ON THE NATURAL DESIRE FOR KNOWLEDGEAND THE INSTITUTION OF THE LYNCEANSFOR ITS FULFILLMENTIf in each <strong>of</strong> us is born 1 the desire for knowledge, if it is nourished bythe nobility and <strong>di</strong>gnity <strong>of</strong> its object, fomented by the pleasure it <strong>of</strong>fers,enlarged by the utility and complete perfection that it evidently and constantlybrings to any degree, con<strong>di</strong>tion, or activity that there be amongmen, or better, if it is most well known that knowledge is proper to manamong all living creatures and that for this he has reason, 2 and that thereis no other use <strong>of</strong> it nor more sublime operation than that <strong>of</strong> the intellect,whence shall we say that it happens that they are so few, amongsuch a large number, 3 so rare those who arrive not yet to the perfection<strong>of</strong> knowledge and complete fulfillment <strong>of</strong> this innate affection, but noteven to satisfy some tiny particle <strong>of</strong> it, by obtaining just some notion orparticular science? Will this <strong>natural</strong> inclination be vain? Will serving ourselves<strong>of</strong> the reason given to us by God be impeded in our very resolutionto avail ourselves <strong>of</strong> it? What shall we blame? The part <strong>of</strong> men for theirlassitude in such a principal affection, or for weakness and neglect in theexecution <strong>of</strong> it, or rather the part <strong>of</strong> the thing desired 4 for its great <strong>di</strong>fficultyapproaching impossibility, 5 for scarcity <strong>of</strong> means, ways, or requisites?Let us first confess that at the very birth <strong>of</strong> this so very worthyinclination (if not in fact prior to it) there arises in us an aversion tolabor, sufficient to extinguish it totally in many, mostly in others, andrender it lukewarm in everyone; as everyone apprehends the acquisition1 Inborn or innate. Cf. with the beginning <strong>of</strong> Metaphysics, I, 1, 980a.2 Cf. Nichomachean Ethics, I, 7, 1097b 22 ff.3 So few with respect to the large number <strong>of</strong> men.4 That is, knowledge itself.5 Read: the <strong>di</strong>fficulty <strong>of</strong> the pursuit <strong>of</strong> knowledge is such as to render it almostimpossible.
100DEL NATURAL DESIDERIO DI SAPEREmulta tulit fecitque puer, sudavit et alsit,abstinuit Venere et vino 6che habbia ardore d’imitarlo. La dolcezza e l’utile del <strong>sapere</strong> vengonorisguardate come da lontano e come <strong>di</strong>staccate da noi dall’asprezza <strong>di</strong>longo lavoro fraposto. <strong>Il</strong> piacere e commodo della quiete otiosa è tanto presentee congionto che, per goderlo, non vi è bisogno d’opra alcuna, anzi conl’istesso non oprare viene ad haversi. Gli allettamenti a questo sono continui,li sproni e provocationi a quello vengono <strong>di</strong> rado, et in somma, <strong>di</strong>pendendol’uno dalla mente, l’altro dal corpo nostro, non è meraviglia se daquello che per lo più ha maggiori e più fisse ra<strong>di</strong>ci vien l’altro e più gentilee più nobile facilmente supplantato e suffocato. <strong>Il</strong> corpo che dovrebbe obe<strong>di</strong>re,oh quanto s’usurpa <strong>di</strong> dominio, mentre con asse<strong>di</strong>o continuato vienpian piano impossessandosi delle ragioni della sopita mente! Quin<strong>di</strong> ognifatiga si fugge, e vien posposta la buona inclinatione al piacer della pigritia;aggiongonsi l’arti del lusso e le compagnie <strong>di</strong> questi vani go<strong>di</strong>menti, bastantinon solo ad impe<strong>di</strong>re l’in<strong>di</strong>rizzo datoci dalla natura alle <strong>di</strong>scipline, maanco a <strong>di</strong>sviarne e <strong>di</strong>stoglierne i più ferventi nel mezzo del corso.Né però da noi così <strong>di</strong> buon passo vien fuggita la fatiga come ne vienseguitato il guadagno, né facilmente si conosce vero guadagno esser quelloche si fa del <strong>sapere</strong>, 7 copioso quello che si fa con la scienza, poiché l’occhiosi rivolge subitamente al denaro et alla robba, onde le vien il commodoet il piacere, onde la stima et il potere; e questi paiono acquisti realie massicci, gl’altri metaforici e sottili, et è commune parere, fondato assaiben nell’esperienza quoti<strong>di</strong>ana, che poco fruttino le scienze e massimequelle che più ci apportano <strong>di</strong> cognitione. Più oltre molti temono maggior<strong>di</strong>spen<strong>di</strong>o e <strong>di</strong> tempo e <strong>di</strong> denari nell’apprenderle che non ne sperano d’utiledopo l’acquisto, quale, come posposto a molti successi e sottoposto a6 “Molti esercizi sostenne da giovane, sudò e gelò, si tenne lontano da Venere e dalvino”, Orazio, Ars. Poet., vv. 413-414.7 Inten<strong>di</strong>: con maggior impegno che fuggire la fatica noi perseguiamo il guadagno,ma non è facile riconoscere un vero guadagno nel <strong>sapere</strong>.
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THE PONTIFICALACADEMY OFSCIENCESExt
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Quest’edizione del Proponimento e
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