Contrary powers and directed movement

Use in the book

A body, simple or composite, has determinate qualities: hot or cold, dry or moist, light or heavy, rare or dense, fluid or solid, white or black. Ficino assumes that it acts according to this fixed character and does not generate the contrary effect precisely through the contrary quality. Soul, by contrast, arrests and moves, contracts and extends, rarefies and condenses, sharpens and dulls, opens and closes, liquefies and solidifies. The list supplies differentiated evidence for a power not restricted to one bodily quality.

The historical physiology gives that point directional force. Soul sends light spirits down to the feet and heavy humours up to the head, and moves the body upward, downward, sideways and in a circle against the natural inclinations attributed to its elements. The inference concerns governance of contraries, not a claim that the soul is simultaneously hot and cold in the same respect. Nor should the passage’s categorical physics be treated as modern mechanics. The range of actions is supposed to exceed both body and a quality distributed through body.

Places to read

1. VI.11.2Contrary qualities, regulatory verbs, products and spatial directions form four connected but distinct series.
2. VI.12.19Directions later acquire explicitly psychic analogues rather than bodily meanings.

Translation in this edition

The English translates every pair separately. The qualification omnes ferme, “almost all,” in the closing summary should remain: Ficino’s rhetoric of range is not an unrestricted claim that the soul can produce absolutely any effect whatsoever.

acuere; obtundere; aperire; claudere

acuere; obtundere; aperire; claudere. Printed forms: acuit, obtundit, aperit, claudit.

To sharpen, blunt, open and close. These concrete regulatory verbs enlarge the evidence for variable psychic agency and should not disappear under a single abstract “control.” References: VI.11.2. See Contrary powers and directed movement.

calidus; frigidus; siccus; humidus

calidus; frigidus; siccus; humidus. Printed forms: calidum vel frigidum; siccum vel humidum.

Hot/cold and dry/moist as opposed elementary qualities. They begin the sequence of bodily determinations to which an alleged soul-body would be confined. References: VI.11.2. See Contrary powers and directed movement.

compos; ferme

compos; ferme. Printed forms: compos; omnes ferme effectus.

Compos means having command over or capacity for; ferme means almost. In omnes ferme effectus, omnes supplies all and effectus supplies effects, yielding almost all effects. The final rhetoric grants wide opposed powers but its ferme qualification prevents an unlimited claim of psychic omnipotence. References: VI.11.2. See Contrary powers and directed movement.

contrarius; oppositus; repugnans

contrarius; oppositus; repugnans. Printed forms: contraria; contrariam; contrariis; contrarios; contrarium; opposita; oppositas; oppositum; repugnantes; repugnantia.

Contrary, opposed or conflicting. Opposed bodily qualities, successive opinions and contrary effects have different roles; the same enduring soul can receive or govern opposites without being a fixed bodily contrary. References: VI.2.17, VI.7.3, VI.11.2, VI.12.14. See Contrary powers and directed movement.

determinata operatio

determinata operatio. Printed forms: certa et determinata natura; determinata operatio.

Activity restricted by a definite nature. Ficino assumes bodily quality produces its corresponding effect rather than the contrary, and tests soul against that restriction. References: VI.11.2. See Contrary powers and directed movement.

fluxus; solidus; albus; niger

fluxus; solidus; albus; niger. Printed forms: fluxum, solidum, album, nigrum.

Fluid, solid, white and black. The catalogue extends beyond elemental temperature to consistency and colour, illustrating determinate bodily ranges. References: VI.11.2. See Contrary powers and directed movement.

fundere; solidare

fundere; solidare. Printed forms: fundit et solidat.

To liquefy or pour out and make solid. The opposed effects concern the governing power’s bodily products, not alternating liquid and solid substance of soul itself. References: VI.11.2. See Contrary powers and directed movement.

levis; gravis; rarus; densus

levis; gravis; rarus; densus. Printed forms: leve vel grave; rarum vel densum.

Light/heavy and rare/dense as physical contraries. The directional argument then asks how soul moves light spirits down and heavy humours up against these natural inclinations. References: VI.11.2. See Contrary powers and directed movement.

rarefacere; condensare

rarefacere; condensare. Printed forms: rarefacit, condensat.

To rarefy and condense. Soul’s contrary operations are later distinguished from its analogical mental rarefaction and condensation. References: VI.11.2. See Contrary powers and directed movement.

sistere; movere; contrahere; extendere

sistere; movere; contrahere; extendere. Printed forms: Sistit, movet, contrahit, extendit.

To stop, move, contract and extend. The first regulatory pairs exemplify soul’s command over opposed effects rather than possession of one fixed bodily quality. References: VI.11.2. See Contrary powers and directed movement.

spiritus leves; humores graves

spiritus leves; humores graves. Printed forms: graves humores; leves spiritus.

Light physiological spirits and heavy humours. Their directed movement against supposed elemental tendencies supports the distinction between controller and bodily constituents. References: VI.11.2. See Contrary powers and directed movement.