Antyczne źródła renesansowej teorii afektów
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Date
2012
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Wydawnictwo Poznańskiego Towarzystwa Przyjaciół Nauk
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Ancient origins of the Renaissance theory of affects
Abstract
The article presents the Renaissance theory of affects, referring to its root in antiquity: the theory of four temperaments
was created by Hippocrates and Galen. Furthermore, the article discusses individual bodily fluids
and their interrelations that occur (with seasons of the year or stages of life), their influence on man’s dispositions,
moreover, it shows interrelation with “psychology of character” and “nature of temperaments”. The
topic of humanistic fascinations of Renaissance doctors is also mentioned (exemplified by works of Wojciech
Oczko, Józef Struś, Wojciech Naborowski), they were often creators of poetic writings and those who were
fascinated by antique culture of literature, philosophy and medicine.
Description
The article deals with the reception of the ancient humoral theory in Polish works of the Renaissance.
The reconstruction of the humoral theory is analyzed from its roots – medical schools
of Knidos and Kos, through activities of Hippocrates, and especially with the use of Galen’s
“concept of tetrads”. Furthermore, following ideas are discussed: the isolation of four bodily fluids:
blood, yellow bile, black bile and mucus with its qualities (dryness, moistness, coldness and
warmth), the four elements, four seasons and four stages of life, up to the quattuor humores theory
as “the theory of macrocosm – microcosm”. The presentation of the foundation of theories is to
show the relations and interrelations between the flow of bodily fluids and the affects, additionally
‘contamination’ of moods is pointed out as a probable source of hysterias, with Vitello’s concept
of visual sensation as caused by madness.
Polemic reference to the humoral theory suggested by Paracelsus is also depicted, it outlines
innovative and complex character of his work within the main premises of Renaissance medicine.
An essential context of the article is the display of humanistic inclinations of Renaissance people
of medicine, whose written works became the source-based work for Wojciech Oczko (among
other things his staging of “The Dismissal of the Greek Envoys” by Jan Kochanowski), Józef Struś
(with the special emphasis on his poetic works) or Wojciech Nowopolski (concentrating, among
other things, on his translations of Erasmus of Rotterdam and Greek literature lectures) and medical
fascinations of Renaissance writers, for example, Daniel Naborowski.
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Keywords
Antiquity, medicine, affects, temperament, Renaissance, humanism
Citation
Symbolae Philologorum Posnaniensium, 2012, nr XXII/1, s. 145-166
ISBN
978-83-7654-082-5