Dans sa description de l'œuvre en langue vulgaire de Lorenzo Ghiberti, Giorgio Vasari, quoiqu'il en dénigre certains aspects, saisit bien, nous semble-t-il, les traits marquants des Commentaires de Lorenzo, en particulier ceux du troisième livre concernant l'optique: Scrisse Lorenzo un'opera in volgare nella quale trattò di molte cose, ma sì fattamente che poco costrutto se ne cava… [que l'on en tire très peu de connaissances utiles…] Né tacerò che egli mostra il libro essere stato fatto da altri [Je ne tairai (...) pas qu'il montre que le livre a été fait par d'autres personnes]. (shrink)

This essay provides an analysis of Marsilio Ficino's doctrine of the heavens, especially as this is developed in his commentary on Plotinus' Enneads with reference to contemporary debates in Florence concerning the legitimacy of astrology and in view of new interpretations of attendant problematic issues. Particular attention is given to Ficino's early works, such as the Disputatio contra iudicium astrologorum, as well as to his commentary on Enn. 4, 4-42 and his De vita. The leading interest of the essay consists (...) in the attempt to clarify Ficino's reception of the medieval doctrine of the heavens, most pointedly the theory propounded by Peter of Abano in his Lucidator dubitabilium astronomiae of 1310. (shrink)

C’est peu de temps avant sa mort que Nicolas de Cues a redigé Le jeu de la boule, un dialogue à caractère pédagogique, où par une amusante métaphore il aborde presque tous les sujets difficiles de sa spéculation antérieure, se référant au tout de l’élaboration philosophique complexe à laquelle il s’est livré les années précédentes et dont il présuppose la connaissance. Dans ce dialogue, il y a une abondance de symboles, de métaphores, d’énigmes : après la mathaphore du jeu de (...) la boule, qui par son élan représente la vie de l’homme microcosme lancé vers le Christ-Dieu, il reprend toute une symbologie mystique très riche et intéressante qu’il développe dans une perspective d’anthropologie christologique en employant aussi la métaphore de la richesse de Dieu qui forge les valeurs, Valeur des valeurs et de l’homme qui mesure dans son esprit mathématique toutes les valeurs. (shrink)

An overview of current medieval philosophical and scientific studies would seem justified at the beginning of the 21st century. While no part of the history of philosophy has been so much despised as the Middle Ages, numerous internationally signi;cant studies on this topic have recently been published. Essays and monographs, critical editions, anthologies and re­views have addressed many facets of medieval thought, particularly the medieval institu­tional context and the intellectual life of the Middle Ages along with the history of medie­val (...) philosophy and science. This essay looks at studies of different philosophical tendencies from the end of the 13th century to the 15th century, not restricting itself to medieval Aristo­telianism. (shrink)

The authorship of the Theorica planterum has been controversial. According to a medieval tradition, the work was written by Gerard of Cremona. In the scholarly literature , however, the work was attributed to Gerard of Sabbioneta. This note reassesses the evidence put forward in support of the authorship of Gerard of Sabbioneta and argues, on the basis of manuscript evidence, that it is highly likely that the Theorica planetarum was translated by Gerard of Cremona or someone from his circle.

Dans cette note il s’agit de la découverte de deux copies manuscriptes inconnues du chapitre quinze d’une oeuvre d’eschatologie hebraique de la moitié du XIIe siècle rédigée par Abrahm bar HIija ou Abraham Savosarda, le Liber revelator. Cette oeuvre est connue seulement en hebraique et dans la traduction de Marie Josef Millás-Vallicrosa. Le chapitre cinque regarde une conception astrologique de la philosophie de l’histoire du monde, de la naissance ou de la chute des gouvernements et des religions avec le titre (...) De redemptione Israel. L’Autrice a retrouvé une traduction latine inconnue en deux copies manuscriptes, dans deux Bibliotèques allemandes, une à Lipsie et l’autre à Wolfenbüttel redigées par le frère des Franciscains mineurs du Couvent de Gottingen Theodoricus de Northem. On demontre en renvoyant aussi à ses études précédantes à ces propos, que ce chapitre cinq à été la source primaire de l’oeuvre de Pierre d’Ailly qui partagait la même philosophie astrologique de l’histoire sacrée, l’ Elucidarium opus concordantiae astronomiae cum theologia nec non historice veritatis édité en 1490, à commencer du chapitre 24 jusqu’au chapitre 33. (shrink)

Twenty-four critical essays, including a substantial introduction, written by the most distinguished international scholars, in honour of Graziella Federici Vescovini.

This paper investigates the objections that were raised by the philosopher ‘Abd al-La&tdotu;īf al-Baghdādī against al-&Hdotu;asan ibn al-Haytham’s geometrisation of place. In this line of enquiry, I contrast the philosophical propositions that were advanced by al-Baghdādī in his tract: Fī al-Radd ‘alā Ibn al-Haytham fī al-makān, with the geometrical demonstrations that Ibn al-Haytham presented in his groundbreaking treatise: Qawl fī al-Makān. In examining the particulars of al-Baghdādī’s fragile defence of Aristotle’s definition of topos as delineated in Book IV of the (...) Physics, which was rejected on mathematical grounds by Ibn al-Haytham, a special attention is also given to highlighting the systemic distinctions between the entities that are studied within the speculative physical doctrines of common sense and immediate experience, and the postulated ‘objects’ of scientific and mathematical research. (shrink)

English summary: Nicolas Cusanus' position on Islam is not easily discerned. While in De Pace Fidei he seems to present an Irenic vision of the different religions and the dialog that could be established amongst them, in the Cribratio Alkorani, according to numerous interpretations, he seems more rigid, precluding any constructive dialog between Christianity and Islam. However, as this volume shows, matters are not quite that black and white: the contributions allow us to form a better idea of the coherence (...) of Cusanus' position on dialog and the relationship between the Cribratio Alkorani and his general theological views. French description: La position de Nicolas de Cues sur l'islam n'est pas facile... cerner. Dans le De Pace Fidei, il semble presenter une vision irenique des differentes religions et du dialogue qui pourrait s'etablir entre elles et ce discours general vaut en particulier pour l'islam, tandis que dans la Cribratio Alkorani, Nicolas, aux dire de nombreux interpretes, se montrerait beaucoup plus incisif, au point que ce livre ne pourrait absolument pas constituer le fondement d'un dialogue constructif entre le christianisme et l'islam. Mais un certain nombre de travaux du present volume, montre que les choses ne sont pas si tranchees. Certes, Nicolas de Cues ignorait pas mal de choses sur l'Islam et les documents qu'il utilise l'induisent dans un certain nombre de cas en erreur. Mais, par de l... la lettre, il ressort qu'il a remarquablement compris l'esprit coranique et que ces textes meritent... cet egard plus d'attention qu'ils n'en ont generalement recue. Le present recueil permet de se faire une idee plus precise de la coherence de la position de Nicolas de Cues sur le dialogue entre christianisme et islam et des liens entre les theses de la Cribatio Alkorani et la pensee globale du grand cardinal. Le livre est issu d'un Colloque tenu sur ce theme... l'Universite de Rennes le 9 avril et rassemble des contributions de Walter Andreas Euler, Tom Kerger, Genevieve Gobillot (deux textes), Susan Gottlober, Graziella Federici Vescovini Herve Pasqua.et Jean-Michel Counet. (shrink)

Recent controversies about the level of replicability of behavioral research analyzed using statistical inference have cast interest in developing more efficient techniques for analyzing the results of psychological experiments. Here we claim that complementing the analytical workflow of psychological experiments with Machine Learning-based analysis will both maximize accuracy and minimize replicability issues. As compared to statistical inference, ML analysis of experimental data is model agnostic and primarily focused on prediction rather than inference. We also highlight some potential pitfalls resulting from (...) adoption of Machine Learning based experiment analysis. If not properly used it can lead to over-optimistic accuracy estimates similarly observed using statistical inference. Remedies to such pitfalls are also presented such and building model based on cross validation and the use of ensemble models. ML models are typically regarded as black boxes and we will discuss strategies aimed at rendering more transparent the predictions. (shrink)

Devoted to the whole of Hamilton’s political writing, this accessible and teachable analysis makes clear the enormous influence Hamilton had on the development of American political and economic institutions and policies.

The present paper is meant to summarise and enlighten the theoretical implications of the twin theories of text comprehension and of text compression. Compatibility and non-exclusiveness of particle-like analysis of language and wave-like analysis of intentionality are also demonstrated within the newly established quantum linguistics framework. The informative state of language is viewed as being relatively stable; once activated and subject to motion, therefore reaching a communicative state, different phenomena occur, which may be observed, analysed and visualised through CPP-TRS observational (...) devices. Relativity theory may therefore be organised in terms of quanta with continuity and no contradiction. (shrink)

In two papers earlier in his career, Siméon Rajaona—one of Madagascar's most famous intellectuals—argues that Westerners have tended to distort the Malagasy worldview by interpolating Western notions into their understanding of it. As a result, the authentic characteristics of the Malagasy mind have been missed by many in the West. He claims that when compared to Westerners, Malagasy have a distinct notion of truth, a different style of reasoning, a different conceptual connection with the world, and a distinct ethical system. (...) His work on this topic is pioneering and insightful. We think that Rajaona is correct on some points but that others are overestimated. In the essay, we explain his work and raise challenges for most of his claims and express agreement with him in parts. While we express skepticism about his claims involving truth, reasoning, and conceptual connection, we agree with him that there is a distinctive Malagasy ethics, though it has analogues in the West. At the end of the paper, we sketch what we take to be distinct elements in the Malagasy worldview relative to Rajaona’s claims. (shrink)

Reflection on the natural/artificial, real/imaginary, subjective/objective dicotomies is increasingly the subject of debate on systems of communication, which make more and more widespread use of expert and/or intelligent advanced technologies.This paper analyses different forms of communication operating in a socio-technical system. The analysis is concerned with changes in creativity and participation of the human being in the decision and production processes within various contexts of social life. It is thus important to verify the possibility of an interpolation between vital world, (...) social system, and information technologies in order to understand a possible interrelation between therational and therelational components in the presentsocio-technical system. (shrink)

Il soggetto empirico indagato dagli psicologi trattiene forti legami con il soggetto puro indagato dai fenomenologi. Ne deriva il paradosso di una differenza che è insieme identità. L’analisi fenomenologica allora potrebbe assumere presupposti naturalistici, esito che Husserl ha decisamente escluso, affermando invece la necessità dell’epoché, della ricerca eidetica e il primato della coscienza intenzionale. Le ricerche che vertono sulla coscienza vedono oggi consumarsi un contrasto tra i sostenitori dell’embodiment, secondo cui le neuroscienze sono in grado di spiegare a sufficienza i (...) fenomeni psichici, e i fenomenologi, i quali, basandosi sul concetto husserliano di hyle, configurano una soggettività sensoriale, ovvero una coscienza legata strettamente all’esperienza sensibile. La ricerca di scientificità nel primo caso giunge attraverso le scienze della complessità alla matematizzazione della psiche, mentre nel secondo caso i fenomenologi si appoggiano ai progressi delle neuroscienze. (shrink)