Simone Porzio

Simone Porzio (1496–1554) was an Italian philosopher who was born and died in Naples. He followed in the footsteps of his contemporary Pomponazzi, lecturing on medicine at Pisa from 1546 to 1552. In his later years, Porzio shifted his focus from purely scientific studies to philosophical speculation on human nature. His philosophical views were identical to those of Pomponazzi. He defended and expanded upon Pomponazzi's work "De immortalitate animi" in his own treatise, "De mente humana." A notable anecdote illustrates the spirit of the early Italian humanistic revival: during his inaugural lecture at Pisa, the audience, comprising students and townspeople, interrupted him to demand a discussion on the soul, prompting Porzio to change his topic. Porzio openly professed materialism, rejected all forms of immortality, and argued that the human soul is materially derived, similar to the souls of animals and plants, and therefore incapable of existing independently.