Product Description
The essays in this book give the first comprehensive picture of the medieval development of philosophical theories concerning the nature of emotions and the influence they have on human choice. The historical span reaches from the late ancient to the early modern philosophy, showing in detail how old and new ideas were bred and brought into the Middle Ages, and how they resulted in a genuinely modern perspective in the thought of Descartes. The essays are original contributions by a mixture of established senior scholars and promising young researchers writing on their own specialties. Since the essays look at the medieval theories of the emotions and the will with full awareness of contemporary philosophy of mind, they open up a whole new perspective on medieval philosophy. ... Read more

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In Ciceronis Topica and De topicis differentiis are Boethius’s two treatises on Topics (loci). Together these two works present Boethius’s theory of the art of discovering arguments, a theory that was highly influential in the history of medieval logic. Eleonore Stump here presents the first English-language translation of In Ciceronis Topica. Noteworthy as a dialectical text, In Ciceronis Topica is also a rich storehouse of information on Stoic logic and Roman law and rhetoric, as well as on Boethius himself and the thought and culture of his period. Stump’s Introduction supplies essential information about In Ciceronis Topica, Boethius’s life, and the tradition of dialectic; her detailed notes explore the many philosophical problems in Boethius’s text. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

AnImportant Contribution to the Scholarship of Classical Logic
Professor Stump's translation of the In Ciceronis Topica, by Boethius, deserves high praise, not only because it makes available to English readers an important Latin treatise on the logic of the topics, but also because of its erudition, bountiful notes, and explanations of this somewhat arcane (at least to modern readers) part of classical logic.

Boethius stood (c. 500 AD) at the cusp between the ancient world and the medieval world, and his works occupy a unique position in philosophical history because of the light they shed upon classical (Greek and Roman) philosophy. He is a writer both eloquent and easy to follow. Medieval philosophers (e.g. Aquinas) made frequent use in their commentaries of the writings of Boethius.

This commentary of Boethius deals with "topics", which are pointers indicating the pathways to dialectical argument - they are described as "seats" of arguments - "places" where arguments are found hidden. The text of Boethius comments the Ciceronian treatise that enumerates, describes, and orders "the topics", in the tradition (nominally, at least) of Aristotle. Professor Stump, in turn, masterfully comments at length and in detail on the Boethian text, leading the reader to a more profound and orderly appreciation of what a topic is supposed to be, how the topics are divided into species, and to what uses topics may be put. (It is noteworthy that the concept of a "topic" is not precisely the same for Aristotle, whose ancient - and highly opaque - treatise bears the name "The Topics", and for Cicero, who was directing his writing to a legal expert attempting to garner expertise in the topical art for judicial purposes.)

The professor's translation itself flows and reads easily, and is replete with parenthetical help to the reader. Although I have not scrutinized the Latin text, it seems apparent that this translation also closely approximates the style and vocabulary of Boethius, and it is not so "loose" a translation as to lose the original content to nuances of modern idiom.

The extra materials and chapters included by way of historical and philosophical commentary cast much-needed light on the meaning of the text itself, and are of tremendous value to anyone who approaches as a neophyte this area of logic.

I purchased the paperback version last year and have been very happy with the quality of the pages and binding.

I also purchased Professor Stump's translation of De Topicis Differentiis (likewise by Boethius), and have been as equally delighted by that book as by the present (the In Ciceronis Topica is a much longer and more detailed work, inasmuch as it is apparently Boethius' introductory treatise on the subject). It is very useful to have and read both books, since the De Topicis Differentiis translation also includes a number of expository chapters by Professor Stump -- chapters which aid the reader in philosophical terminology and overall context.

Although I have never had the opportunity to meet her, I am profoundly grateful to Professor Stump for publishing these illuminating translations (I hope she will also translate Boethius' treatise on hypothetical syllogisms one day). She has made available to modern readers the conceptual underpinnings of an art which, but for the devotion of a few wise scholars, is now almost lost ... Read more

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Several of Boethius' writings, which were largely influential during the Middle Ages, drew from the thinking of Porphyry and Iamblichus. Boethius wrote a commentary on the Isagoge by Porphyry, which highlighted the existence of the problem of universals: whether these concepts are subsistent entities which would exist whether anyone thought of them, or whether they only exist as ideas. This topic concerning the ontological nature of universal ideas was one of the most vocal controversies in medieval philosophy. ... Read more

Product Description
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process.We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
Notker III, Labeo or Notker Teutonicus translated a number of Latin school texts by Boethius into Late Old German, including the Consolatio Philosophiae (CPh), and wrote explanatory commentaries on them, mostly in his mother-tongue. He used numerous sources for his translation and exegesis. This parallel volume 2A to the volumes of text 2 (published in our series Altdeutsche Textbibliothek) provides the fruits of many years of research into the sources in the form of a commentary (Notker latinus) on Notker´s version of the CPh. It is prefaced by a detailed index of abbreviations, siglia and literature, followed by a comprehensive introduction presenting both the sources themselves and the principles underlying the commentary. ... Read more

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Publisher: London : D. NuttPublication date: 1897Notes: This is an OCR reprint. There may be typos or missing text. There are no illustrations or indexes.When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. You can also preview the book there. ... Read more

Product Description
This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
The book has no illustrations or index. It may have numerous typos or missing text. However, purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original rare book from the publisher's website (GeneralBooksClub.com). You can also preview excerpts of the book there. Purchasers are also entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Original Publisher: London, W. Pickering [etc., etc.]; Publication date: 1835; ... Read more