THE "APOLOGY" BY PIETRO POMPONAZZI. A GUIDE TO READING

In 1518, the Aristotelian philosopher Pietro Pomponazzi (1462-1525) published his Apologia. This text was his response to the enormous scandal raised by his De immortalitate animae, where he defended the thesis that natural reason cannot offer arguments in favor of the immortality of the soul. This paper analyzes some of the contents of this book and shows that, in spite of all the criticism that Pomponazzi received from both clerical authorities and other Aristotelians, he did not substantially change his mind during the two years from the De immortalitate to the Apologia.