著者

苫米地 武俊

出版者

イタリア学会

雑誌

イタリア学会誌 (ISSN:03872947)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.27, pp.48-63, 1979

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Magic and the cabala are usually not regarded as important elements in the thought of Pico della Mirandola. Perhaps this is because his interest in religion has never been properly appreciated, though his deep religiousness appears explicitly in almost all his writings and his thought reveals a strong tendency toward possession of the sublime. Even his famous theme on the dignity of man is characterized by a mystical passion. Magic and the cabala are important elements of his religiousness, though their roles differ. Through a process of purification, Pico seeks sheer "natural magic, " by which man can grasp divine law and comprehend the force of providence in nature. Thus man as magus has a productive power as if he were the Creator himself, and he learns to admire God ardently. The cabala, however, is significant because of its mytic tradition. Pico accepts an anagogical interpretation of the Scriptures which provides a fundamentaly new confirmation of Christianity. In brief, magic reveals the divine miracle in nature and conducts man to the worship of God, while the cabala offers the true interpretation of the Scriptures and clarifies the deep significance of Christianity. We should recognize that Pico's religious mentality led him to respect and admire both magic and the cabala.