Pedro da Fonseca: Humanism and Metaphysics, edited by Simone Guidi and Mário S. de Carvalho

The Portuguese Jesuit Pedro da Fonseca (1527-99) has been more often cited in historiographical reviews of Second Scholasticism and Jesuit thought than studied in his original sources.The main goal of this work is to offer a study, albeit partial, that is direct and profound, of some relevant questions that reflect Fonseca's treatment of diverse philosophical issues, both in dialogue with the preceding philosophical tradition and in considering the impact this author had on posterity.To this end, the editors focus on two main lines developed by this author: his pedagogical and civic project rooted in humanism and his contribution to the discourse on metaphysical problems.Highlighting these two features is appropriate, as they represent the Jesuit character within this specific scholasticism, which, contrary to the position of significant Renaissance humanists such as Erasmus, Arias Montano, or Vives, is not opposed to humanism but is rather a form of Scholastic humanism.In this sense, it is a concrete response to the pedagogical challenge of renewing and socially extending education, to the civic challenge in the integral formation of individuals who assume their responsibility and contribute to public life, and the renewal and reconstruction of knowledge in dialogue with classical authors, particularly Aristotle, but also through openness to the sciences and in-depth knowledge of the sources of Scripture and patristics.Cristiano Casalini and Mário Carvalho, respectively, in the first section of the book, delve into these aspects.The former conducts a detailed study of Fonseca's humanist training and his adoption of linguistic rigor in handling much as the ihs monogram does for the Jesuits.