Giovanni Pico Della Mirandola on the Conflict of Philosophy and Rhetoric

Abstract

In April of 1485 Ermalao Barbaro wrote to Pico 1 a letter in which he sharply criticizes the scholastic philosophers as being rude, dull, uncultured, barbarians. He did not deny them genius and learning, though his concession is grudging. But he categorically denies them immortality as authors, for it is a shining and elegant, at least a pure and chaste style, which confers immortal reputation on an author. He did not doubt but they dealt with good subject matter; but this would not save their reputations, unless indeed bad poets should be honored as Homers and Virgils because they had the same matter of song. Barbaro's criticism takes up about a third of his letter-a fact which he had apparently forgotten when he wrote his long reply to Pico. In this reply he complains that Pico has pounced on some things he had said, in a mere corner of his letter, about contemporary barbarian philosophers. It is, however, quite possible that he had not considered his criticism of the scholastics an important part of his letter, and that the heavier burden of it was a criticism of Pico. While complimenting him effusively Barbaro drops remarks which betray dissatisfaction with his style. The attack upon the scholastics may have been a mere elaboration of remarks on the importance of Greek letters; it may also have been intended as a way of holding up a mirror for Pico to see himself as he will be if he is not careful. I am more inclined to favor the latter view. Thus the letter would declare the scholastics as passe-despite their matter-because they did not produce a literature in classical form; and Pico is warned that he is headed for oblivion for a similar reason. This would account for the nature of Pico's famous letter of June, 1485. On the one hand, its style is in the best literary tradition; it