The Philosophical Background of Yoḥanan Alemanno: Remarks on Logic and Psychology

Abstract

The convergence of philosophical and kabbalistic sources in the works of Yoḥanan Alemanno (ca. 1435–ca. 1504) attests to the richness of fifteenth-century scholarship in Italy, specifically its reception of sources that had characterized cultural debates across the Mediterranean for centuries. Beginning with a discussion of his personal notebook (Oxford, Bodleian Library, Ms Reggio 23), and focusing on his treatment of logic and psychology, this study demonstrates the extent to which Alemanno relied on the Jewish Aristotelian tradition based on the translations of Averroes’ Arabic commentaries. Moreover, it shows the relationship between this tradition and the kabbalistic themes addressed by the author in his works.