FEDERICO CESI, THE FIRST ACADEMY, AND UMBRIA 43The university chair, more than a position <strong>of</strong> independent research, is theplace <strong>of</strong> ‘courtliness’, where ‘one seeks the grace <strong>of</strong> the master and <strong>of</strong> theentire court’; the pr<strong>of</strong>essor, instead <strong>of</strong> the ‘honored rank <strong>of</strong> philosopher’falls into ‘the most vile role <strong>of</strong> the parasite, clown, or at least adulator’. 56Thus he spends his time in the antechamber <strong>of</strong> the prince, spitting outsentences and witticisms in time, seeking the admiration ‘<strong>of</strong> those whoor<strong>di</strong>narily know little’ and ‘the more the person knows how to banter,mock and deride the more learned he is reputed to be’. 57 Cesi concludesthis ironic description <strong>of</strong> the chaired pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> his time like this:Of concepts therefore, and similar propositions he tends more toprovide himself than with science, and passes his time in accompanimentsand compliments, not in lucubrations; passes all the moreas he has to do battle with the envy which from the grace and favors<strong>of</strong> the prince ensues imme<strong>di</strong>tely and copiously, nor is there little todo with knowing how to shield and defend oneself so that for thesatisfaction <strong>of</strong> the good inclination he can work very little. 58If this is the level <strong>of</strong> university faculty, the status <strong>of</strong> the culture <strong>of</strong>teaching suffers in turn. Students encounter no <strong>di</strong>fficulties in attaining auniversity degree,as one sees it in<strong>di</strong>fferently crowning all those who finish the coursewithout any regard whatsoever either for how they arrived there, orwhether limping or walking straight.The degree itself comes to be considered as the ultimate terminus <strong>of</strong>scholarship,comes to be placed as a goal and a terminus, or<strong>di</strong>narily, to the stu<strong>di</strong>ouslabors <strong>of</strong> each, either because he doesn’t believe there is anythingelse to know, or because he doesn’t see any other grade <strong>of</strong>approval in literature;attainment <strong>of</strong> the ‘doctorate’, more than marking the beginning <strong>of</strong> furtherstu<strong>di</strong>es ‘truncates for many the way <strong>of</strong> knowledge’. 59 Yet Cesi is convincedthat the means for investigating the ‘great field <strong>of</strong> knowledge’ are not lacking.But the great work <strong>of</strong> ‘contemplations’ and ‘lessons’ is not sufficientunless account is taken <strong>of</strong> ‘the end for which one stu<strong>di</strong>es’, that is, <strong>di</strong>sinterestedknowledge and not ‘gain, honors, favors and comforts’. 6056 Below, p. 121.57 Below, p. 123.58 Below, p. 123.59 Below, p. 115.60 Below, p. 119.
44FEDERICO CESI, LA PRIMA ACCADEMIA, L’UMBRIALa maggior parte degli stu<strong>di</strong>osi seguono quelle attività che vengonocoltivate esclusivamente perché fonte pr<strong>of</strong>essionale <strong>di</strong> guadagno o <strong>di</strong>potere, la me<strong>di</strong>cina “per le condotte pubbliche e private et il raccolto dellaquoti<strong>di</strong>ana stipe a casa per casa”, il <strong>di</strong>ritto “per i governi e gra<strong>di</strong> e ministeripresso i principi et avvocationi e procure”. 61 Mentre le scienze che“non sono de pane lucrando”, come “la gran filos<strong>of</strong>ia, le matematiche e lefilologiche e poetiche eru<strong>di</strong>zioni”, quelle che “più possono so<strong>di</strong>sfar il <strong>desiderio</strong>nativo”, che “più ci danno <strong>di</strong> cognitione e più ci apportano <strong>di</strong> perfettionee d’ornamento”, “sono per lo più abandonate e derelitte”; quei“pochissimi” che restano a coltivare queste scienze lo fanno “proponendosio <strong>di</strong> conseguirne publica cathedra con stipen<strong>di</strong>o o luogo <strong>di</strong> trattenimentopresso qualche principe”. 62È un quadro veramente desolante degli stu<strong>di</strong> universitari. <strong>Il</strong> progettodell’Accademia lincea sarà quello <strong>di</strong> rappresentare un’alternativa ad uninsegnamento universitario ampiamente superato. L’Accademia dei Linceisi proponeva cioè il superamento <strong>di</strong> quella cultura ormai vecchia, co<strong>di</strong>ficatae cristallizzata delle Università.Cesi è dell’avviso che bisogna cambiare strada. Soprattutto,“conoscendo il poco e defettuoso potere de’ soli e <strong>di</strong>visi e la forzadell’unioni e conspirationi ben or<strong>di</strong>nate, con le ben regolate congregationiet adunanze ben fornite e d’aiuto e <strong>di</strong> consiglio”,in<strong>di</strong>ca la necessità <strong>di</strong> cambiare metodo e organizzazione della ricerca inuna <strong>di</strong>rezione chiaramente comunitaria, la necessità <strong>di</strong> una nuova organizzazioneistituzionalizzata, prendendo ad esempio “i felici successi delle particolarimilitie, ancorché piccole”. Cesi ha in mente l’idea <strong>di</strong> un organismoprivato, non molto ampio, ma “vigorosamente unito” che leghi cioè gliadepti ad un severo progetto organizzativo e <strong>di</strong> ricerca. Egli non nega chele Università, i Collegi, i Seminari, e soprattutto “le Academie private” sianonate per questo scopo, ma amaramente constata che così tanti “or<strong>di</strong>ni etradunate” sono spesso “in<strong>di</strong>rizzati ad altri fini e pensieri”,“né hanno provisto a bastanza, né sono seguitate con quei progressiche ne pretendevano li institutori, cedendo per lo più alli correntiabusi et alli fini più comuni”. 6361 Infra, p. 118.62 Infra, pp. 118-120.63 Infra, pp. 122-124.
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