a doubtful law does not bind -- Second corollary : uncertain law cannot impose certain obligation -- Commentary on the Treatise on conscience.

SummaryThe Enlightened theory of civilisation was expressed through the formula of ‘doux commerce’, a form of commerce which acknowledged the need for the European conquest of non-European lands and nations, and the opportunity to bring European civilisation to other peoples without violence. Montesquieu was the first to express this idea, condemning the Spanish conquest and empire. In the Histoire des deux Indes, this idea was dramatically discussed: Raynal wanted to defend it; Diderot dismantled this project showing that civilisation was but (...) the mask of violent conquest. In this way the latter offered an extraordinary refutation of both Enlightened ideology and its strategy of civilisation. (shrink)

One of the key concepts in XVIII century political thought was despotism. Also Diderot utilised this complex idea. According to him, who followed Hobbes and Montesquieu, despotism was the result of the love of power, which was able to bring forth the passion of fear in the society. In this sense, Machiavelli belonged to this line of reflection: like that of Hobbes, his system was intended to show the danger of despotism and to learn the true foundation of natural law. (...) But rethinking this paradox Diderot was led to elaborate a new theory of despotism, no longer based on the mechanism of power. His interpretation of Machiavelli – and Hobbes – had opened up a new perspective, which did not move from the enigma of power – Machiavelli's and Hobbes’ chief concern – but from the nature of subjection. Along this path Diderot came across de la Boëtie's Discours de la servitude volontaire, which explained the origin of despotism in a different way. Despotism was not the result of the passion of fear, but of that of interest. The discussion of these two different ideas of despotism led Diderot to a new perspective from which he answered the problem of liberty in an original way. (shrink)

v. 1. Compendium logicae. Apologeticus de ratione poeticae artis. Trattato contra li astrologi -- v. 2. Compendium philosophiae naturalis, Compendium philosophiae moralis.

Des « libertés» proclamées en 1789 à la loi sur la librairie de 1810, les dynamiques qui traversent le monde de l'imprimé constituent encore un des objets les plus originaux pour renouveler l'histoire des savoirs d'une période révolutionnaire riche en bouleversements institutionnels et en mutations épistémologiques. Dans la perspective d'une histoire sociale des savoirs, l'analyse des actions construites par et dans l'imprimé permet de préciser la compréhension des transformations sociales, institutionnelles et théoriques qui caractérisent cette période. Alors que le chantier (...) reste encore largement ouvert, il s'agit de présenter ici quelques jalons d'une analyse visant à replacer l'imprimé au coeur des interrogations sur les mutations des sociabilités, des identités et des productions intellectuelles en Révolution. (shrink)

O trabalho apresenta um estudo analítico do tema das formas de governo, no pensamento político de Girolamo Savonarola, a partir de Tratatto circa il regimento e governo dela città di Firenze. Parte-se da metodologia bobbiana, analisando-se o tema sob três perspectivas simultâneas: sistemática, axiológica e teleológica. The work presents an analytical study of the theme of the forms of government in the political thought of Girolamo Savonarola, based on his Tratatto circa il regimento e governo dela città di (...) Firenze. Using Bobbio's methodology, the theme is analyzed from three simultaneous perspectives: the systematical, the axiological, and the teleological. (shrink)

Neste trabalho, analisamos a argumentação de Girolamo Cardano presente em De subtilitate, no Livro II, em que o autor questiona a teoria dos quatro elementos. Conforme Cardano, o fogo não deveria mais ser considerado um elemento, mas apenas o ar, a água e a terra. Consideramos a maioria dos argumentos discutidos, mas nosso foco está naquele argumento de que Cardano lançou mão do processo de destilação para negar ao fogo um lugar entre os elementos. Para atingir nossos objetivos consideramos (...) também outras duas obras de Cardano: De rerum varietate e De secretis. Em De rerum varietate, encontramos estudos sobre o fogo e sobre a destilação que são relevantes para nossa análise. Por sua vez, em De secretis, identificamos considerações de Cardano sobre a forma com que investigava questões de filosofia natural. Entre outras discussões, procuramos destacar que Cardano unia em suas investigações teoria e prática, o que refletia um contexto bem determinado de uma “ciência” de caráter mais operativo, marcada pela magia natural. (shrink)