ПОНЯТИЕ «INTELLEGENTIA» В ТРАКТОВКЕ ЦИЦЕРОНА

Abstract

The article analyses Cicero’s use of the concept of intellegentia which means “knowledge”, “understanding”, “reason”, “ability of perception” or “concept”. It is used in various works (speeches, political-philosophical treatises, dialogues on oratory) 48 times: 4 times in speeches, 14 times in rhetorical works and most often (30 times) in ethical-political and philosophical writings. It is not found in surviving letters. Based on the definitions of this concept, we conclude that intellegentia denotes the Stoic virtue of knowledge, occurring much less frequently than its synonyms sapientia, prudentia, scientia and cognitio. Intellegentia is almost always used in the singular form (45 times), very rarely in the plural (3 times). The concept has such attributes as adumbrata, communis, impressa, inchoata, insignita, mediocris, popularis, praestans, prima and vulgaris, which allow us to conclude that intellegentia denotes general or basic information about any subject. The complements to intellegentia (juris (civilis), in rusticis rebus, pecuniae quaerendae, etc.) define the field of knowledge expressed by intellegentia (jurisprudence, agriculture, economics, etc.). The concept is used in the same context with such words as ratio, natura, prudentia, animus, sensus, mens, justitia, jus, etc. Like intellegentia, they are associated with the mental activity of a person, his soul, lifestyle or feelings. Less commonly, the concept is combined with negatively connoted words (avaritia, malitia, simulation or vitium) and partly opposed to them.