Biography
Marko Marulić, born on August 18, 1450, in Split, Dalmatia, and died on January 6, 1524, in the same city, was a Croatian philosopher and moralistic poet (Britannica, 2021). His verses in the vernacular marked the beginning of distinctive Croatian literature. Coming from a noble family, Marulić studied classical languages, literature, and philosophy in Padua, Italy, where he also received sacred orders (Fernández & Tamaro, 2004; Britannica, 2021). During his lifetime, he gained European fame with his Latin texts (Fernández & Tamaro, 2004). Later, his works in the Croatian vernacular elevated him to the status of "the father of Croatian literature." However, according to Fernández & Tamaro (2004), some aspects of his biography and works are still subjects of study.
According to the tradition of the nobility of his time, he led a life dedicated to public office and study (Fernández & Tamaro, 2004). His didactic moral works, written in Latin and translated into many European languages, emphasized practical Christianity and reflected an appreciation for Stoic thinking (Britannica, 2021). Consequently, he can be considered a multifaceted representative of the Christian Renaissance. Most of his Latin works were widely distributed (Fernández & Tamaro, 2004). According to Fernández & Tamaro (2004), among his notable works are the moral treatise "De Institutione bene vivendi per exempla sanctorum," inspired by the Bible and exerting a strong influence on San Francisco Javier, and "Davidiad," a poem about King David.
As he matured, he turned his attention to the cultivation of Croatian letters (Fernández & Tamaro, 2004). In 1501, he wrote his main poem, "Judit," followed by a less significant composition on the biblical theme of chaste Susanna (Fernández & Tamaro, 2004; Britannica, 2021). This work, by elevating the Croatian vernacular to the status of a literary language and combining classical and Italian literary education with Croatian poetic traditions, proved to be a stepping stone for the emerging Croatian literature (Fernández & Tamaro, 2004). In Croatian, he also wrote "A Life of St. Jerome" and translated "The Imitation of Christ." It seems that he also wrote verses in Italian and translated the first canto of Dante's Inferno into Latin. In 1510, at the age of 60, Marulić retired to a Franciscan monastery on the island of Šolta (Britannica, 2021). However, according to Britannica (2021), two years later, he returned to Split, his hometown, disillusioned by his monastery experience.
First Use of the Word "Psychology"
Coherently translating from Spanish to English: Technical and encyclopedic literature provides different versions of the formation and initial use of the word "psychology." The most important psychological and philosophical dictionaries, textbooks, and encyclopedias worldwide present three main perspectives on the origin of the term, which, as a designation for the scientific or philosophical study of mental life, has broad application. However, a little-known document until now provides information that invites a reconsideration of the established opinion on the first appearance of the word "psychology" in the scientific field. At least 66 years before Gockel, the great humanist Marko Marulić had already used the term (Kristic, 2001). However, according to Luccio (2013), it is difficult to determine with certainty what the humanist from Split meant when coining the term "psichiologia" around the year 1520, as only the title of his work has survived: "Psichiologia de ratione animae Humanae."
A brief biography of Marulić, along with a list of his works, was written by his contemporary Franjo Božičević and published posthumously by Daniel Farlatus and, more recently, by Miroslav Marcovich (Luccio, 2013). In the list of works, some authors mention Marulić's treatise "Psychologia" and consider it a "liber primus." As noted by other authors, the term, probably of Byzantine origin, appears in different variations in the available lists of Marulić's works, including "Psicología" and "Etología." However, according to Luccio (2013), the oldest versions indicate that "psichiologia" is probably the variant used by the humanist author.
About thirty or forty years ago, various historians of psychology initiated a controversy about the meaning of Marulić's "psichiologia" and its role in the development of the discipline (Luccio, 2013). Some authors hypothesized that by "ratio," the author referred to some kind of mental hygiene, while others insisted that the meaning of "ratio" was that of nature. However, deciding that Marulić's work was a treatise on the nature of the soul doesn't say much, as the 16th century was filled with significant treatises on the soul. What was Marulić's opinion on the most relevant topics? On the methods of researching the soul? On its divisions? What was his position between Aristotelianism and Galenianism? All of this is unknown and has not had a significant impact on the history of ideas. In fact, according to Luccio (2013), it took more than two centuries after Marulić for the term "psychology" to begin to have the meaning attributed to it today in science and philosophy.
Referencias
Britannica. (2021). Marko Marulić. Encyclopedia Britannica. Recuperado 27 October 2021, a partir de https://www.britannica.com/biography/Marko-Marulic
Fernández, T., & Tamaro, E. (2004). Biografia de Marko Marulic. Biografiasyvidas.com. Recuperado 27 October 2021, a partir de https://www.biografiasyvidas.com/biografia/m/marulic.htm
Krstic, K. (2001). Classics in the History of Psychology. Psychclassics.yorku.ca. Recuperado 27 October 2021, a partir de https://psychclassics.yorku.ca/Krstic/marulic.htm
Luccio, R. (2013). Psychologia – the birth of a new scientific context.
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