Uriel da Costa (1582?-1640), the intellectual journey of a Portuguese marrano (Porto-Hamburg-Amsterdam)

Abstract

Every time a forgotten exhibit is discovered, a new chapter should be opened in an author’s history. That has not happened, without any reason, for Uriel da Costa. The discovery of the Exame das tradiçoẽs phariseas (1990), should have had re-‑opened Costa’s case, both regarding his biography and his corpus. Since the 17th century, as a matter of fact, Uriel da Costa has been recognised and celebrated as a martyr of free tought. Behind his celebrity there is an alleged autobiography, the Exemplar humanae vitae, posthumously issued (1640). Since the opening of 20th century, however, mainly thanks to the Exame, serious doubts are jeopardising the authenticity of this well-‑known autobiography. Furthermore, Uriel da Costa was also a Portuguese marrano. Who were, therefore, the marranos? Why were they so important for the Portuguese crown and the inquisition? And finally, what forced Uriel da Costa and his family to abandon Portugal? To answer these questions, we must clarify the historiographic category of ‘marrano’. This category characterizes the debate between two important historiographic schools: the one of Israel Salvator Révah; and the one of António José Saraiva. We thus aim at contributing to the history of Portuguese philosophy.