in Henry's discussions mentioned above, it is only implied... Pico's thesis seems to reflect in this case his careful reading and interpretation of the Parisian master, in which his discussion of the angelic nature and operations (without emphasizing the aspect of time) and the discussion of angelic thoughts, their measures, and separated quantity of time (without mentioning angelic operations) are joined together. This can be found in Quodlibet XIII, q.7.
383 thesis 7 can be found in Quodlibet V, q.14, where Henry claims that separated intellect as an intellect does not have its own proper natural operation except naturally understanding singular intelligibles. Some lines later in the same question Henry says that an angel or a separated intellect understands through his own natural cognition, through which he understands things in their proper nature, not as a word or concept, and in this way an angel was born for understanding. In fact, it is impossible for the angelic intellect, being informed by intelligible species, not to understand. Further on in the question we have more or less the same formulation that we find in Pico's thesis.

Angel Illustrations (Ezekiel, Isaiah, Elijah, Blake, Dore, Alchemy)

Review of a new book on the Concept of Angels

looks useful!

notes for discussion email on Pico+Allegory for myth list

Pico + Allegory
notes from Crofton Black: Pico's Heptaplus and Biblical Hermeneutics

154 Proclus model of 3 worlds not consonant with Pico's
159 mutual containment
160 Whatever is in all of the worlds is also in each of them, and there is not one of the worlds in which there is not everything that is in each world.
161 Allegorical Theory
The cosmic scheme is the basis for Pico's theory of allegory.
"the mutual containment of worlds is also indicated in Scripture"
162 ancient fathers were trained in the bonds and affinities of things
164 Proclus -- mechanics of emanation
165 Proclus ET 103
166 n.67 liber de causis n.68 quote from 900
167 mutual containment in Ps.Dionysius+Aquinas
168-70 angelic cognition and human cognition
236 Pico never discusses the events of the Genesis narrative in relation to their own time.
236 Pico's exegesis is anagogical...
237 intellectual ascent

Dionysius on Free Will, Angelic Guidance

If someone should ask why the Hebrews alone were guided to the divine Illuminations, we should answer that the turning away of the nations to false gods ought not to be attributed to the direct guidance of Angels, but to their own refusal of the true path which leads to God, and the falling away through self-love and perversity, and similarly, the worship of things which they regarded as divine.

Even the Hebrews are said to have acted thus, for he says, 'Thou hast cast away the knowledge of God and hast gone after thine own heart'. For our life is not ruled by necessity, nor are the divine irradiations of Providential Light obscured because of the freewill of those under Its care; but it is the dissimilarity of the mental eyes which causes the Light streaming forth resplendently from the Goodness of the Father to be either totally unshared and unaccepted through their resistance to It, or causes an unequal participation, small or great, dark or bright, of that Fontal Ray which nevertheless is one and unmixed, eternally changeless, and for ever abundantly shed forth.

For even if certain Gods not alien to them presided over the [32] other nations (from which we ourselves have come forth into that illimitable and abundant sea of Divine Light which is outspread freely for all to share), yet there is one Ruler of all, and to Him the Angels who minister to each nation lead their followers.

Let us consider Melchisedeck, the hierarch most beloved of God — not of vain gods, but a priest of the truly highest of Gods — for those wise in the things of God did not simply call Melchisedeck the friend of God, but also priest, in order to show clearly to the wise that not only was he himself turned to Him who is truly God, but also, as hierarch, was the leader of others in the ascent to the true and only Godhead.

Of the Principalities, Archangels, and Angels, and of their last Hierarchy.