Dante’s Notion of ‘discrezione’ in Convivio I. xi

Abstract

ABSTRACT This essay explores Dante’s notion of ‘discrezione’ in Convivio I. xi, with the aim of highlighting the syncretic nature of the concept. It argues that Dante’s discretion (from Latin discretio) relies upon both Aristotle and Cicero’s ethical thought, thus reflecting the fluidity and the harmonising potential of the intellectual and civic culture in which Dante was immersed. This reading is thus situated within current discussion of Dante’s intellectual formation within Florence, and beyond. It especially focuses on the mediating role played by Brunetto Latini’s Tresor in relation to Dante’s encounter with Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics alongside Stoic traditions. This study also brings to light the ambivalence, and even rivalry, that seems to characterise Dante’s relationship to his older master, after the poet’s exile from Florence.