Métamorphoses animales et génération spontanée. Développements matérialistes après le "De immortalitate animae"

This paper scrutinizes two aspects of Pomponazzi’s discussion on natural causality. First, the hypothesis of men’s generatio ex putredine, which he considered not impossible, although he thought it could not be proved: the particular interest of this coniectura is that it allowed him to underpin his views on the divine, impersonal providence, that guaranteed the eternal preservation of terrestrial species. Second, the threefold ‘physical’ explanation of the Homeric myth of Circe: men’s metamorphosis into animals as well as the so-called ‘miracles’ are not the effect of demons’ action, but depend on the movements of the stars.