“Oration on the Dignity of Man”: Historical Context

Subject: History
Pages: 1
Words: 261
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Oration on the Dignity of Man reflects the aspects of historical perspective. His manuscript provides the explanation for the importance of the human search for knowledge in a neo-platonic structure. His thinking had a deep inspiration on arts assisting essayists and artists from their medieval task as mere craftsman to the renaissance ideal of the painter as intellect. Pico’s manuscripts linked with early Christian, medieval and Renaissance thought. His text is a good example of humanist syncretism because it discusses Neoplatonism, Hermaticism, Platonism, Aristotelianism and Kabbalah. According to Christian tradition human beings are created free by God and envisioned to be free and self-governing. But “this freedom was lost when Adam and Eve sinned by disobeying god.”

Pico Della Mirandola was specifically concerned about the Cabala, a spiritual principle based on abstruse analysis of the Hebrew text of Old Testament. Pico interpreted that the Cabala agreed with the belief of the Christian faith and with the necessary teaching of the Greeks. The Cabala as well carried with it mysterious principles that drew upon the powers derived from angels, from the name of God, and from the Hebrew language which was considered sanctified. Pico’s manuscript has been called “the great charter of Renaissance Magic.” Pico executes the accomplishment of unification Christianity with magic. Pico found out that this method of magic has been learned and practiced by Greeks, Arabs, Persians and Christians. These mysterious things contemplate the miracles of God and direct to the love and devotion of Him.