Humanist Dreams of Space Exploration

This essay examines the historical and philosophical significance of Renaissance literature on space travel, focusing on two works: Three Resolutions and Sentences by Jean Thenaud (ca. 1474–ca. 1542) and The Dream by Juan Maldonado (ca. 1485–1554). While most studies of space exploration begin with early modern authors associated with the New Astronomy, this paper argues that earlier humanist visions of space travel were conceived as responses to what were perceived as extraordinary celestial events heralding significant transformations on Earth. In their efforts to allay fears, humanists turned to classical sources on the cosmos in search of alternative scientific models. Thenaud revisited Ptolemy’s Tetrabiblos and Lucian’s dialogues, while Maldonado reinterpreted Seneca’s remarkably precise ideas on cometary orbits in Natural Questions, integrating them into a fictional framework inspired by The Dream of Scipio. These works show how fiction addressed anxieties linked to celestial omens, social unrest, and religious conflict in the sixteenth century, revealing the transformative power of imaginative cosmic journeys to transcend uncertainty and achieve peace of mind.