Books by Giovanni Pico della Mirandola

The Oration on the Dignity of Man was written in 1486 by the then 23-year-old Giovanni Pico della Mirandola, as an introduction to a public debate he was planning to host in Rome the following year, to discuss with the scholars of his day and the leaders of the Catholic Church (who had near absolute power at the time) 900 theses of his own, on what he considered to be the most important questions concerning the universe, theology and human existence.Pico was never able to hold his Oration: the Church stepped in to prevent it from happening and persecuted him for heresy on several of his theses. But in spite (to a significant extent also because) of this, it is now considered a 'Manifesto for the Renaissance' and one of the most influential texts ever published, setting the tone for humanism, defending the right to practise philosophy and the liberal arts, and boldly, uniquely, celebrating human freedom at the centre of creation.This new edition gives the full text as it was read by Sebastian Michael to a live audience at TU (Technical University) Vienna on 7th December 2017, together with a short introduction.

Der 'Kommentar zu einem Lied der Liebe' des Giovanni Pico della Mirandola (1463¿1494) entstand während des Jahres 1486, zeitgleich mit der Niederschrift der 900 Thesen sowie der dazu einleitenden 'Oratio de hominis dignitate' (PhB 427). Die Grundlage des Kommentars waren neun Stanzen, verfaßt von Girolamo Benivieni, der wie Pico ebenfalls dem losen Kreis der Florentiner Akademie um Marsilio Ficino zuzurechnen ist.Das Thema der Schrift ist das Verhältnis zwischen Einheit und Mannigfaltigkeit. Während Gott das Einfache ist, ist das Schöne Zusammensetzung und Widerstreit. Innerhalb der neuplatonischen Tradition gelingt Pico eine Aufwertung der Phänomene der erscheinenden Wirklichkeit."