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N.1/2022 Libertinismo: Filosofia e Scrittura

Una nuova categoria storiografica: il libertinismo “radicale”. Theophrastus redivivus (1659)

Gianni Paganini

Published in June, 2022

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The «Radical» libertinism. Theophrastus redivivus (1659)

Copertina GCSI 01-2022.png

Abstract

Among the libertines, the clandestine work: Theophrastus redivivus (1659) is the first systematic and explicit treatise on atheism and the only one to suggest the «demolition of the laws» as a remedy to inequalities and injustice.
Having described all the constraints on natural liberty and natural reason that

have transformed civil association in a «prison for life» through the establish-
ment of private property, social and political hierarchies, marriage, army, war,

and so on, the author suggests that regulation through the natural law, based on
the Golden Rule, would be better and much fairer than the civil law, This is the
most «radical» angle of Theophrastus, whereas its «libertine» angle consists in its
disenchanted and naturalist view of the world and human beings.

Keywords

Theophrastus redivivus, Radical Libertinism, Averroism, Radical En-
lightenment, Clandestine Philosophy

DOI

10.53129/gcsi_01-2022-05

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