Abstract
In this article, I propose that books I–VI of Bernardino Sahagún’s Códice florentino, which discuss the moral and religious philosophies of indigenous Mexicans, should be interpreted through the lens of Renaissance humanist linguistic and philosophical theories. I demonstrate that, utilizing Franciscan–Bonaventurean epistemology, Sahagún put forward a method of evangelizing that intended to separate “the good from the bad” in indigenous cultures. In an effort to defend my claim, I first lay out some of the problems surrounding the Códice florentino. Second, I describe the general theological and cosmological views held by the Aztecs, so that, third, I may develop the main principles of the philosophy of flor y canto (in xochitl in cuicatl). Against a political interpretation that is often defended by appealing to the traditional rituals performed in the Aztec empire, I contend that their philosophy should be interpreted from the perspective of Nahua religion and aesthetics. I also discuss Sahagún’s reception of Aztec philosophy in the Códice with a focus on his interest in the linguistic and empirical dimensions of Nahua religion.
Highlights
Bernardino de Sahagún was born in Spain in 1499 and died in Mexico in 1590
The task undertaken by Bernardino de Sahagún was to document and classify Nahua religion, rhetoric, and beliefs following the Bonaventurean–Franciscan tradition that sustains that God expresses his will in the created world; the task for Sahagún was to describe Nahua culture in order to neatly separate the will of God from the deviations observed in their culture
The Códice florentino is proof that Sahagún considered that the religion and rhetoric of the ancient Nahuas reflected the goodness of the divine Word despite the fact that such truths were presented in the absence of evangelical law
Summary
Bernardino de Sahagún was born in Spain in 1499 and died in Mexico in 1590. He belonged to the Order of the Franciscans and is widely considered Mexico’s “primer nahuatlata” (first student of the Nahua culture and language). In the Códice florentino, it is clear that Sahagún thinks of human understanding and divine understanding as equal in potency He thought that familiarizing himself with the religions specific to indigenous societies would allow him to teach the indigenous how to separate “the good from the bad”, two categories that had been confused by Nahua religion for as long as evangelical law had been absent in America. The result of his proposal is a dynamic philosophy and preaching (Bonaventure 1882, 1999; Delbosco 2010; Lázaro Pulido and Bordoy Fernández 2019) Adopting this epistemology and metaphysics of creation in the Códice, Sahagún aims to distinguish “the good from the bad” (according to his perspective) from Nahua paideia in order to carry out his evangelical mission. The linguistic interests of 16th century Spanish Renaissance humanists contributed positively to this endeavor, since, due to the interest in the rhetoric and grammar of his time, Sahagún was able to invoke arguments that he considered effective and, with these, devise a plan suited to his purposes
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