ABSTRACT
Lik e other characteristics of the traditiona l Renaissance, the image of man's individualis m and central place in the universe has been undermined . We are now tol d that concepts of individualism , or 'the self, were familia r fro m the thirteent h century onwards , thanks to the innovatio n of annual confession that encouraged introspectiv e selfanalysis. Moreover , Pico's image of man's central place i n the universe - we are also told - was anticipated by St Augustine , according to who m man formed the lin k between the celestial spheres above him , throug h his spirit , and the four earthly elements below, throug h his body . It was because Christian s lik e St Augustin e inherite d so many lateantiqu e ideas about the universe that their re-assimilation in the Renaissance was possible. For ancient philosopher s were though t to share an understandin g of the same religiou s truth , as Frances Yates explains in describing how Cosimo de' Medic i wanted a manuscrip t of the supposed writing s of the Egyptian magus, Hermes Trismegistus, translated before he died . 'It is an extraordinar y situation . There are the complete work s of Plato, waiting , and they must wai t whils t Ficino quickl y translates Hermes' [163 p. 13].
