The Talk wants to introduce the work of the humanist, poet, and statesman Giovanni Ioviano Pontano, focusing on his ideas on language, grammar and philosophy. Pontano was much more than a critic of medieval scholasticism. Inspired by the literary and philosophical heritage of classical antiquity, Pontano began to explore the social, emotive, and active functions of language. Focusing on language as a tool for communication, persuasion, and practical deliberation, he underscored the connection between language, virtue and sociability.
A specific analysis will be devoted to the content of one of Pontan’s treatises on moral philosophy: ‘De Prudentia’.
Verification of the Latin text will reveal some ‘curious’ parallels with the content of Machiavelli’s ‘Principe’, to the extent that it is possible to hypothesize that Machiavelli used Pontan material to formulate some of his most original theses.