Point and position · Lexicon

From the book

Marsilio Ficino’s Platonic Theology, Volume I

Marsilio Ficino · Diotimos Editions · 2026

Orientation

At a Glance

The wordPunctum is a point; situs its position or placement.
In the Platonic TheologyFicino first rejects soul’s touching only one bodily point: that would leave the rest lifeless.
In this editionThe translation’s “like a point” must retain instar.
A place to readSingle-point contact is rejected as inadequate to bodily animation.

Meaning

Punctum is a point; situs its position or placement. Affixus means fixed to something. Centrum and circumferentia distinguish center and circumference. Tangere is touching; adstare standing present. Indivisibility alone does not remove position.

Use in the book

Ficino first rejects soul’s touching only one bodily point: that would leave the rest lifeless. He then rejects its partition like whiteness in flesh. A point offers a useful but limited analogy: though indivisible, a point on a line is fixed to quantitative position and cannot be present everywhere. A center stands differently to the radial lines and surveys the circle equally, so it better illustrates one source’s relation to many parts. Still, soul is only “like” a point living in itself and wholly released from quantity and position. The qualifications do the work. Soul is not a tiny spatial center hidden in the body. Its whole presence is attributed to indivisible power rather than breadth, and its supposed independence of position exceeds literal geometry.

Selected annotated passages.

Places to read

III.2.9Single-point contact is rejected as inadequate to bodily animation.
III.2.12Power rather than quantitative breadth explains whole presence.
III.2.15The center differs from points assigned to particular lines or the circumference.
III.2.18Instar marks the living, position-free point as an analogy.

Translation in this edition

The translation’s “like a point” must retain instar. “Point” and “position” cannot be treated as synonyms: the argument expressly separates lack of parts from freedom from place.

affixus / situs

affixus / situs. Printed forms: affixa; situ; situm.

Fixed to / position. A geometrical point is indivisible but remains fixed to bodily quantity, unlike the position-free soul postulated by the argument. References: III.2.13, III.2.16, III.2.18. See Point and position.

centrum / circumspicere

centrum / circumspicere. Printed forms: centrum; circumspicit.

Center / survey all around. The center’s equal regard for the whole circle illustrates unified presence without belonging exclusively to one radius. References: III.2.15. See Point and position.

instar

instar. Printed forms: instar.

Like or in the likeness of. Soul is like a point living in itself and free of position; the word prevents identifying soul literally with a geometrical point. References: III.2.18. See Point and position.

punctum / linea / circumferentia

punctum / linea / circumferentia. Printed forms: circumferentiam; linea; punctum.

Point / line / circumference. A point on one line or the circumference differs from a center’s equal relation to all radii; the geometry is analogical. References: III.2.14, III.2.15. See Point and position.

tangere

tangere. Printed forms: tangendum; tangit.

Touch or reach. Soul’s contact cannot be confined to one bodily point and is later explained through indivisible power rather than quantitative breadth. References: III.2.9, III.2.19. See Point and position.