Early anthropological interest: Magnus Hundt’s and Galeazzo Capra’s quest for humanity (2020)
Starting with the study of Magnus Hundt’s Antropologium (1501) and Galeazzo Capra’s Anthropologia (1533), this article will first show that the comprehensive study of humankind ̶ with a focus on the unity of body and soul ̶ predates the Renaissance and has its roots in Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages. Then, it will argue that these early anthropological works are narrowly linked to Italian fifteenth-century treatises on human dignity and to sixteenth-century commentaries on natural philosophy. Although neglected in secondary literature on Renaissance concepts of dignity, these anthropological treatises deploy much medical knowledge to buttress their portrayal of humankind. Finally, this contribution will demonstrate that both Hundt and Capra predominantly worked in the tradition of medieval authors, whose view of humankind and its possibilities was far less negative than what is often presented in scholarship on the Middle Ages. The conclusion takes a closer look at the theoretical implications of my analysis of the quest for humanity.
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