Meditations on the Soul: Selected Letters of Marsilio Ficino

by Clement Salaman

The problems that taxed the minds of people during the Renaissance were much the same as those confronting us today. In their perplexity, many deep-thinking people sought the advice of Marsilio Ficino (1433-99), the leader of the Platonic Academy in Florence, a magnet for the most brilliant scholars of 15th-century Europe.

In devoting his life to the study and translation of the great dialogues of Plato and the Neoplatonists, Ficino and his colleagues were midwives to the birth of the modern world. Ficino was fearless in expressing what he knew to be true. Covering the widest range of topics, his letters offer a profound glimpse into the soul of the Renaissance.

Genres: Philosophy, Italian Literature, Nonfiction, History, Religion

304 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1997

Reviews

[Jade (beauty.andherbooks) · Rating 5 out of 5]

1st Read: ★★★★★
I think I'm a philosophy girl again! Ficino's writing was clear and easy to understand. Also glad I can use this as a resource for my thesis!
“What is giving one’s daughter in marriage? Is it not entrusting her to a husband's protection, safekeeping, support, and care? A husband’s fortune may promise these things, but only his virtue will provide them” (181).

[Adodom · Rating 5 out of 5]

I lost this book about five years ago and could not find it. I thought it was gone until Friday when I found it double-shelved in my bookcase. Thank God. I finally finished the last few pages left to read and what a beautiful read they were.

[H Hudson · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent selection of letters from the philosopher nobody's heard about. A pity really, because when you look at a statue that's come from the hand of Michelangelo or Botticelli's Classical allegories you are looking at something that has sprung from mind and spirit of Ficino. Chosen by Cosimo Medici while still a young man to head the Platonic Academy in Florence, tasked with translating the newly rediscovered works of Plato from Greek into Latin (and let it not be forgotten, Tuscan) this man was and is one of the seminal thinkers of the Renaissance. His works and his direct influence on some of the great movers and shakers of Western Europe cannot be underestimated. In his spare time, he was a physician, priest, and a superb musician - a true polymath.

[Patrick Koroly]

Plainly Platonic. Ficino proceeds through a logic of images and analogies rather than logic and rigor—this is not necessarily a bad thing. Read at a moment when I felt in need of a good theodicy and found its attempts disappointing.

[Katie]

I slogged through this one; I don’t recommend (though I liked the chapter on friendship).

[Alison Culpepper · Rating 3 out of 5]

GREAT BOOKS 2

[David A. Beardsley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marsilio Ficino is one of the most under-appreciated figures of the Florentine Renaissance. This is fitting for one who never sought fame for himself, but a real loss for people today who could benefit from his insights. In the employ of the Medici family, he translated the works of Plato, Plotinus, and others from Greek to Latin, making them accessible again to the West and sparking the revival of Idealism that still continues to inspire. This book, a selection of his letters to friends and colleagues, shows his human and mystical side. His love for humanity comes shining through, and reading these letters will make you want to be a better person.

[Stosch · Rating 5 out of 5]

renaissance version of marcus aurelius.