Tommaso Campanella (1568-1639)

Abstract

Tommaso Campanella is one of the most influential figures in late Renaissance and early modern philosophy. His works embody the peak of Renaissance thought, with all its tensions and multifarious interest in fields of knowledge ranging from theology, metaphysics, medicine and politics to prophecy, astrology and magic. At the same time, several of his innovative ideas and approaches regarding scientific inquiry, theological positions, epistemology and political theory place him among the earliest exponents of modern philosophy. With the exception of his famous utopia, La Città del Sole (The City of the Sun), most of his works remained shrouded in oblivion for centuries after his death. A fuller appreciation of his philosophical enterprise has been made possible only in recent decades, which have seen a gradual but steady outpouring of modern editions of his works together with a series of biographical and critical scholarly publications.