L’autore sconosciuto e l’autonomia del testo: una lettura delle Epistole dei Fratelli della Purezza

Abstract

The Epistles of the Brethren of Purity (10th century) are an enigma for scholars. The limited historical information available has so far not allowed to determine with certainty neither the identity of the authors, nor the date nor the place of publication. Even the affiliation of the Brethren of Purity to a given philosophical-doctrinal school is uncertain. In this article, the choice of the Brethren of Purity to erase their own identity and to adopt the epistolary genre is discussed, arguing that it is a conscious strategy to put the text at the center of attention, in line with the allembracing philosophy of the Epistles, which aspires to a universal humanity united in plurality.