Sebastián Fox Morcillo facts for kids
Sebastian Fox Morcillo (born around 1526–1528, died 1559?) was a smart Spanish scholar and philosopher. He was born in Seville, a city in Spain. Around 1548, he went to study in Leuven, which is in modern-day Belgium.
Sebastian Fox Morcillo was very interested in the ideas of ancient Greek thinkers like Plato and Aristotle. He wrote books trying to show how their different ideas could actually work together. He was inspired by another Spanish scholar, Judas Abarbanel. In 1559, he was chosen to be a teacher for Don Carlos, who was the son of King Philip II. Sadly, Sebastian Fox Morcillo was lost at sea while traveling to Spain for this important job.
One of his most famous books is called De imitatione, seu de informandi styli ratione libri II, which he published in 1554. This book is written as a dialogue (a conversation) between him and his brother. They used different names, Gaspar and Francisco Enuesia, in the book.
Contents
Who Was Sebastian Fox Morcillo?
Sebastian Fox Morcillo was a brilliant thinker from the 1500s. He spent his life studying and writing about important ideas. He was known for trying to find common ground between the philosophies of Plato and Aristotle, two very famous thinkers from ancient Greece. This was a big deal because many people at the time saw their ideas as completely opposite.
Early Life and Education
Sebastian Fox Morcillo was born in Seville, a beautiful city in southern Spain. The exact year he was born is not known for sure, but it was sometime between 1526 and 1528. When he was about 20 years old, around 1548, he went to study at a university in Leuven. This city was a major center for learning in Europe during that time.
What Did He Study?
Sebastian Fox Morcillo focused on philosophy, which is the study of big questions about life, knowledge, values, and how we should live. He was especially interested in the works of Plato and Aristotle. Plato believed in a world of perfect "Forms" or ideas, while Aristotle focused more on observing the real world around us. Fox Morcillo tried to show that both of their ways of thinking had value and could even agree on many things.
Important Works by Fox Morcillo
Sebastian Fox Morcillo wrote many books during his lifetime. These books covered different topics, from how to write well to ideas about nature and government.
His Most Famous Book
His best-known work is De imitatione, seu de informandi styli ratione libri II, published in 1554. The title means "On Imitation, or on the Method of Forming Style, Book II." It's a dialogue, which means it's written like a conversation between two people. In this book, Sebastian Fox Morcillo and his brother discuss ideas about how to write well and develop a good writing style.
Other Key Writings
Sebastian Fox Morcillo wrote many other important books, including:
- De naturæ philosophia seu de Platonis et Aristotelis consensione libri quinque (1554): This book is about the philosophy of nature and how Plato and Aristotle's ideas can agree.
- De regni regisque institutione libri III (1556): This work discusses how a kingdom should be set up and how a king should be educated and behave.
- Comentatio in decem Platonis libros de Republica (1556): This is a commentary, or detailed explanation, of Plato's famous book The Republic, which talks about an ideal society.
A Royal Tutor and His Fate
In 1559, Sebastian Fox Morcillo received a very important offer. He was asked to become the tutor, or private teacher, for Don Carlos. Don Carlos was the son of King Philip II, one of the most powerful rulers in Europe at the time. This was a great honor and showed how highly Sebastian Fox Morcillo's knowledge was valued.
Sadly, he never made it to his new job. While traveling by sea to Spain to begin teaching Don Carlos, Sebastian Fox Morcillo was lost at sea. His death was a great loss to the world of scholarship and philosophy.
Images for kids
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De regni regisquae institutione, 1566
See also
In Spanish: Sebastián Fox Morcillo para niños
