ZABARELLA, GIACOMO. - Aristotelian philosopher, born in Padua on 5 Sept. 1535, died there on 18 Oct. 1589.
He studied literature under the guidance of Robortello and Pasolo, logic with B. Tomitano, and natural philosophy with M. A. Genua (v.). Professor of logic in his native city from 1564 to 1577, he had as a colleague and rival B. Petrella, who began to attack him in the *Questiones logicae* (Venice 1571; 2nd enlarged ed. Padua 1572). Zabarella pretended to ignore him. But, promoted in 1577 to the teaching of natural philosophy, he published the following year his *Opera logica* (Venice) and soon found in the colleague Francesco Piccolomini a more authoritative opponent, who in the *Universa philosophia de moribus* (Venice 1583) took a position against him on the question of the *ordo disciplinare* and of *regressus*, already treated in former times also by Pomponazzi. In 1584 Zabarella vigorously defended himself with the *Apologia*. Meanwhile Petrella published in Padua the *Logicarum disputationum libri septem*, largely written against him. Zabarella let his pupil Ascanio Persio answer for him (*Logicarum disputationum libri duo*, Venice 1585). Petrella replied with a *Propugnatio*, to which Persio responded with the *Defensio criticorum et apologetici primi* (Bologna 1587). Piccolomini replied to the *Apologia* with the *Comes politicus*, published however only in 1594 as an addition to the 2nd ed. of the *Universa philosophia de moribus* (Venice).
To understand the spirit of Zabarella’s philosophy, this judgment on Pomponazzi should be kept in mind: «the most learned book [*De reactione*] of Peter Pomponatius, whose judgment I have always held in the highest esteem» (in *De rebus naturalibus*, treatise *De reactione*, ch. 1); «P. Pomp. in my judgment came closer than anyone to Aristotle’s mind...» (ibid., treatise *De mente humana*, ch. 9). Unlike Pomponazzi, who did not know a word of Greek, Zabarella in his commentary on *De anima* III, ch. 17, boasts: «I have three Greek codices». And like Pendasio, he cites and discusses the Greek commentators on Aristotle far more extensively than Pomponazzi does. For his doctrine on the active intellect identified with God, he aligns himself with Alexander of Aphrodisias, Pendasio, and the advocates of the Sigillarian current of the “Bononienses” (Achillini, Bacilieri, Tiraquella). Alexander also agrees with him on the problem of the immortality of the soul, demonstrable «simply speaking and according to true philosophy, not according to the philosophy of Aristotle».