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Why was Giovanni Pico Mirandolla’s Oration on the Dignity of Man Monumental?
1. Name of Work: Oration on the Dignity of man.
2. Creator: Giovanni Pico della Mirandolla
3. Date: 1486
By: Joseph Avila

In this writing, Pico gives praise and full account to prove that human existence and thought have spawned from a creator of divine purpose, he gives light on a "unity of truth" for all mankind that gives hierarchical order, an order ”where man is right in the middle of earth” placed there by God. Pico gives complete thanks for being in this position and takes the reader by complete surprise.<!--more--> “Man is the most fortunate of living things, and consequently deserving of all admiration, we were made to be at the center of the world."(Fiero) “Pico ties traditional modern divinity purpose with philosophical ideals and rationales. Pico goes on to boldly challenge the church to debate on some 900 theological propositions that challenge the church" at the young age of 24. A website describing Pico’s Oration “It thoroughly remaps the human landscape to center all attention on human capacity and the human perspective. Pico had a massive intellect and literally studied everything there was to be studied in the university curriculum of the Renaissance; the Oration in part is meant to be a preface to a massive compendium of all the intellectual achievements of humanity—a compendium that never appeared because of his early death.”1
5. A general discussion of the historical context of its time (what were some of the major
events that shaped life at the time the work was created?).
The time frame that this was published could not have been more precise or more perfect of a time to introduce these writings to the world, these writings at this time helped create a movement, a movement that inspired a nation to stand up for what they believe in, and strive for excellence, and elevate mankind as a whole through individuality, this was a time when the Roman Catholic Church was branded with scandals and filled with conspiracies and inundated with corruption, Pico didn’t just give enlightenment on divine purpose but he added moral justice and rationalization which he said was "heavenly", he goes on to describe the individuals purpose as only " a little lower than the angels." Pico lifted the world in an ethical and spiritual and divine way that gave the world a purpose, and pushed the world to strive for "perfectibility of the individual," he pushed man to find their own destiny in the hierarchical order of life.

1. Pico's work was not typical of this era, which made it more monumental. This work helped inspire a movement that was at the early stages of its life, an era that was in need for intellectual, rational and moral excellence that pushed away from corruption, it was the spawn of the renaissance (or rebirth) in a time of corruption from church officials. Christianity was the law, and Pico went against the law with his writings and stood up to the church, questioned and debated with them.

2. This piece definitely stands out because Pico was like a light in the middle of darkness; he was giving people the truth, in a world of lies. He was leading the world on how to be one with God, and how to gain "spiritual intelligence" Pico states "It is not freedom from the body which makes an angel, but its spiritual intelligence which makes an angel."(Fiero) Pico’s bold statements shock the world, but in a good way, he is saying we as humans not just have a divine purpose to fulfill but we as humans have the opportunity to become divine ourselves, only high priest had divine purpose at that time. Pico is not just undermining the church’s authority and the rule of the high priest, but he is saying all humans are divine, or have the abilities through there own decisions to become divine, he states “It will be in your power to descend to the lower, brutish forms of life, or you will be able through your own decisions to rise again to the superior orders whose life is divine.”(Fiero) “If rational, he will reveal himself as a heavenly being, if intellectual, he will be an angel and the son of God.” “ man who deserts the divine law becomes a brute” (Fiero) Pico warns people not to be " a slave to your senses and to be dedicated to your stomach, but to be rational thus heavenly."(Fiero)

3. The work was received as negative in its time in the Churches' eyes; ”Pico was persecuted for heresy and was forced to flee Italy.” (Fiero)” ”When the Apology that Pico hastily published provoked Innocent to denounce all nine hundred Conclusions, the audacious young Count left for Paris, but at the pope's request he was detained by French authorities and briefly jailed.”(2) Some scholars argue that Pico’s theses were very important during this time, to blend religions. One article writes “Pico’s theses were an important symbol of the renaissance blending Christian and Greek ideas.”(3)

4. People today view him and his writings as an iconic figure in Europe, an example is "Frances Yates was the first to recognize Pico as a "Christian magus," and to elevate his role in history, saying, "The profound significance of Pico della Mirandola in the history of Humanity can hardly be overestimated. He it was who first boldly formulated a new position for European man, man as magus using both Magia and Cabala to act upon the world, to control his destiny by science." (Giordano Bruno and the Hermetic Tradition, Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press, 1964, 116."(4) People today have a much different reaction then when it was originally written, the writings of Pico are held to extreme high acclaim.

5. My initial reaction was that I was blown away, I have never read something that combines divinity, and spiritual grace with the thought of reason (Greek thought) woven into it, Pico also used other religious doctrines, Pico “Introduced to the Hebrew Kabbala, Pico became the first Christian scholar to use Kabbalistic doctrine in support of Christian theology. In 1486, planning to defend 900 theses he had drawn from diverse Greek, Hebrew, Arabic, and Latin writers, he invited scholars from all of Europe to Rome for a public disputation. For the occasion he composed his celebrated Oratio.”(5) What amazed me most was that Pico also says there is Divine purpose, a destiny but also free will at hand. Pico first starts out by stating "God is the Father and the Mightiest Architect who has infinite wisdom". (fiero)Pico states that it is your own decision to rise again to the superior orders whose life is divine, so he is stating that there is free will after biblical reason and purpose that again transcends back to its original higher realm of purpose, which is in a sense a choice from divine purpose.

6. Pico’s work has a drastic reflection on other artist’, one artist is Raphael Sanzio, who was considered a master painter. Raphael painted a fresco for the Vatican Stanza della Segnatura, Raphael painted the School of Athens, in this painting Raphael immortalizes the company of great philosophers and scientist of history, " At the center of the composition appear two giants of philosophy, Plato, who is pointing upward of heavenward to indicate that his view of reality is fixed in universal forms, and he is standing directly next to Aristotle who is pointing downward, to the earth, to indicate that universal truth depends on study of the earth." The painting clearly separates the two opposing views and draws the line right down the center of the painting, completely separating earth and heavenly views, this has a lot to do with Pico’s Divinity of man, according to Raphael, he is stating that there are two opposing views that have a fine line between them, fate verses free will, this goes against Pico’s ideas which state that they can both be of one “unity of truth” a heavenly divine purpose which can be impeded by your own fee will.

7. It is hard to say what is most important of this work, I think this whole work is a masterpiece when it is whole, Pico warns the public of divine truth, and propels human thought and rationalization but to not forget that" it is man's unique right to such unbounded admiration." that " man is the most fortunate of living things."(fiero)I asked myself why does Pico view man as such fortunate of beings’, why does he hold man on such a high platform in his writings, calling man a “miracle”, after all the corruption and wars, lies and ignorance that constantly surrounds him, when man is capable of so many bad things. There was one theme to my question, Pico’s love for his God and love for man(humankind) to strive for perfection in oneself, to strive for justice and what is right, through rationalization. If we all learn to perfect ourselves as an individual first, then we can become close to perfect as a whole. Man is constantly changing, and has the power to transform, we are so great because we have the power within ourselves to choose to be great. We can change the world one individual at a time. In Pico’s words when God the father, the Mightiest Architect in his infinite hidden wisdom created humans, he created a creature which might comprehend the meaning of so vast an achievement, which might be moved with love and beauty and smitten with awe in its grandeur. He bethought Himself to bringing forth man.

Works Cited

1. http://www.alcott.net/alcott/home/champions/Pico.html
2. The Stanford Encyclopedia for Philosophy: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/pico-della-mirandola/ 6-3-2008
3. C.F Wallis, Info please Encyclopedia 1965 http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/people/A0838961.html
4. Francis Yates, Giordano Bruno and the Hermetic Tradition, Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press, 1964, 116."
5. Encyclopedia Britannica http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/459504/Giovanni-Pico-della-Mirandola-count-di-Concordia