Book One

Since you have always been approachable and generous toward those who seek something from you, do not now prove yourself difficult toward us, contrary to your nature and character. This is especially true since the beauty of this place, the hour of the day, and the breath of the sweetly cooling breeze not only allow for this but even demand it; moreover, the murmur of the gliding stream and the harmonizing voices of the various birds invite us quite charmingly. When Lorenzo had said these things, and all of us—admiring the young man’s Lorenzo de' Medici was in his early twenties at the time of this fictionalized dialogue. character—vehemently approved of the proposal, BAPTISTA Leon Battista Alberti (1404–1472), the renowned architect, theorist, and "Renaissance Man." smiled gently and said: "I would rather have less influence with you than have you demonstrate so suddenly how much you value me, especially in a matter that requires a much more careful investigation than this country retreat of ours—undertaken for the sake of leisure rather than debate—can provide. For this is a very difficult question: one that can neither be easily explained by the most learned men in an extemporaneous debate, nor by those less learned (among whom I allow myself to be numbered) except after long meditation."

"But with what face could I now deny anything to one of your age, whom even those who are less known and more stern are compelled to favor because of your burning zeal for learning? And indeed, since I hear from many who come to us daily from Rome Alberti spent much of his career in the papal bureaucracy in Rome. a most constant report that you have long since made up your mind to honor all who excel in any kind of learning with every type of honor and reward, and that many have already experienced your effort and generosity, I would seem to be under the charge of being not only a harsh man but an ungrateful one if I allowed a man who has deserved so well of the literati to lack for anything. Add to this that since I encouraged you just a moment ago toward this kind of debate, I would be failing the duty of a good man and a friend if I allowed you to desire something so honorable in vain. Therefore, I will approach the matter, not so much raised up by the hope of completing it, as compelled by the shame of refusing. For I would rather have my wisdom questioned by these most learned men present while I comply with you, than be accused of a lack of humanity if I did the opposite. And since you ask it, I believe we must debate both types of life in such a way that I first pursue each one separately. Then, I shall compare them with each other so that, although in this life we live we believe that man to be most perfect who has joined both, it may nevertheless appear which of the two is primarily more excellent. And so that I may seem to have the wisdom of a philosopher in the sight of such great philosophers, let us take our beginning in this way."

That the soul original: "Anima" is the principle of life is something that not only the more learned prove with manifest arguments, but even all those who possess healthy senses can see with their own eyes. However, when we act with prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance These are the four "Cardinal Virtues" of classical philosophy. regarding those things which pertain to our common life, or when we call the mind away from the senses to look upon and contemplate something divine and immortal, we no longer say the soul can do this by the simple fact that it is the "soul," but by the fact that it possesses the power to achieve such strengths. Therefore, since we are produced by nature for acting rightly and for investigating the truth, it has pleased the more learned that, just as there are these two duties of human life, so there are two [ways of living]...