Apologia

The treatise is divided into three books, introduced by a dedicatory preface for cardinal Sigismondo Gonzaga.

The first two books take up the issues of the Tractatus de immortalitate animae.

In the Apologia, many arguments are clarified and reaffirmed in a radical way.

In the first book, the author rebuts the objections moved by Gasparo Contarini.

In the second book, he responds to the arguments moved by Vincenzo Colzade of Vicenza, Pietro Manna of Cremona and Virgilio Girardi.

Finally, in the third book, Pomponazzi establishes the distinct authoritative sources of philosophy and faith, and he determines their respective fields of investigation. 

Pietro Pomponazzi

Pietro Pomponazzi, said Peretto, was born in Mantua, on September 16th, 1462.

He studied at the University of Padua in 1484, and he graduated in artibus in 1487.

He taught at Padua from 1488 to 1496.

The composition of the Tractatus de maximo et minimo ad Laurentium Molinum, in manuscript form, is prior to 1496.

From 1496 to 1499, Pomponazzi, as teacher of logic, followed Alberto Pio of Carpi in his exile in Ferrara.

From 1499 to 1509, he returned to Padua to teach.

From 1510 to 1511, he was in retreat in Mantua.

From 1512 to 1524, he taught at the University of Bologna.

There are numerous handwritten reportationes of Pomponatian lectures written by his students and admirers.

In Bologna, Pomponazzi published all his treatises: Tractatus de intensione et remissione formarum (1514), Tractatus de reactione including Quaestio de actione reali (1515), Tractatus de immortalitate animae (1516), Apologia (1518), Defensorium (1519), Tractatus de nutritione et augmentatione (1521).

Two texts remained unpublished: De incantationibus and De fato, composed in 1520 circa and published posthumously, respectively, in 1556 and in 1567.

The Dubitationes in IV Meteorologicorum was published posthumously in 1563.

The collection of the Tractatus acutissimi, utillimi et mere peripatetici, including the six Bononian treatises and Quaestio de actione reali, was printed in Venice in 1525.

Pomponazzi died in Bologna, on May 18th, 1525.