Renaissance Cicero. The 'economic' virtues of De Officiis I, 22 in some sixteenth century commentaries

Abstract

The article concentrates on some commentaries on Cicero's passage of De Officiis I: 22. Extolling the solidarity of human society, Cicero stresses its utilitarian aspects, illustrating the common bond of mutual advantage provided by collaboration and exchange of goods and services. The Italian commentators, especially Pietro Marso, give special emphasis to an economic interpretation of this passage, in the light of some Aristotelian concepts about money and exchange. According to whether utilities or benefits are concerned, a double interpretation of exchange emerges, connected with the concept of distributive justice which applies both to beneficence/charity and to the allocation of privileges.