Intellect and prudence. From episteme to politics in the theory of Christine de Pizan
Abstract
Christine de Pizan gives life to her “ideal ruler” based on the political Aristotelianism and its notion of the “architectonic”. Built as a living architecture of sciences, the wise king appears dominating the range of different knowledges ranging from the episteme to the practical knowledge. Theory and practice are thus at the basis of her construction of the political matter. But to what extent does the author devote herself to providing an explanation of the transfer of science, especially the speculative science to the practical record of political science? In other words, whether the king is distinguished by being a sage at the same time as an expert in the various sciences (philosophy-theology, astrology, grammar, dialectics, rhetoric, music, geometry, astronomy, arithmetic, and architecture), it is necessary to ask whether the author theorizes about this transfer from the theoretical to the practical that constitutes the essence of her thought. What is the medium for translating the episteme into the service of the State? In this regard, I argue that both prudence and understanding (intellect) seem to be the two components of the perfect wisdom that the writer combines into a perfect dyad; operation, which allows her to explain the transfer from all sciences to the political arena. Isn’t it thanks to this operation that the wise king of Christine de Pizan appears as the supreme intellect of the political community, embodied in the kingdom of France? Are not the sciences thus profitable in the service of the State?Downloads
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