In the first part of the work the general guidelines of Renaissance Platonism are discussed, actually the development of western, Roman Platonism through the Middle Ages to Renaissance thinkers and eastern, Greek Platonism which was decisive in shaping the Platonism of the Renaissance. The influence .of Greek scholars is predominantly considered, especially Plethon, and a survey of the discussion that began with them on the relation between Plato's and Aristotle's philosophy, as well as a continuation of this discussion by Kuzanski, Pico and Ficin. Then a survey of the development and general importance of the Aristotelism of the Renaissance, for, contrary to popular opinion, it still represented the most powerful spiritual tenet, especially within the academic framework, and held its dominance until the 17th century. In the introductory section on Petrić the basic features of his intellectual biography are given, as well as the fundamental motifs of his philosophy. These are his passionate preference for Plato and the Platonic tradition and his antipathy towards Aristotle and the peripathetics as well as, in accordance with the Platonic tradition, a powerful influence of pagan religion, especially hermetism, on his thinking. He shows, in general how an original thinker within the framework of the Platonic tradition did not, in spite of everything, manage to free himself completely from what could be defined as the systematic essence of Aristotle's philosophy (which applies to others as well).

U prvom dijelu rada analizirane su opće odrednice platonizma renesanse, odnosno razvoj zapadnog, rimskog platonizma preko srednjeg vijeka do renesansnih mislilaca i istočnog, grčkog, koji je bio presudan u oblikovanju platonizma renesanse. Stoga je prvenstveno razmatran utjecaj grčkih učenjaka, posebice Plethona, te dan prikaz već od njih započetih rasprava o odnosu Platonove i Aristotelove filozofije, kao i nastavak tih rasprava do Kuzanskog, Pica i Ficina. Zatim je dan prikaz razvoja i opće značenje aristotelizma renesanse, jer on protivno popularnom mišljenju predstavlja još uvijek najmoćniju duhovnu struju, pogotovo u akademskim okvirima, a koja zadržava svoj primat sve do 17. stoljeća. U uvodnom dijelu o Petriću dane su osnovne crte njegove intelektualne biografije, kao i temeljni motivi njegovog filozofiranja. To su, kao što je poznato, njegova strastvena sklonost Platonu i platoničkoj tradiciji, i antipatija spram Aristotela i peripatetičara kao i, opet u skladu s platoničkom tradicijom, snažan utjecaj poganskih religija, posebice hermetizma, na njegovo mišljenje. Stoga se on općenito pokazuje kao originalni mislilac u okviru platoničke tradicije, koji se međutim uprkos svemu nije uspio (i ne samo on) u potpunosti osloboditi od onog što bi se moglo označiti kad sistematska bit Aristotelove filozofije.