Athenian School

to uronimo u njezinu simboliku i interpretiramo je na dubljoj razini. Slike Rafaela Santija uvijek su nosile slojevita značenja i Atenska škola nije iznimka.

Putovanje u prošlost nam pruža priliku da istražimo različite kulture i razumijemo njihov utjecaj na današnje vrijeme. Susresti se s velikanima povijesti omogućuje nam da se inspiriramo njihovom vizijom i razumijemo kako su oblikovali svijet u kojem danas živimo. Priče iz prošlosti su poput blaga koje možemo ponijeti sa sobom i dijeliti s drugima, jer nam pomažu da bolje razumijemo našu vlastitu povijest i identitet.

to dive deeper into it in order to read it, encourages us to engage in a true dialogue with philosophy.

A picture that tells stories

When we first stand before the Athenian school, we will easily succumb to the intellectual temptation to name every detail. In the pursuit of names, the winner is the one who knows the names of all 58 characters. But this fresco contains much more. It essentially tells stories. Stories about people who were not born as wise men or saints, but who fought throughout their lives to get closer to wisdom. The Greek word philosophos does not mean a perfect sage, but one who loves wisdom and strives to achieve it as much as possible in oneself and in the world around oneself. This meaning of philosophy is reminded to us by the great philosophers before our eyes. Raphael ingeniously brings the ideal down to earth and embodies it in reality. Philosophy is no longer an abstract, intellectual concept but becomes closer to life and lived experiences.

In order to better understand this relationship, the most It is better to start with the ceiling frescoes when discussing the Stanza. Directly above the School of Athens, there is a circular painting depicting a female figure personifying wisdom. This can be seen in the books titled philosophia naturalis and philosophia moralis. This aligns with the artistic practice of the time, where abstract concepts like wisdom were represented by idealized female figures. What is entirely new is the position of this painting, which no longer dominates the space. Raphael moves it beyond our immediate view. Perhaps, he wanted to emphasize that ideals are beautiful but ultimately distant and meaningless unless fulfilled in life.

Characters:
One of the stories is about the immortal Plato and his equally famous student, Aristotle. This story may be the most important. Raphael used all possible means to highlight these two philosophers as central characters: he gave them a central place in the painting, framed by a vault with arches suggesting the existence of wings. Perspective, and then allocated the other participants in such a way that they were in direct or indirect relation with either Plato or Aristotle. It is not difficult to decipher the main idea: two major spiritual movements and their equally great fathers – Plato and Aristotle – have marked Western culture up to the present day. Were they adversaries? Or did they complement each other? The Athenian school was open to both possibilities. Immersed in conversation, facing each other, both clearly show what it means to engage in a true philosophical dialogue. History also tells us nothing about their disagreements or criticisms of each other. However, they did represent opposing ideas and teachings, opposing ideas that Raphael successfully portrayed in his fresco.

Opposing notions that complement each other

While Aristotle stands calmly, Plato is preparing to take a step that will give him a slight advantage in the next moment. Both hold a book in their left hand, which in a certain sense represents themselves and their philosophy. With Plato, that is Tim Hey, one of the most metaphysical works of Western philosophy. Plato’s life was marked by the search for justice, for the possibilities of its practical realization, and for the hidden laws behind it. As a visionary and thinker, he was never truly understood in his time, but he left a mark like no one else.

Aristotle is presented through his Ethics, which, as the name suggests, is more focused on earthly matters. In order to better understand them, he starts systematically categorizing and dividing nature. Although he himself belonged to the tradition of universal education, he laid the cornerstone of the system of modern science with its various scientific disciplines.

Even in their gestures, the opposition is repeated; while Plato points to the sky with his index finger, Aristotle stretches his hand horizontally towards the ground. Even the color of their clothing is not random. The purple and red color of Plato’s tunic represent the color of the sky, while the brown color of Aristotle’s clothing symbolizes the proximity of the earth. The encounter of these two opposites is inevitable. the worlds presented, which complement each other: the cosmic world of Plato’s ideas on one hand, and Aristotle’s world of earthly appearance on the other.

The Game of Perspective

Also genius is Raphael’s game of perspective. While placing thinkers who delve into the depths of human existence in the background, he gives philosophers representing art and science a place in the foreground. Did he thereby intend to point out the path of philosophy and the way we can externally penetrate within, from the manifestations of natural phenomena to hidden existence?

Raphael places both “heroes” of his history of philosophy on the highest step. They are surrounded by “supporters” from different centuries, more or less openly belonging to one wing or the other. There are various speculations about the identities of individual characters, but only a few can be said with certainty who Raphael had in mind.

Socrates, the Thorn from Athens

One of them is Socrates, unmistakably recognized by his characteristic head and typical posture of a teacher.

I. He was truly a teacher in body and soul; not only of Plato but also of the warrior Alcibiades, who can be recognized in the painting by his helmet, shield, and sword.

Alcibiades’ adventurous military and political intrigues threw Socrates into one of his most difficult crises. It is possible that he saw in the young and talented Athenian a successor to the wise Pericles. However, in such a moment of crisis, a true philosopher was born in Socrates, one who realized that his philosophy must be accessible to all people, not just the chosen ones. He became a “street philosopher” and a “fly in the ointment of Athens,” provoking his fellow citizens and the sluggish ruling class with his penetrating questions about the true meaning of life.

Diogenes the Ascetic

Among Aristotle’s like-minded followers, none can be confidently identified. The closest to this is Diogenes, who is lying relaxed on the steps, with his famous jar next to him. As a member of the Cynic school, he advocated the belief that only complete absence of needs and the denial of physical desires could lead to true happiness.

SNOG leads to true inner happiness, which lies in the spiritual. There was no comfort in his life. According to legend, he lived in an old rain barrel. One day, when he saw a child scooping water from a spring with bare hands, he threw away his own vessel, considering it an unnecessary luxury. It cannot be said for certain whether his counterpart Epikur, who finds true happiness in the pursuit of pleasure, is nearby Diogenes in the painting.

Pythagoras – more than a mathematician

Among the philosophers of nature and artists, Pythagoras stands out, who in the painting appears to be absorbed in transcribing harmony into musical notation. Pythagoras was much more than a mathematician. He was fascinated by the laws of harmony that operate in nature. He sought them in music, mathematics, astronomy, and in the coexistence of people.

He is also credited with founding the Pythagorean school, a philosophical school that sees the realization of human virtues as the highest goal, the foundation of all harmony both great and small. Plato In his work, he was undoubtedly inspired by Pythagorean ideas.

Ptolemy, a geocentrist
On Aristotle’s side, we find natural philosophers who were more inclined towards natural sciences. Ptolemy is clearly recognizable, holding a globe in his hand and wearing a crown – alluding to the frequent confusion with the Egyptian king of the same name. Ptolemy plays a central role as he created the Ptolemaic picture of the world, according to which the Earth is at the center of the universe. This fundamental principle was already advocated by Aristotle. Nearby Ptolemy, there are other representatives of geometry and natural philosophy. One of them is Euclid – he can be recognized by the circle he uses to find the solution to a mathematical problem.

A fitting frame
When the viewer’s eye gets tired of struggling with the multitude of details, it may happen that the painting takes the lead. Suddenly, we see the whole again and what the painting truly wants to convey to us. We immerse ourselves into the depths and heights of the unusual, sometimes incomprehensible spiritual realm. and from all over the world. Across the floor, whose square tiles of dark and light marble remind us that everything in the world follows the law of polarity, we reach the base of the stairs. It is no accident that there are four steps to climb – four steps for our beings. Then, a space opens up, a wide space of spirit. This is a space that expands upwards into the dome and ends with a Greek cross vault. From behind, through the triumphal arch, there is a view towards infinity.

St. Peter’s Church and the Temple of the God Janus

The question of which buildings served as models for Raphael’s depicted composition is constantly being asked. Were the plans for St. Peter’s Church really an inspiration for the dome? And was the ancient Etruscan Janus arch on the other side of the Tiber really the template for the arch at the entrance? Perhaps the similarity is just coincidental.

However, if Raphael consciously chose these models, the result is an interesting connection between Christian present and Etruscan past.

In the holy soil of Rome, whose foundations were laid down. Etruscan wisdom, the mystical discipline of Etrusca, with the final touch given by Christian architecture, elevates the Athenian school as a symbol of the Renaissance, the return and renewal of ancient timeless human values.

Advocate for philosophy without boundaries?

Etruscan and Christian architecture are no longer incompatible. Just like the world view of Pythagoras and Ptolemy. Or the moral philosophies of Epicurus and Diogenes. Or Plato and Aristotle’s search for the ultimate cause. Because philosophy unites and gives priority to the common over the different.

There is room for everyone under the roof of philosophy, which does not judge based on which philosophical school someone comes from, but only whether they are on the path. We are all essentially members of one human family. Perhaps this is what Raphael wanted to convey with his Athenian school.

Source: Abenteuer Philosophie 4/2007