Odnos astrologije i plovidbe u djelu De navigatione / O plovidbi Benedikta Kotruljevića

Ivana Skuhala Karasman - Izvorni znanstveni članak

The Relationship Between Astrology and Navigation in Benedikt Kotruljević's work De navigatione / On Navigation

Sažetak
U članku se obrađuje odnos astrologije i plovidbe u djelu De navigatione / O plovidbi dubrovačkog filozofa i trgovca Benedikta Kotruljevića (oko 1416. – 1469.). Kotruljević je jedini hrvatski renesansni mislilac koji je u svojoj knjizi povezao plovidbu s astrologijom. Kotruljevićev interes za astrologiju prvenstvo je usmjeren na njezinu korist pri plovidbi, ali pisao je i o prognoziranju ishoda poslova, bolesti i putovanja. Premda se poziva na autoritete kao što su Alfragan i Klaudije Ptolemej, ipak njegovo poznavanje astrologije bilo je površno, što je razumljivo s obzirom na to da je Kotruljevićev primarni interes bila trgovina, pa iz te perspektive promatra kako plovidbu, kao ključan dio trgovine, tako i astrologiju, kao mogući način predviđanja ishoda trgovinske transakcije.

Abstract
The article elucidates the intricate relationship between astrology and navigation as expounded in the work De Navigatione authored by the philosopher and merchant Benedikt Kotruljević (c. 1416 – 1469), hailing from Dubrovnik. Kotruljević received his foundational education in his native city and further pursued scholarly endeavours in Bologna, where he delved into the realms of philosophy and law. Returning to Dubrovnik in 1436, he engaged in mercantile pursuits, yielding considerable financial prosperity. His ventures extended across Italy and Africa, where he assumed various roles at the court of Naples, including that of a judge (giudice delle cause) and a trusted adviser to King Ferdinand I (1423 – 1494), additionally serving as a diplomatic envoy. Noteworthy among Kotruljević’s literary contributions are four notable works, though De uxore ducenda and Della natura dei fiori have regrettably been lost to posterity. Notably, in circa 1464, he penned De navigatione, the manuscript of which remained concealed until its fortuitous discovery in 1995. Predating this, in 1458, he authored his magnum opus Il libro dell'arte di mercatura. Kotruljević’s scholarly intrigue with astrology manifests primarily in its application to navigation, yet he also ventured into prognostication concerning commercial outcomes, health, and travel. In substantiating his assertions, he invokes the esteemed figures of astrologers/astronomers such as Alfraganus and Claudius Ptolemy, however Kotruljević’s knowledge of those authors is superficial. This is understandable since Kotruljević’s interest lies primarily in economic transactions and he treats navigation, which is one of the key elements of trade, and astrology, which is a possible means of predicting outcomes of economic transactions, from the perspective of economy. Notably, Kotruljević stands as the singular Croatian Renaissance thinker to explore the nexus between astrology and navigation, thereby enriching the intellectual landscape of his epoch.