Intellectual and animating powers · Lexicon

From the book

Marsilio Ficino’s Platonic Theology, Volume I

Marsilio Ficino · Diotimos Editions · 2026

Orientation

At a Glance

The wordVis and potentia name a power; vivifica and motrix specify life-giving and moving functions.
In the Platonic TheologyCosmic soul combines knowing with vivifying and governing a body.
In this editionAt IV.1.11 the Latin makes vim ipsam vivificam et motricem the object of imbuit and naturalibus seminibus its content: wisdom imbues the power with seeds.
A place to readIntellectual principles imbue the life-giving and motive power with natural seeds

Meaning

Vis and potentia name a power; vivifica and motrix specify life-giving and moving functions. Mens and ratio distinguish intellectual apprehension from the middle reasoning power. These are functional aspects within soul, not detachable extended pieces. Animalis in this setting means animating or belonging to soul.

Use in the book

Cosmic soul combines knowing with vivifying and governing a body. Ficino first distinguishes these two powers and illustrates them through paired divine names. Chapter 2 supplies a finer structure: intellectual mind possesses ideas simultaneously; middle reason follows mind in celestial souls; the lowest motive powers actualize productive seeds successively. The celestial body's comparatively undemanding administration can be handled by that lowest power, leaving reason free to be absorbed into mind. Human reason, by contrast, is occupied with the greater demands of bodily administration.

These parts are functional distinctions within an indivisible soul, not detachable spatial components. They explain how soul can participate in stable intellectual life while performing successive acts. They also qualify the general contrast between angel's actuality, soul's habitual possession, and matter's potency. Saying that soul holds its contents without actualizing them all together describes its characteristic grade; the further distinction of faculties allows its intellectual part to possess ideas in actuality while its lowest productive power still acts successively. The reader must attend both to the grade and to the faculty under discussion.

In the associated language, “animal” can mean belonging to soul or animation, rather than bestial or irrational. IV.1.11 connects the vivifying and motive power with natural seeds. The Latin makes that power the recipient which divine wisdom imbues with seeds; the supplied English reverses recipient and content. The Latin-supported relation accords with the later distinction between the intellectual possession of ideas and the motive power's realization of seeds.

Further passage references. IV.1.11; IV.1.31–IV.1.322; IV.1.94; IV.2.10–IV.2.122 3.

Places to read

IV.1.11Intellectual principles imbue the life-giving and motive power with natural seeds
IV.1.94The Orphic pairings distinguish knowing from giving life and governing
IV.2.10Mind holds ideas actually while lowest powers possess seeds without simultaneous realization
IV.2.11Celestial reason is freer from bodily administration than human reason

Translation in this edition

At IV.1.11 the Latin makes vim ipsam vivificam et motricem the object of imbuit and naturalibus seminibus its content: wisdom imbues the power with seeds. The supplied English reverses that relationship. Preserve the prior correction. The animalis distinction is confirmed by the apparatus for II.6.14 and II.6.24.

animalis / angelicus

animalis / angelicus. Printed forms: angelicae; angelicam; animalem; animales.

Animating or belonging to soul, contrasted with angelic. The contrast separates minds that vivify from minds that govern; animalis is not restricted to nonhuman beasts. References: II.6.14, II.6.24. See Intellectual and animating powers.

experiri / edere

experiri / edere. Printed forms: edat; experiatur.

Exercise or test / bring forth. Soul exercises powers inwardly before expressing them in body, distinguishing spiritual from bodily motion. References: III.1.26. See Intellectual and animating powers.

phantasia / sensus / generatio

phantasia / sensus / generatio. Printed forms: generationemque; phantasiam; sensum.

Imagination, sensation and generation as other psychic functions. Their removal is posited only within the imagined pure-mind analogy that isolates the angelic level. References: I.6.9. See Intellectual and animating powers.

propago / facultas

propago / facultas. Printed forms: facultas; propagandae.

To propagate or communicate onward; a faculty or capacity. If intellect belonged to soul simply as soul, every soul, including a beast’s, would have it; the counterfactual distinguishes psychic life from intellect. References: I.5.12. See Intellectual and animating powers.

vis gemina

vis gemina. Printed forms: vim geminam.

A paired or twofold power. The Orphic naming scheme separates knowing from vivifying and governing the sphere's body. References: IV.1.94. See Intellectual and animating powers.

Amphietus (cosmic names)

Amphietus (Amphietum). Name of the knowing power of the soul of Saturn, paired with Polyhymnia, in Ficino's reported Orphic catalogue. IV.1.94. See Bacchus and the Muses; Intellectual and animating powers.

Aurora (cosmic names)

Aurora (Auroram). Name of the power giving life to and governing the body of fire, paired with the knowing power named Phanetas. IV.1.94. See Bacchus and the Muses; Intellectual and animating powers.

Bacchus (cosmic names)

Bacchus (Bacchum, Bacchis). Collective naming principle for the knowing powers paired with the nine Muses, with one Bacchus presiding over each Muse; the nine pairs comprise eight celestial spheres plus world soul. IV.1.94–IV.1.952. See Bacchus and the Muses; Intellectual and animating powers.

Bacchus Eribromus (cosmic names)

Bacchus Eribromus (Bacchum Eribromum, Eribromus). Name of the knowing power of the world-soul, paired with Calliope, in Ficino's reported Orphic catalogue. IV.1.94. See Bacchus and the Muses; Intellectual and animating powers.

Bacchus Licnitus (cosmic names)

Bacchus Licnitus (Bacchum Licnitum, Licnitus). Name of the knowing power of the soul of Moon, paired with Thalia, in Ficino's reported Orphic catalogue. IV.1.94. See Bacchus and the Muses; Intellectual and animating powers.

Bacchus Silenus (cosmic names)

Bacchus Silenus (Bacchum Silenum, Silenus). Name of the knowing power of the soul of Mercury, paired with Euterpe, in Ficino's reported Orphic catalogue. IV.1.94. See Bacchus and the Muses; Intellectual and animating powers.

Bassareus (cosmic names)

Bassareus (Bassareum). Name of the knowing power of the soul of Mars, paired with Clio, in Ficino's reported Orphic catalogue. IV.1.94. See Bacchus and the Muses; Intellectual and animating powers.

Calliope (cosmic names)

Calliope (Musam Calliopen). Name of the power giving life to and governing the world-soul's body, paired with the knowing power named Bacchus Eribromus. IV.1.94. See Bacchus and the Muses; Intellectual and animating powers.

Clio (cosmic names)

Clio (Clio). Name of the power giving life to and governing the body of Mars, paired with the knowing power named Bassareus. IV.1.94. See Bacchus and the Muses; Intellectual and animating powers.

Erato (cosmic names)

Erato (Erato). Name of the power giving life to and governing the body of Venus, paired with the knowing power named Lysius. IV.1.94. See Bacchus and the Muses; Intellectual and animating powers.

Euterpe (cosmic names)

Euterpe (Euterpen). Name of the power giving life to and governing the body of Mercury, paired with the knowing power named Bacchus Silenus. IV.1.94. See Bacchus and the Muses; Intellectual and animating powers.

Juno (cosmic names)

Juno (Iuno, Iunonem). Divine soul assigned to the heart of Aquarius in Ficino's reported Pythagorean catalogue. IV.1.43. Name of the power giving life to and governing the body of air, paired with the knowing power named Jupiter. IV.1.94. See Zodiac; Bacchus and the Muses; Intellectual and animating powers.

Jupiter (cosmic names)

Jupiter (Iupiter particularis, fulminatorem Iovem, Jupiter the Thunderer, Iovis). A particular divine soul assigned to the heart of Leo in Ficino's reported Pythagorean catalogue. IV.1.43. Name of the knowing power of the soul of air, paired with Juno, in Ficino's reported Orphic catalogue. IV.1.94. Context in the Orphic catalogue: knowing power Sabasius; life-giving and governing power Terpsichore. IV.1.94. See Zodiac; Bacchus and the Muses; Intellectual and animating powers; Spheres and stars.

Lysius (cosmic names)

Lysius (Lysium). Name of the knowing power of the soul of Venus, paired with Erato, in Ficino's reported Orphic catalogue. IV.1.94. See Bacchus and the Muses; Intellectual and animating powers.

Melpomene (cosmic names)

Melpomene (Melpomenen). Name of the power giving life to and governing the body of Sun, paired with the knowing power named Trietericus. IV.1.94. See Bacchus and the Muses; Intellectual and animating powers.

Oceanus (cosmic names)

Oceanus (Oceanum). Name of the knowing power of the soul of water, paired with Thetis, in Ficino's reported Orphic catalogue. IV.1.94. See Bacchus and the Muses; Intellectual and animating powers.

Pericionius (cosmic names)

Pericionius (Pericionium). Name of the knowing power of the soul of the eighth sphere, paired with Urania, in Ficino's reported Orphic catalogue. IV.1.94. See Bacchus and the Muses; Intellectual and animating powers.

Phanetas (cosmic names)

Phanetas (Phanetam). Name of the knowing power of the soul of fire, paired with Aurora, in Ficino's reported Orphic catalogue. IV.1.94. See Bacchus and the Muses; Intellectual and animating powers.

Pluto (cosmic names)

Pluto (Plutonem). Name of the knowing power of the soul of earth, paired with Proserpina, in Ficino's reported Orphic catalogue. IV.1.94. See Bacchus and the Muses; Intellectual and animating powers.

Polyhymnia (cosmic names)

Polyhymnia (Polymniamque). Name of the power giving life to and governing the body of Saturn, paired with the knowing power named Amphietus. IV.1.94. See Bacchus and the Muses; Intellectual and animating powers.

Proserpina (cosmic names)

Proserpina (Proserpinam). Name of the power giving life to and governing the body of earth, paired with the knowing power named Pluto. IV.1.94. See Bacchus and the Muses; Intellectual and animating powers.

Sabasius (cosmic names)

Sabasius (Sabasium). Name of the knowing power of the soul of Jupiter, paired with Terpsichore, in Ficino's reported Orphic catalogue. IV.1.94. See Bacchus and the Muses; Intellectual and animating powers.

Terpsichore (cosmic names)

Terpsichore (Terpsichorem). Name of the power giving life to and governing the body of Jupiter, paired with the knowing power named Sabasius. IV.1.94. See Bacchus and the Muses; Intellectual and animating powers.

Thalia (cosmic names)

Thalia (Thaliam Musam). Name of the power giving life to and governing the body of Moon, paired with the knowing power named Bacchus Licnitus. IV.1.94. See Bacchus and the Muses; Intellectual and animating powers.

Thetis (cosmic names)

Thetis (Thetin). Name of the power giving life to and governing the body of water, paired with the knowing power named Oceanus. IV.1.94. See Bacchus and the Muses; Intellectual and animating powers.

Trietericus (cosmic names)

Trietericus (Trietericum). Name of the knowing power of the soul of Sun, paired with Melpomene, in Ficino's reported Orphic catalogue. IV.1.94. See Bacchus and the Muses; Intellectual and animating powers.

Urania (cosmic names)

Urania (Uraniam). Name of the power giving life to and governing the body of the eighth sphere, paired with the knowing power named Pericionius. IV.1.94. See Bacchus and the Muses; Intellectual and animating powers.