1231 Recently I replied to some remarks on medtextl with a few short paragraphs on the teaching of libri naturales at Paris. As I was writing, it occurred to me that almost all my citations came from works written years ago. I am posting it to this list now, on the assumption that its members will bring to my attention all the wonderful recent work which I have somehow failed to note. Here's the statement which prompted me to write: "... to be Aristotelian doesn't really seem to be possible until the late 12th c. [13th c.?]; because the teaching of Aristotle was condemned in 1277 that shut things down for a while. When I say Aristotle wasn't known of course I mean the philosophical and not the logical works." My attempt at a reply: The last attempt to prevent the teaching of the libri naturales at Paris was in 1231. What occurred in 1277 was the condemnation of the views of a number of Western Medieval Aristotelians. Theologically the moving force behind that condemnation was Henry of Ghent, who certainly knew, used and respected Aristotle. One controversial question is whether and to what extent Thomas Aquinas was an object of attack in 1277. The best study of the origins of the views condemned is by Roland Hissette, Enqu^etes sur les 219 articles, Louvain 1977. As to the pronouncement of 1231, there is considerable controversy about its effect. -Roger Bacon said that the ban on teaching the libri naturales ended in 1237. -F. Van Steenberghen argued that the prohibition continued in force for more than a decade (_La Philosophie au XIII e si`ecle_ [Louvain/Paris, 1966], 118-145). -B. Haureau held that the papal letter of 23 April 1231 releasing from excommunication two Dominicans, who had lectured on the prohibited books within days of the prohibition of 13 April, signified the end of the ban (_Historie de la philosophie scolastique_ [Paris, 1872-1880] t.II.1 p.117; De Wulf, Histoire de la Philosophie M'edi'evale [Louvain-Paris 1934] p.54). -P. Mandonnet suggested that prohibition remained legally in force but lapsed in practice (_Siger de Brabant et l'averroism latin_ [Louvain, 1908-1911] t.I p.23-24). It's important to remember that the decree of 1231 recognizes the value of Aristotle, its purpose is not permanent prohibition, but expurgation with a view to future lectures. Something resembling Mandonnet's theory seems to me to accord best with the evidence: The commission appointed in 1231 does not act decisively (or does not act at all); no expurgated and approved text is issued. Teaching of Aristotle continues. Right at first members of religious orders teaching the libri naturales worry about whether they are doing something wrong, but soon no notice is taken. In 1237, as Bacon says, there is a formal revokation of the ban, but whether of 1215 or 1231 we don't know. That scenario would account for the lectures on Aristotle's Physics and Metaphysics I am looking at now, which were presented at Paris in 1237 and before. Scholars began rethinking their assumptions about Parisian Aristotelianism as a result of the work of R'ene Gauthier. Gauthier challenged the assumptions normally made about the study of Aristotle and Averroes. He published a treatise _De anima_ based on Aristotle and Averroes from the year 1225; he brought our attention to the use of those authors in the works of William of Auxerre, Hugh of S. Cher and Philipp the Chancellor produced in the early 1230's. See "Le traite De anima et de potentia eius," "Notes sur les debuts [1225- 1240] du premier`Averroisme'," _Revue des sciences philosophiques et theologiques_, 66 (1982), 3-56.333-352. In any case there is plenty of evidence for Western Aristotelianism or the study of Aristotle in the West (to avoid a term whose currency is correctly challenged by Mark Jordan) before 1250. "And wasn't the effect of the 1231 edict confined to Paris? I know that the University of Toulouse specifically advertised that the works of Aristotle not available in Paris *were* being taught there ... [cf.] Johannes de Garlandia." Harry Butler hgb1@troi.cc.rochester.edu Right, it is the situation at Paris in the 1230's which is doubtful. In Oxford, in Toulouse, and elsewhere, there were lectures on the libri naturales. Garland who was at Toulouse from 1229-1232 when most of the Parisian masters left Paris says: "Libros naturales, qui fuerant Parisiis prohibiti potuerunt illic audire qui volunt ..." In the Chartularium those words are dated about 1229, which seems to indicate that the reference would be to the prohibition of 1215. Rega Wood (RWood@SBU.edu) ********************************************************************** * * * Rega Wood * * Franciscan Institute e-mail: rwood@sbu.edu * * St. Bonaventure University phone: 716 375-2148 * * St. Bonaventure, NY 14778 fax: 716 375-2389 * * * ********************************************************************** [Submitted by: Rega Wood <RWOOD@SBU.EDU> Tue, 3 Jan 1995 15:48:07 EDT] Up