Disputationes adversus astrologiam divinatricem

work by Pico della Mirandola

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

June 25, 2026

Quick Summary

Disputationes adversus astrologiam divinatricem (Disputations Against Divinatory Astrology) is an unfinished treatise by Giovanni Pico della Mirandola, an Italian scholar and philosopher of the Renaissance. Written around 1486, the work critiques the practice of judicial astrology, which claimed to foretell the future of individuals and nations.12

Pico della Mirandola's critique was primarily religious rather than scientific. Despite this, his arguments influenced later astronomers, such as Johannes Kepler, whose work contributed to modern astronomy. The treatise is part of Pico's broader syncretistic method, aiming to synthesize the best elements from various philosophical traditions.1

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

2 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

Nicolaus Copernicus
Early life and education
…known as Regiomontanus, 1436–76) and Disputationes adversus astrologianm divinatricenm (“Disputations against Divinatory Astrology”) by Giovanni Pico della Mirandola (1463–94). The first provided a summary of the foundations of Ptolemy’s astronomy, with Regiomontanus’s corrections and critical expansions of certain important planetary models that might have been suggestive to Copernicus of directions…
Read More
…known as Regiomontanus, 1436–76) and Disputationes adversus astrologianm divinatricenm (“Disputations against Divinatory Astrology”) by Giovanni Pico della Mirandola (1463–94). The first provided a summary of the foundations of Ptolemy’s astronomy, with Regiomontanus’s corrections and critical expansions of certain important planetary models that might have been suggestive to Copernicus of directions…
Read More