Villa Speranza

Sunday, May 10, 2026

contemporary of mine whose name I cannot remember; it was the name of some English county, so let us call him 'Shropshire. His career at Oxford did not last very long; an unsurprising fact—given that, at an early philosophy tutorial, he claimed that the immortality of the soul is proved by the fact that, if you cut off a chicken's head, the chicken will run round the yard for a quarter of an hour before dropping

If the soul is not dependent on the body, it is immortal. If the soul is dependent on the body, it is dependent on that part of the body in which it is located. If the soul is located in the body, it is located in the head. If the chicken's soul were located in its head, the chicken's soul would be destroyed if the head were rendered inoperative by removal from the body. The chicken runs round the yard after head-removal. It could do this only if animated, and controlled by its soul. So the chicken's soul is not located in, and not dependent on, the chicken's head. So the chicken's soul is not dependent on the chicken's body. So the chicken's soul is immortal. 12 1. Reason and Reasoning If the chicken's soul is immortal, a fortiori the human soul is immortal. So the soul is immortal.

If the soul is not dependent on the body, it is immortal.

If the soul is dependent on the body, it is dependent on that part of the body in which it is located.

If the soul is located in the body, it is located in the head.

If the chicken's soul were located in its head, the chicken's soul would be destroyed if the head were rendered inoperative by removal from the body.

The chicken runs round the yard after head-removal.

It could do this only if animated, and controlled by its soul.

So the chicken's soul is not located in, and not dependent on, the chicken's head.

So the chicken's soul is not dependent on the chicken's body.

So the chicken's soul is immortal.

1. Reason and Reasoning

If the chicken's soul is immortal, a fortiori the human soul is immortal.

So the soul is immortal.

Wednesday, May 6, 2026

In Thomas Fowler’s edition of the Novum Organum, the primary reference to Bernardino Telesio as the "first of the moderns" (novorum hominum primus) occurs on page 13 of the Introduction. [1, 2]

In this section, Fowler discusses the "precursors of Bacon" and specifically highlights Telesio's role in breaking with Aristotelian tradition. Fowler notes:

The Quote's Origin: He cites Bacon’s own words from De Principiis atque Originibus, where Bacon describes Telesio as "novorum hominum primus" (the first of the new men).
Significance: Fowler explains that Telesio is "the first of the moderns who made any successful attempt to construct a system of philosophy on a physical basis," serving as a bridge between the Scholastics and Bacon's inductive method.
Additional References: Telesio is also mentioned in Fowler's detailed notes on the text, particularly in relation to Book I, Aphorism 116, where Bacon critiques those who have attempted to create "new systems of the universe." [1, 2]

Would you like the full Latin text of the quote as it appears in Fowler's notes?

Le risposte dell'AI potrebbero contenere errori.

yes

In his 1889 edition of Novum Organum, Thomas Fowler highlights Francis Bacon’s characterization of Bernardino Telesio by quoting a specific Latin phrase, often citing it within his introductory notes on Bacon's influences. This quote, which identifies Telesio as the "first of the new men" and a pioneer against Aristotelian thought, is sourced directly from Bacon’s De Principiis atque Originibus.

GRICE E TRASILLO

Trasillo (Roma): la ragione conversazionale del principe filosofo -- Roma – filosofia italiana – Grice italo (Roma). Abstract. Keywords. philosophus rex, Antonino. Filosofo italiano. the philosophy teacher or tutor of emperor TIBERIO. A Pythagorean and member of the Accademia. Tiberio, principe filosofo. GRICEVS: O TRASILĪ, audīvī tē Tiberiō principī magistrum fuisse, Pythagoricum quidem atque Academiae socium. Dic mihi: num “philosophus rēx” apud Rōmānōs rēs vera est, an tantum titulus splendidus? TRASILĪVS: GRICEVE, titulus splendēre potest, sed rēs difficilis est. Princeps saepe vult sapientiam, sed etiam vult imperium; ego autem eum docēbam ut prius animum regere disceret quam populum. GRICEVS: Bene; sed apud Oxoniēnsēs, “princeps philosophus” saepe implicat “princeps loquācissimus.” Si Tiberius tacet, num id ipsum aliquid significat—velut maxima “Quantitātis” servāta? TRASILĪVS: Ita hercle! Apud Tiberium silentium interdum est responsum—et interdum periculum. Philosophia eum monuit: noli nimis dīcere, sed etiam noli nūllum dīcere. Nam si princeps semper tacet, subditī omnia intellegunt—praesertim quod numquam dictum est.

Rethores etiam iltorum inftar orationum fuarum partes fia bi proportionatis locis conuenienti numero afai-griant, alioqui quid prius, quidg3 polterius dicen-dum effer nefcientes, inconcinnam & ablonă red-derent oronem: veruracum iam ofa fine Propor-tionis rõne probauerimus non recte polle exerceri, Quis Dialecticos ad fyllogifnorum vericarem -demonftrãdam,multa pportionis aur mathe/cos natüram ac vim redoléna, a Mathematicis neget fumpliffe pręceptionibus ‹ Quis tandem originé acfundamentum ofum liberalium artium Gram. ; maticam, dum nobis menfuram quandă in fylla» bis recte fcribendis, ac proterendis, graut, acuto, circunflexogs accentibus fuppeditat a Proportio-nis legibusionge differre neger certe nemo voğ, mill aur barbarus, aur imperitus.