Cycle 15 · 5 May 2026The foundations of the Platonic and Aristotelian distinction- 9:09The School of AthensHis painting shows Plato with index finger raised and Aristotle with his hand turned downward, imagery of their opposition.
Raphaël
Appears in 10 videos · 10 passages, 3 of them in depth.
Summary
Dominique Pagani refers to Raphael mainly through The School of Athens, which he uses as the image of the opposition between Plato and Aristotle. He comes back to it from 2015 to 2026: Plato raises his index finger toward the sky, while Aristotle holds his hand out toward the earth1. He reads this gesture as the opposition between rationalism and empiricism1. He takes it up again in connection with Lenin and "What Is to Be Done?"2, with Hegel3, and with whether the sciences of history are real4. Later he uses it on language and thought in Lavoisier and on the foundations of the distinction between the two philosophers, for which the painting provides the "imagery"5. Elsewhere, he takes Raphael as an example of abstract painting in Hegel's sense6. He also comes across him in an anecdote by Gustave Moreau7 and in the nickname "Raphael of sounds" given to Mozart8. Finally, he quotes Pisarev's saying that he prefers a Russian shoemaker to a Russian Raphael9.
- 1#1.5 Between crisis and war: philosophising?10 Dec 2015 · 9:28
- 2What is to be done? 2/329 Jan 2016 · 53:49
- 3Hegel on the Beach 3/52 Feb 2016 · 22:55
- 4#9.11 How can sciences of history be real?7 Jan 2021 · 46:36
- 5The foundations of the Platonic and Aristotelian distinction5 May 2026 · 9:09
- 6M for Music27 Dec 2014 · 8:10
- 7#4.8 Angélique (by Nerval)16 May 2018 · 1:13:11
- 8#13 Mozart restored2 Feb 2021 · 2:28
- 9#2 Lenin, or the wings of dreams18 Apr 2021 · 17:05
Summary produced automatically from 10 of the passages below, to be reviewed; the numbers link to the moment in the session.
Who is this?Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino (Italian:; March 28 or 6 April 1483 – 6 April 1520), now generally known in English as Raphael (UK: RAF-ay-əl, US: RAF-ee-əl, RAY-fee-, RAH-fy-EL), was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. His work is admired for its clarity of form, ease of composition, and visual achievement of the Neoplatonic ideal of human grandeur. Together with Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, he forms the traditional trinity of great masters of that period. […]
Read the article on WikipediaText: Wikipédia, CC BY-SA 4.0, excerpt · Portrait: Raphael, Public domain
Cycle 15 · 5 May 2026The foundations of the Platonic and Aristotelian distinction
Cycle 9.2 · 7 Jan 2021#9.11 How can sciences of history be real?- 46:36The School of AthensThe painting shows Plato with his finger pointing to the sky and Aristotle with his hand toward the earth.
Cycle 1 · 10 Dec 2015#1.5 Between crisis and war: philosophising?- 9:28The School of AthensPlato points to the sky, Aristotle downward: the opposition of rationalism and empiricism.
Cycle 15 · 13 Apr 2026Language and thought: the case of Lavoisier- 1:02:44The School of AthensThe painting shows Plato pointing upward toward the sky and Aristotle with his hand toward the ground.
Series · 18 Apr 2021#2 Lenin, or the wings of dreams- 17:05In Pisarev's formula preferring the Russian cobbler to the Russian Raphael.
Series · 2 Feb 2021#13 Mozart restored- 2:28Mozart called the "Raphael of sound."
Cycle 4 · 16 May 2018#4.8 Angélique (by Nerval)- 1:13:11Subject of Gustave Moreau's anecdote.
Series · 2 Feb 2016Hegel on the Beach 3/5- 22:55The School of AthensPlato points to the sky, Aristotle to the earth.
Series · 29 Jan 2016What is to be done? 2/3- 53:49The School of AthensThe painting where Plato raises his index finger toward the sky facing Aristotle.
Series · 27 Dec 2014M for Music- 8:10Example of painting that is abstract in Hegel's sense.