5 ms·

I think they specifically said “helped”, you’re the one that said single-handedly. I didn’t think any of what he said was nonsense, I found it pretty fascinatin

I think they specifically said “helped”, you’re the one that said single-handedly. I didn’t think any of what he said was nonsense, I found it pretty fascinating, as I did yours. I doubt they meant anything inflammatory by it.

teleforce 5y ago
Is this statement make sense to you, "large set of manuscripts were brought by the great Plethon to Cosimo d’Medici. Marsilio Ficino’s translation of Greek classics into Latin—like the complete works of Plato and the Hermetica". This is just one single guy compared to the two Muslim empires that thrived on the Greek and other civilizations knowledge that really contributed to the Renaissance movement. Plethon lived during 14th and 15th century before the fall of Byzantine empire and if you want to credit one guy it should be Averroes (Ibnu Rush) who lived in the 12th century, at least two centuries before Plethon. He was highly regarded by the western scholar as the next Philosopher after Aristotle but not so much in the muslim world. He definitely has access to the Greek works including by Plato and Aristotle. I would say his many translations, commentaries and original works of more than 100 books were instrumentals in re-awakening the western European interest in Greek thinkers, an area of study that widely has been abandoned after the fall of original Roman Empire (not Byzantine) [1]. These do not include the numerous Greek, Chinese and Indian translations, and further contributions of Abbasid empire's scholars (Averroes belongs to the Muslim Spain empire) that includes the well-known House of Wisdoms but later was burnt down in the 13th CE by the Mongols. It's said that the river in Baghdad turn into blue due to the inks of the disposed books. Some of the books managed to escape the utter destructions from copying and circulations in the Muslim Spain and other part of the Abbasid empire that really helped the Renaissance movement later on. [1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Averroes https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Averroes
- dr_dshiv 5y ago
  Among those who really made a difference, check out the Brethren of Purity. English translation of their encyclopedia is coming out this year. There is a ton of work needed in Arabic and not enough scholarship. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Encyclopedia_of_the_Brethren_of_Purity https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Encyclopedia_of_the_Brethren_o... But, yeah, I’ll stand up for old Marsilio’s influence any day. The story is amazing.
  - teleforce 5y ago
    Thanks for the link, didn't know about it before. Amazing how this normal human beings like this one and Averroes can write volumes upon volumes of books and treatises during their lifetime wihout much help from the modern technology and the Internet. I cannot even write a single book so far, probably need to spend less time on HN I guess. Got to love this quote from the Encyclopedia "Turn from the sleep of negligence and the slumber of ignorance, for the world is a house of delusion and tribulations". Regarding the origin of the Renaissance era please check my other comments on the potential root of the Italian Renaissance movement.

teleforce 5y ago

Is this statement make sense to you, "large set of manuscripts were brought by the great Plethon to Cosimo d’Medici. Marsilio Ficino’s translation of Greek classics into Latin—like the complete works of Plato and the Hermetica". This is just one single guy compared to the two Muslim empires that thrived on the Greek and other civilizations knowledge that really contributed to the Renaissance movement. Plethon lived during 14th and 15th century before the fall of Byzantine empire and if you want to credit one guy it should be Averroes (Ibnu Rush) who lived in the 12th century, at least two centuries before Plethon. He was highly regarded by the western scholar as the next Philosopher after Aristotle but not so much in the muslim world. He definitely has access to the Greek works including by Plato and Aristotle. I would say his many translations, commentaries and original works of more than 100 books were instrumentals in re-awakening the western European interest in Greek thinkers, an area of study that widely has been abandoned after the fall of original Roman Empire (not Byzantine) [1]. These do not include the numerous Greek, Chinese and Indian translations, and further contributions of Abbasid empire's scholars (Averroes belongs to the Muslim Spain empire) that includes the well-known House of Wisdoms but later was burnt down in the 13th CE by the Mongols. It's said that the river in Baghdad turn into blue due to the inks of the disposed books. Some of the books managed to escape the utter destructions from copying and circulations in the Muslim Spain and other part of the Abbasid empire that really helped the Renaissance movement later on. [1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Averroes https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Averroes

dr_dshiv 5y ago
Among those who really made a difference, check out the Brethren of Purity. English translation of their encyclopedia is coming out this year. There is a ton of work needed in Arabic and not enough scholarship. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Encyclopedia_of_the_Brethren_of_Purity https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Encyclopedia_of_the_Brethren_o... But, yeah, I’ll stand up for old Marsilio’s influence any day. The story is amazing.
- teleforce 5y ago
  Thanks for the link, didn't know about it before. Amazing how this normal human beings like this one and Averroes can write volumes upon volumes of books and treatises during their lifetime wihout much help from the modern technology and the Internet. I cannot even write a single book so far, probably need to spend less time on HN I guess. Got to love this quote from the Encyclopedia "Turn from the sleep of negligence and the slumber of ignorance, for the world is a house of delusion and tribulations". Regarding the origin of the Renaissance era please check my other comments on the potential root of the Italian Renaissance movement.