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Simone Simoni

Simone Simoni (1532, Lucca - 1602, Kraków) was an Italian philosopher and physician. After graduating in medicine from the University of Padua, Simoni moved to Geneva, where he became professor of philosophy and engaged in controversy with Jakob Schegk. Expelled by the city for his heretical views, he moved to Paris and subsequently to Leipzig (where he was accused of Arianism in 1575) and Heidelberg (where he was forced to leave in 1579). In 1581, he became court physician to Emperor Rudolf II in Prague; there were unconfirmed rumours that he had converted to Catholicism. Simoni moved on to Poland to become court physician to Stephen Báthory. When the King died in 1586, Simoni was accused of having prescribed the wrong treatment and, after a bitter dispute, his rival Nicholas Buccella was appointed personal physician to the new king Sigismund III Vasa. SImoni moved to Moravia, where he spent the rest of his life. Simoni wrote a commentary on Aristotle's De Sensu. He gave a notably crisp formulation to the principle that physicians should undergo preliminary preparation in Aristotelian natural philosophy: Ubi desinit physicus, ibi medicus incipit [The physician starts where the natural philosopher leaves off].

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Article summary

Simone Simoni (1532, Lucca - 1602, Kraków) was an Italian philosopher and physician. After graduating in medicine from the University of Padua, Simoni moved to Geneva, where he became professor of philosophy and engaged in controversy with Jakob Schegk. Expelled by the city for his heretical views, he moved to Paris and subsequently to Leipzig (where he was accused of Arianism in 1575) and Heidelberg (where he was forced to leave in 1579). In 1581, he became court physician to Emperor Rudolf II in Prague; there were unconfirmed rumours that he had converted to Catholicism. Simoni moved on to Poland to become court physician to Stephen Báthory. When the King died in 1586, Simoni was accused of having prescribed the wrong treatment and, after a bitter dispute, his rival Nicholas Buccella was appointed personal physician to the new king Sigismund III Vasa. SImoni moved to Moravia, where he spent the rest of his life. Simoni wrote a commentary on Aristotle's De Sensu. He gave a notably crisp formulation to the principle that physicians should undergo preliminary preparation in Aristotelian natural philosophy: Ubi desinit physicus, ibi medicus incipit [The physician starts where the natural philosopher leaves off].

Key claims

  1. date of death: 1586 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95

Discussion questions

  1. Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
  2. The record states that the date of death is "1586". What evidence would count against this claim?
  3. Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
  4. If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?

Bibliography

  1. Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1341918213

Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.