/lit/ - Literature

Read Marsilio Ficino. Not only does Ficino give you sophisticated Neoplatonic foundations, he's also extremely comfy to read (see pic related from his De Vita Libris Tres), not too hard to follow along, and a great theologian. It's a real shame how totally ignored his entire work is, even by Catholics, considering how historically crucial he was for the Renaissance with his near single-handed revival of Platonism.

To give you a good idea of what Ficino is like, in his life he was a priest, philosopher and physician, but he saw these professions as all one and the same. The physician healed and cultivated the body so it would flourish, the philosopher healed and cultivated the intellect and virtues so they would flourish, the priest healed and cultivated the soul so it would flourish. Naturally, his work is an integrated treatment of all three.

His main work is the Platonic Theology but it is massive. Read his commentaries on Plato which Arthur Farndell has published, and also to read Plato's Dialogues too. The most famous one of his commentaries is his one of the Symposium which is where we get the very notion of "Platonic Love". Farnell's published commentaries are split into a few small books
>Gardens of Philosophy (a bunch of smaller misc. commentaries - good entry point)
>On the Nature of Love (Symposium commentary - you could start here if you wanted)
>Evermore Shall be So (Parmenides commentary)
>All Things Natural (Timaeus commentary)
>When Philosophers Rule (Republic, Laws, Epinomis commentary)

For the commentaries, aside from the first book you would read them alongside the actual dialogues. Not mandatory, just highly reccomended. His Three Books on Life is also well worth reading. If you want to get really deep into Ficino, his letters are also available to read. Of course, read the Bible alongside Ficino, but also if this all very much interests you, read Plotinus and St. Thomas Aquinas too.

Let Ficino tend to your wounds, however deep they may be. Wisdom, health, and deification await you.

>>16947045
If you want life-affirming philosophy, Marsilio Ficino is your guy.

Not only does Ficino give you sophisticated Neoplatonic foundations, he's also extremely comfy to read (see pic related from his De Vita Libris Tres), not too hard to follow along, and a great theologian.

To give you a good idea of what Ficino is like, in his life he was a priest, philosopher and physician, but he saw these professions as all one and the same.

The physician healed and cultivated the body so it would flourish, the philosopher healed and cultivated the intellect and virtues so they would flourish, the priest healed and cultivated the soul so it would flourish. Naturally, his work is an integrated treatment of all three.

Let Ficino tend to your wounds anon, however deep they may be.

His main work is the Platonic Theology but it is massive. What I advise is to read his commentaries on Plato which Arthur Farndell has published, and also to read Plato's Dialogues too - which are all largely quite uplifting and life-affirming.

The most famous one of his commentaries is his one of the Symposium which is where we get the very notion of "Platonic Love".

Farndell's published commentaries are split into a few small books
>Gardens of Philosophy (a bunch of smaller misc. commentaries - good entry point)
>On the Nature of Love (Symposium commentary - you could start here if you wanted)
>Evermore Shall be So (Parmenides commentary)
>All Things Natural (Timaeus commentary)
>When Philosophers Rule (Republic, Laws, Epinomis commentary)

For the commentaries, aside from the first book you would read them alongside the actual dialogues. Not mandatory, just highly reccomended. His Three Books on Life is also well worth reading. If you want to get really deep into Ficino, his letters are also available to read.

I'd also recommend reading the Bible, but also if this all very much interests you, read Plotinus and St. Thomas Aquinas.

Chin up anon - wisdom, health, and deification await you.