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| Albrecht Dürer ~ Fortuna |
Keynote address: Dilwyn Knox (University College London).
Respondent: Stephen Clucas (Birkbeck, University of London)
The aim of the colloquium is to explore the significance of the concepts of fate and fortune in Renaissance thought. While having a significant medieval background in theological texts and in The Consolation of Philosophy and other philosophical treatises, these concepts received new interpretations during the Renaissance period. The cause was a renewed interest in Cicero’s treatises, as well as in Alexander of Aphrodisias and Stoic philosophy. On the other hand, the question of fate and fortune seems to be closely related to religious disputes of the sixteenth century.
Hopefully, the colloquium will contribute to a better understanding of these concepts and their crucial role in the history of Renaissance thought. Despite some valuable publications on the topic, a number of its aspects still remain unclear. The interdisciplinary character of the conference would allow to explore the place of fortune and fate in religious, philosophical and artistic contexts in the Renaissance.
A number of fundamental questions will be addressed including:
- The classical tradition and its contribution to the (re)consideration of these concepts in the Renaissance
- Renaissance Stoicism and the reception of Alexander of Aphrodisias
- Religious controversies in the sixteenth century and the disputes on free will, fate and fortune in theological texts.
- Determinism
- Fate and fortune in respect of controversies on astrology and magic in the Renaissance
- The image of fate and fortune in Renaissance art
