Melanchthon: Orations on Philosophy and Education

This volume, first published in 1999, presents a translated and wide-ranging selection of Melanchthon's influential academic orations.

Melanchthon (Author), Sachiko Kusukawa (Edited by), Christine F. Salazar (Translated by)

9780521583503, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 22 April 1999

314 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 1.9 cm, 0.59 kg

"For providing more than the title indicates, and doing so very competently, both editor and translator are to be thanked and congradulated." Sixteenth Century Journal

Philip Melanchthon (1497–1560), humanist and colleague of Martin Luther, is best known for his educational reforms, for which he earned the title Praeceptor Germaniae (the Teacher of Germany). His most influential form of philosophical writing was the academic oration, and this volume, first published in 1999, presents a large and wide-ranging selection of his orations and textbook prefaces translated into English. They set out his views on the distinction between faith and reason, the role of philosophy in education, moral philosophy, natural philosophy, astronomy and astrology, and the importance of philosophy to a true Christian, as well as his views on Classical philosophical authorities such as Plato and Aristotle and on contemporaries such as Erasmus and Luther. Powerfully influential in their time, inspiring many Protestant students to study philosophy, mathematics and natural philosophy, they illuminate the relationship between Renaissance and Reformation thought.

Acknowledgements
Introduction
Chronology
Further reading
Note on the text
Part I. The Scope of Education: 1. On the order of learning
2. On the role of schools
3. On the distinction between the Gospel and philosophy
Part II. The Arts Course: 4. On the study of languages
5. Preface to Homer
6. On the usefulness of fables
7. Praise of eloquence
8. Preface to Cicero's On Duties
9. Preface to the Questions on Dialectics
10. Preface to arithmetic
11. Preface to geometry
12. Preface to On the Sphere
13. On astronomy and geography
14. The dignity of astrology
15. On philosophy
16. On natural philosophy
17. Dedicatory letter to the Epitome of Moral Philosophy
18. Preface to the Commentary on the Soul
19. Preface to the Book on the Soul
20. On anatomy
Part III. The Higher Faculties: 21. On the merit of the art of medicine
22. On the merit of laws
23. On the merit of studying theology
Part IV. Authorities: 24. On Plato
25. On Aristotle
26. On the life of Galen
27. On the life of Avicenna
28. On the life of Rudolf Agricola
29. On Johannes Regiomontanus
30. On Erasmus of Rotterdam
31. At Luther's funeral
Index.

Subject Areas: Western philosophy: Medieval & Renaissance, c 500 to c 1600 [HPCB]