I propose to give an account of the life of Giordano Bruno... who was burnt under pretence of atheism, at Rome, in the year 1600 and of his works which are perhaps the scarcest books ever printed... The most industrious historians of speculative philosophy have not been able to procure more than a few of his works... out of eleven, the titles of which are preserved to us I have had an opportunity of perusing six.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Bruno documents the scarcity of his own works and the circumstances of his execution for alleged atheism.
- In plain terms
- Very few of Bruno's books remain, and he was executed in Rome in 1600.
- What can you take from it?
- Many historical works are lost, making surviving texts rare and valuable.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What is lost to history?
- How do we preserve ideas?
Another view
The claim of atheism was a pretext; his views were theological heresy.
More from Giordano Bruno
There is a real unity underlying each of his works; but all give the impression of disorder... Bruno lost no opportunity of keeping his readers awake by the od…
Permalink to quote #51 The real story of our times is seldom told in the horse-puckey-filled memoirs of dopey, self-serving presidents or generals, but in the outrageous, demented li…
Permalink to quote #53 Bruno is the first thinker who based the soul's duty to itself on its own nature: not on external authority, but on inner light... Of Bruno, as of Spinoza, it …
Permalink to quote #50
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