The World of Justus Lipsius: A Contribution Towards his Intellectual Biography. (Reviews).Marc Laureys, ed., The World of Justus Lipsius Justus Lipsius, Joost Lips or Josse Lips (October 18, 1547 — March 23 1606), was a Flemish philologist and humanist. Lipsius wrote a series of works designed to revive ancient Stoicism in a form that would be compatible with Christianity. : A Contribution Towards his Intellectual Biography Brussels and Rome: The Belgian Historical Institute in Rome, 1998. 452 pp. n.p. ISBN ISBN abbr. International Standard Book Number ISBN International Standard Book Number ISBN n abbr (= International Standard Book Number) → ISBN m : 90-74461-26-3. This wonderfully rich volume represents the proceedings of a colloquium col·lo·qui·um n. pl. col·lo·qui·ums or col·lo·qui·a 1. An informal meeting for the exchange of views. 2. An academic seminar on a broad field of study, usually led by a different lecturer at each meeting. held under the auspices of the Belgian Historical Institute in Rome in May of 1997, to honor the 450th anniversary of Lipsius' birth. The purpose of both the colloquium and the volume, as the title suggests, is to provide the foundation for an intellectual biography of one of the premier humanists This is a partial list of famous humanists, including both secular and religious humanists.
The result is distinctly different from the kind of intellectual biography that is the product of one scholar, taking his or her subject from youth chronologically through adulthood and maturity. With the input of so many scholars, readers finish the volume with a complex picture, which is perhaps most appropriate for a man whose life was as marked by reversals as Lipsius. The most notable is his defection from and subsequent return to Catholicism, explored here through its reflections in Lipsius' epistolary e·pis·to·lar·y adj. 1. Of or associated with letters or the writing of letters. 2. Being in the form of a letter: epistolary exchanges. 3. relationships. Werner Thomas' "Martin Antonio Delrio and Justus Lipsius" is a bold indictment of Lipsius' self-fashioning in a relationship which, under the masquerade of friendship, was founded on mutual distrust, even hatred, for the sake of advancing the respective interests of both parties. Thomas concludes, "Behind the image of the great philosopher that Lipsius had created obviously hid a small person" (366). For most of the contributors to the volume, however, Lipsius evokes admiration for his scholarly achievements. Marc Laureys' comparison of Lipsius and Pighius attributes Lipsius' far greater importance as a scholar to his struggle to turn his scholarly interests to practical effect, in contrast with Pighius' more antiquarian an·ti·quar·i·an n. One who studies, collects, or deals in antiquities. adj. 1. Of or relating to antiquarians or to the study or collecting of antiquities. 2. Dealing in or having to do with old or rare books. interests. Yet the limits of Lipsius' Stoic philosophy are poignantly apparent in Mark Morford's discussion of his influence on the painter Pieter Paul Rubens, who found himself unable to achieve Stoic apatheia upon the loss of his first wife and daughter. As Morford remarks, "Lipsius had in his life repeatedly failed the test of Stoic constantia, but he never was as candid as Pieter Paul in dealing with the inadequacies of Stoic doctrine" (398). Other essays provide charming personal details personal details npl (on form etc) → coordonnées fpl personal details person npl → Personalien pl personal details of Lipsius' life, for example, Jeanine De Landtsheer's essay on Lipsius' "flourishing friendship" with his fellow-gardener, Carolus Clusius, which begins, "'When one associates the names of Justus Lipsius and Carolus Clusius, the very first thought is about bulbs and plants" (273). Chris L. Heesakkers' account of Justus Lipsius' relationship with the Dousa family of Leiden reveals him as a tender and loving friend, particularly to Elisabeth, the mother of the family, whom Lipsius treated with warm, affectionate respect. Elisabeth's letter to Lipsius mourning his ultimate departure is reproduced in full as an appendix. Throughout his life Lipsius labored under the shadow of illustrious predecessors in the earlier part of the century, most notably Erasmus. Philip Ford's essay, "Justus Lipsius and Sir Philip Sidney
Sir Philip Sidney (November 30, 1554 – October 17, 1586) became one of the Elizabethan Age's most prominent figures. ," takes pains to explore how Lipsius' De pronunciatione can be seen as a true emulation of Erasmus' De recta rec·ta n. A plural of rectum. latini graecique sermonis pronuntiatione dialogus, incorporating the strengths of the earlier work and at the same time surpassing it. Other highlights of the volume include Jozef Ijsewijn's comparison of Lipsius with Marcantonio Mureto, concluding that the two had distinctly divergent gifts, the former more erudite er·u·dite adj. Characterized by erudition; learned. See Synonyms at learned. [Middle English erudit, from Latin and the latter more given to explore the artistic qualities of the Latin language Latin language, member of the Italic subfamily of the Indo-European family of languages. Latin was first encountered in ancient times as the language of Latium, the region of central Italy in which Rome is located (see Italic languages). . Arthur Eyffinger's comparison between Lipsius and the younger Grotius also marks divergent paths for these two scholars, in this case between political theory and law. The volume's many painstaking pains·tak·ing adj. Marked by or requiring great pains; very careful and diligent. See Synonyms at meticulous. n. Extremely careful and diligent work or effort. reflections of Lipsius in the mirrors of contemporaries and predecessors has the ultimate effect of clarifying Lipsius ' achievements and their place in intellectual history. |
|
||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion