What view about human nature does "Oration on the Dignity of Man" portray?

Pico della Mirandola celebrates human nature for its potential. Whereas many writers, especially medieval theologians, have emphasized the sinful, depraved nature of the human condition, Pico is struck by the possibility that man can rise to the level of divinity (or not; it is man's choice). So free will is the defining characteristic of human nature, and free will is, according to Pico, God's gift to man:

We [God] have made you a creature neither of heaven nor of earth, neither mortal nor immortal, in order that you may, as the free and proud shaper of your own being, fashion yourself in the form you may prefer. It will be in your power to descend to the lower, brutish forms of life; you will be able, through your own decision, to rise again to the superior orders whose life is divine.

Pico writes that this condition makes mankind worthy of admiration and awe, because man alone among the denizens of the Earth is invested with free will. So human nature is to be free, and Pico argues that pursuit of the "liberal arts," or "Socratic frenzies," can allow man to achieve an understanding of the divine. In other words, philosophy is the key to unity with God. Pico's essay is memorable because he argues that such a state is possible, saying that human nature itself is divinely established. To refuse to use the gift of human nature is to sin against God.
http://bactra.org/Mirandola/


According to Pico, when God created man, he placed him midway between heaven and earth, between the angels and the beasts. This gave man a unique perspective from which to view and understand the cosmos. In creating man, God gave him the gift of free will, an expression of divine love. No other creature enjoys such a remarkable blessing. However, with this extraordinary gift comes a huge sense of responsibility. Man can either use free will to cultivate his reason and intellect or abuse his free will by neglecting these God-given faculties and lowering himself to the level of animals. Right at the very center of God's creation, man can ascend to the heavens or descend to the earth. Ultimately, it's man's choice which way he decides to go.
Human nature, on Pico's account, is therefore mixed. Man is a truly remarkable creature, capable of emulating the angels by developing the rational part of his soul. The more he does this, the closer he will get to that elevated status which they enjoy. Yet at the same time, man is also fallen; he's prone to laziness, ignorance, error, and all manner of sin. Nevertheless, Pico, like other Renaissance humanists, has a great deal of confidence in the ability of humans to see sense and recognize that cultivating their God-given capacities is what their maker always intended them to do.


Pico della Mirandola's "Oration on the Dignity of Man" presents a very positive view of human nature. While Church doctrine emphasized the sinful aspects of human nature, Pico preferred to dwell on man's capacity for intellectual achievement. Unlike later Calvinist authors, Pico believed that God had given humanity free will. He believed that, unlike other creatures, humanity did not have a fixed place in the creation order. Rather, he had the free will to select his own place in the chain of being. He could lower himself to the level of the beasts by living a carnal and materialistic life, or he could elevate his soul to the heavens by focusing on spiritual pursuits, such as philosophy. Pico's view of human nature was very influential, causing many historians to view it as a sort of Renaissance manifesto.

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