Marsilio Ficino (Western Esoteric Masters)

Marsilio Ficino is perhaps one of the most overlooked figures of the Italian Renaissance. I have long been interested in the relationship between Platonism and Christianity and just completed my MA dissertation on the topic. While I focused more on the early influence of Neoplatonism on Augustine of Hippo it was Ficino's work that first highlighted the importance of the relating Greek philosophy and the Christian religion. This volume focuses more on Ficino's astrological thought and contains his fascinating Book of the Sun which is a must read for anyone who wants to learn of the analogy of the sun and God. Ficino had to tread a fine line between the Church's suspicious attitude towards astrology and Platonism and his own passion for the topics, the passages that Voss chose offer a good insight into this dilemma. I completed a module with Dr. Voss at the University of Exeter and she is an expert on Ficinian astrology. A great read and a great introduction to this great man who deserves far more attention.

There is a very good biographical introduction to Marisilio Ficino, his world, and contemporaries in this book. Anyone who studies the Renaissance, the history of Italy, and is even seeking some background into later European history absolutely needs to become familiar with and attempt to understand Ficino and his influences. It is a reasonably well balanced portrayal of Ficino's beliefs and his impact through his translations of Plato, the Neoplatonists, Hermes, etc. Obviously, it is Ficino as the older scholar who sets the ground for Pico's later syncretism which influences concepts of human dignity beyond their immediate sphere of influence in Italy and then later the Northern humanists. Great book!

The introduction to this book is very well written and shows a thoughtful understanding of Ficino's life work. This is a beautiful and inspiring book!

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A good, useful translation and the preface by Angela Voss extremely informative and enlightening!!!

This was not an easy read, though the introduction was good. You would have to be really into Fino to enjoy it

This book is a superb and portable volume of some of Ficino's main writings. It has various epistles, a good selection from De vita coelitus comparanda, and the entire Book of the Sun. Reasonably priced and highly readable, it is good for scholar and amateur alike, with a concise introduction by Angela Voss that itself is worth the price of the book. If you are interested in the course of human thought in European civilization, do yourself a favor. Buy this book.

FOR ANY ONE WHO IS PRIVILEDGED TO KNOW OF FICINO, PLEASE REMEMBER THAT HE WAS A REN-MAN, PHYSICIAN; WHEN OUR MEDICAL DOCTORS BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND THE 7 BODIES-THEN, HEALING WILL BEGIN.

O livro é tudo que ele promete ser. Muito satisfeito

Concise and informative, but felt the way Voss's own interest in Astrology rather coloured her editing of information about Ficino, so he comes across as a philosopher whose interests were dominated by his interest in astrology. It is true that Astrology provided a terminological system for expressing much of his interests, but his vision was much wider than just one approach, so in this respect I do not feel Voss does him justice.

great bookprompt delivery item as described thanks