TELESIO, BERNARDINO. — Philosopher, born in Cosenza in 1509, died there in 1588. In 1518 he went to Milan with his uncle Antonio, from whom he learned Latin and Greek. Between 1521 and 1523 he followed his uncle to the Roman Gymnasium. Soon after, he moved to Padua, where he formed his philosophical culture, enrolling in the Faculty of Arts and devoting himself to *physica*, medicine, and philosophy.
At the university, medicine was dominated by Galen, and philosophy by Alexandrist Aristotelianism, particularly focused on the problems of concrete sensible nature, yet hindered by the a priori assumptions of the Aristotelian tradition. In 1535 he obtained his degree, but remained dissatisfied: *non contentus Aristotelis doctrina*; ... whom I myself... cultivated for many years, due to the abstract a priori rationalism of the philosopher, which did not take account of the senses, the primary source of knowledge (*Prooemium* to the *De rerum natura* of 1565). He then withdrew into meditation in a monastery (perhaps at the Grancia of Seminara), where he remained, it seems, from 1536 to 1544–45; he then moved to Naples (1544–52), where he developed his philosophy in an environment fervent with Averroist Aristotelianism. In 1553 he married Diana Sersale, a widow with two children, who died in 1561, leaving him four more children. Inexperienced in administration, he fell into debt, from which he never managed to free himself. From 1561 he lived between Rome, Naples, and Cosenza. In 1562 he went to Brescia to discuss his philosophy with Vincenzo Maggio, a famous Aristotelian, who found nothing to object to either in the principles or in the logic of the system. He enjoyed the benevolence of Popes Clement VIII, Paul III, Paul IV, and Pius IV, the latter of whom offered him the archbishopric of Cosenza, which he declined in favor of his brother Tommaso. In 1565 the first two books of the *De rerum natura* were published in Rome, reprinted in Naples in 1570 with some formal variations. In the same year, three pamphlets followed there: *De his, quae in aere fiunt, et de terrae motibus*; *De colorum generatione*; *De mari*. His philosophy spread: in 1573 Martelli published in Florence a translation of the two books of the *De rerum natura* and two pamphlets; Gregory XIII (1572–85) invited him to Rome to explain his philosophy; a similar invitation came from Naples; but he never held any formal teaching, contenting himself with conversations. In those years, besides polemical activity and the composition of pamphlets, he prepared the complete edition of the *De rerum natura*, published in Naples in 1686.
Of good and sincere faith, he saw no conflict between his philosophy and Christianity; others did, and in 1593 the *De rerum natura*, the *De Somno*, and the *Quod animal universum ab unica animae substantia gubernatur* were placed on the Index “donec expurgentur” (today expunged).
All who have hitherto studied nature have expended immense efforts with meager results, as is proven by the sea of contradictions in investigations that are at odds with one another and with reality. This is because philosophers have sought “to inquire into the principles of this world by reason alone; ... we, lovers and cultivators of human wisdom,” will follow “the senses... and nature, nothing else besides,” always reserving the absolute primacy of faith: if it were to contradict, “both sense itself and even reason must be utterly rejected” (*Prooemium* to the 1586 edition). The senses are the primary and radical source of knowledge, which consists substantially in a contact. Sensation is a conscious motion of the spirit-heat: therefore all beings feel. Sense is the immediate perception of an object actually present, generated by mechanical motion. The intellect is an inference, from a known aspect of the perceived, of an aspect not currently sensed but already grasped in previous experiences: it is ontologically founded on the presupposition of the permanent continuity of beings and psychologically on sensitive memory; thus the intellect is simply sensitive memory. Universal principles are nothing but generalizations of sensations, always in need of experimental confirmation (I. VIII). Sense shows that fire and the heavens are made of heat, which is white, luminous, warming, and causes motion; the earth is made of cold, immobile, and antithetical to heat; both are sensible and sentient. The two active natures, hot and cold, being incorporeal, require a common substratum to inhere in, the passive black matter. Thus are obtained the three universal physical-metaphysical principles of reality (II. I, II), operating in empty space and the flow of time. The spherical earth is placed immobile at the center of the universe; the individual spatial motions observed in it are caused by the heat of the self-moving heavens, since they are constituted by heat. The immense variety of individual natural beings results from the mechanical encounter of varying quantities of hot and cold in matter, under the high guidance of Providence, which coordinates all things in a marvelous finalistic order (II. III, IV).
They require a common substratum to inhere in, the passive black matter. Thus are obtained the three universal physical-metaphysical principles of reality (II. I, II), operating in empty space and the flow of time. The spherical earth is placed immobile at the center of the universe; the individual spatial motions observed in it are caused by the heat of the self-moving heavens, since they are constituted by heat. The immense variety of individual natural beings results from the mechanical encounter of varying quantities of hot and cold in matter, under the high guidance of Providence, which coordinates all things in a marvelous finalistic order (II. III, IV).
Living beings are mechanisms operating finalistically, composed of matter and spirit-heat: the vital principle is simply corporeal heat, as is demonstrated by nutrition, the mechanism of movement, and that known as death. This material heat is capable of explaining all the cognitive functions of sense and reason: “substantiam quae sentit in homine, ratiocinari et animalia reliqua ratiocinationis non prorsus experta esse” (VIII, 14). This does not invalidate the explicit admission of another soul proper to man: “nihil propterea negantes aliam a spiritu e semine educto... substantiam homini inesse et vere eam divinam et ab ipso infusam Deo” (VIII, 8). This is proven by certain indications: man is not satisfied with earthly things; he is always restless; he appreciates moral values, preferring them to material goods; the disparities between merits and rewards, between faults and punishments in this present life demand the restoration of justice in a future life. Faith confirms the existence of a spiritual and immortal soul (V, 2). A similar demonstration applies to God. Every value is denied to the Aristotelian *motus*, because motion is caused by heat: the heavens and animals move themselves, as does everything that is hot (IV, 18 ff.; V, 18–19). The universal order and the evident finalism in living beings prove the existence of a wise, provident God who created the universe in time. Above all, “the voice of the most holy Church” must be heard; in faith “a pious man must utterly acquiesce” (IV, 19; I, 10; IX, 7). A moderate motion caused by heat preserves and strengthens man, giving him joy; excessive motion tends to destroy him, bringing him pain. Joy is the good, pain is the evil: thus arises morality, whose ultimate end is the self-preservation of being: all that favors it is good, all that opposes it is evil. This natural morality is reconcilable with Christian morality, which promises eternal preservation and joy (I. IX).
Telesianism immediately met with determined opponents (J. A. Marta, F. Patrizzi, etc.) and enthusiastic followers (F. Martelli, S. Quattromani, A. Persio, T. Campanella, G. Bruno, F. Bacon and the empiricists). It concluded Renaissance Aristotelianism and inaugurated modern empiricism. Telesio was a philosopher torn between the rational demands of metaphysics and the allure of empirical science, vainly attempting to unite both within a single body of knowledge through his physical-metaphysical principles. To uphold a firm adherence to traditional beliefs in God and the spiritual soul, an irrational fideism was required, one that would set a precedent.
After the 1939–45 war, tourism services were resumed in England by the B.B.C. in 1946. In the United States, too, public service broadcasting, inaugurated in 1941 by a New York station, was resumed after the war. In 1946, a connection was established between Washington and New York. By 1948, television had spread rapidly with the multiplication of transmitting stations, the improvement of programs, and the reduction in the cost of receiving sets. By the end of 1948, over a million sets had already been sold; today the figure has reached many millions, with more than 150 transmitting stations, over a hundred of which broadcast regularly.
According to UNESCO information from late 1952, the United States has 19 million receivers; Canada has 100,000 receivers and 2 stations; England has 5 stations and 1.5 million receivers; France has 2 stations and 40,000 receivers; the U.S.S.R. has 3 stations and 60,000 receivers. Experimental transmissions are underway in Italy, Denmark, Holland, Czechoslovakia, Japan, Yugoslavia, and Spain. In many other countries, installations for television are being prepared. Even in the Vatican City, there is a station regulated by His Holiness Pius XII from France.
At present, the projection of transmitted images is possible on household screens of about 1 square meter or slightly larger; however, the *Ediforco*, devised by Fischer of Zurich and studied by Thiemann, employs a light amplification process and already provides a picture of about 10 square meters with good average brightness and excellent detail, though it remains to be made more practical. The dissemination of television images now occurs via radio, using ultra-short waves and microwaves. Programs can be specially produced or captured from real-life scenes, and mobile equipment allows the filming of events on a large scale through radio links. For practical reasons, it is often convenient to record scenes and rebroadcast them at a more suitable time for viewers, generally in the evening when they are more available. This is done using cinematography, though it is a more difficult and costly process. Films can also be transmitted via television. Experiments in color image transmission have been conducted. In America, England, and France, attempts to implement stereoscopic transmissions are still in the experimental phase. Research is also underway on the method of *stratovision*, using relay stations installed on aircraft flying at about 6,000 meters in predetermined patterns around transmitting stations.
II. MORAL PROBLEMS AND OBSERVATIONS
It is easy to understand the delicate issues arising from the spread of television, which brings the multifaceted life of the world into the home through vision. These are psychological problems, given the inevitable impact television has on human faculties (intellect, will, imagination, sensitivity), the ease with which viewers are informed of events and acquainted with people, and the direct influence that things and individuals exert on the formation of one’s mentality, opinions, habits, and even lifestyle. Cultural problems arise from the new and wondrous contribution television makes to the dissemination of knowledge and experiences across all fields of culture, benefiting everyone (to the extent that it becomes more accessible) and exerting a powerful influence through the visual element, which facilitates knowledge or aesthetic appreciation and stimulates desires and inquiries. Social problems stem from the new, significant impetus television gives to mutual understanding and thus to the rapprochement of people, the formation of public opinion, and the revitalization of social and international awareness.Yet the gravest problem is the moral one, concerning the good or evil that television can bring, especially considering that television, at least for now, largely addresses a domestic audience, capturing viewers within the very walls of their homes. This issue was quickly recognized even in circles directly involved with television, and noteworthy in this regard is the Television Code drawn up in the United States by a committee appointed by broadcasters themselves, to which it appears all North American stations adhered. It was published in the American magazine *Broadcasting Telecasting* on December 10, 1951. The Code emphasizes the gravity of the issue, precisely because of the penetration of ideas and customs that television brings into the homes of viewers—children, young people, and adults of every race, faith, and cultural level—exerting an effective influence on the whole person. Its fundamental points, with particular reference to moral values, are as follows: 1) in favor of education and culture. Television greatly enhances the educational influence of schools, higher cultural institutions, and the Church, and must therefore maintain contact with these bodies, seeking their advice and cooperation. It is therefore the precise responsibility of stations, agencies, announcers, and program sponsors to seize every opportunity to ensure that broadcasts contribute to the elevation of the public, the advancement of culture and social education, and to take into account the desires of the community itself.
TELEVISION — Television apparatus on the terrace of the Vatican Basilica.
2) With regard to programming, it is therefore decided to exclude from broadcasts everything that is extremely frivolous, obscene, indecent, as well as any word that could lend itself to ambiguity, based on a list of such words that will be prepared by the Commission tasked with revising the Code. Attacks on religion and on different religious beliefs are not permitted. The name of God and His attributes must always be pronounced with due reverence. Religious rites, even when they occur outside of specific programs, must be presented appropriately, so that the minister, priest, or rabbi appearing in them does not lose any of his dignity. Care must be taken to ensure that commercial criteria do not prevail over qualitative ones, even in contests organized for the public. The sanctity of marriage and what the home represents must be fully respected. Divorce cannot serve as the basis for a plot nor be justified as a solution to marital problems. Illicit sexual relations must not be presented as commendable, and every representation of sexual crimes and unnatural acts must be excluded. The same cautionary criteria must be applied to illegal drugs, alcoholic beverages, gambling, sporting events, the suffering and physical defects of individuals, astrological, phrenological, numerological, chiromantic exhibitions, etc., tragic plots, medical or legal advice, shows that arouse cruelty, ambition, selfishness, depictions of crimes, and anything that may provoke overly intense emotions. Every justification of crime, even an apparent one, must be avoided, while the law and sa-