1994 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
A comparative study of the concept of Virtue in the thought of Leonardo and Machiavelli
| Project/Area Number |
05610411
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for General Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Research Field |
その他の外国語・外国文学
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| Research Institution | KYOTO UNIVERSITY |
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Principal Investigator |
SAITO Yasuhiro Kyoto Univ, F.Letters, Associate prof., 文学部, 助教授 (70115848)
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| Project Period (FY) |
1993 – 1994
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| Keywords | Leonardo da Vinci / Machiavelli / Virtue / Power / Force / Water |
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| Research Abstract |
I extracted at first from writings of Leonardo and Machiavelli, terms and concepts concerning Power, Force, Virtue, Nature and Man, and examined the definitions given by them to these terms. Then analyzing the elements seen in common in their thoughts, I exposed the basic concepts of Nature and Man in the Renaissance culture, expressed typically by these two scientists.
In the center of my research is the analysis of the concept of Virtue, expressed by Leonardo and Machiavelli. They use the word "Virtue" not in its traditional sense, but in the sense of mental and physical power to achieve something. They have a very modern scientific attitude and approve its spiritual and supernatural values as far as it really acts and produces an effect in the physical world. On the basis of this analysis of Virtue, I pubblished a paper on "The formation of the concept of Virtue as a power in the Renaissance Man, expressed by Leonardo and Machiavelli" . After considering their ideas on water, I discovered that the image of movement and power of water is used as a metaphor of their concept of Man, and I wrote a paper in Italian on "Eros e Thanatos nel pensiero di Leonardo e di Machiavelli" (Eros and Thanatos in the thought of Leonardo and Machiavelli) .At the same time, comparing Leonard's scientific studies on the movement of water with his drawings and paintings, I demonstrated that his laws of fluid dynamics are applied concretely to the figures of plants drawn by himself, and I pubblished a paper in "Iris, hairs and water currents---an attempt of dating of "Virgin of the Rocks" at Louvre through my analysis of characteristics of plants represented in the picture---" .
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