Benedetto Varchi e l’averroismo

Benedetto Varchi and Averroism. The article examines the role played by Averroes and the Averroist tradition in Benedetto Varchi’s philosophical works. The first part clarifies why Varchi defines Dante as an “Averroist” and reconstructs his original reading of the first verse in Paradise (Paradiso). The second part argues that Varchi’s plan to vernacularize philosophy, often interpreted as an attempt to “democratize” knowledge, should not prevent us from recognizing that he emphasizes the moral and intellectual differences existing among human beings. Though following Aristotle in saying that “all men by nature desire to know”, Varchi shows no qualms in acknowledging that most of them cannot fulfil this desire and, referring to Averroes and Galen, claims that because of their complexio most people cannot understand philosophy.