Robert Kilwardby’s Questions on the Metaphysics and Physics of Aristotle

Abstract

ROBERT KILWARDBY’S QUESTIONS ON THE METAPHYSICS AND PHYSICS OF ARISTOTLE Robert Kilwardby, O. P. (t 1279), the famous master in Arts of Paris, who became a Friar Preacher, successively Provincial (1261), Arch­ bishop of Canterbury (1272) and finally Cardinal of Porto (1278), is too well known among medievalists to require introduction. His activities, both scientific and religious, have already been illustrated by competent authors.1 His literary bequest, as far as the grammatical, logical and theological works are concerned, even if mostly unpublished, is fairly well established; but his commentaries on the Physics, Metheors, De anima, De caelo et mundo, De generatione et corruptione, Metaphysics, and all the libri naturales, ascribed to him by the reliable authority of the catalogue of early Dominican writers, the so-called Stams Tabula,2 are hitherto unknown. Now two of these works, and let us add, the two most important ones, viz. the Questions on the Metaphysics and Physics of Aristotle, have come to our knowledge. This happened by a chance, inasmuch as our intention was not to search for Kilwardby’s works, but for those of Thomas Bungay, O. F. M. The cue was given us by A. G. Little, who speaking of Bungay’s commentary on the De caelo et mundo, contained in the ms. 509 of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, observes:3 “ The MS. contains anonymous questions on the Physics, Metaphysics, De anima and others, which may possibly be Bungay’s.” Though this statement is not a formal ascription, we considered it worth the trouble to obtain parts of this manuscript on microfilm. However, the reading of a few folios convinced us that the author of the questions on the Metaphysics as well as of the im­ mediately following questions on the Physics, could not be Thomas 1 The pertinent bibliography can be found in F. Stegmüller, Les Questions du Commentaire de Sentences de Robert Kilwardby, in Recherches de Théologie ancienne et médiévale, V I 1934, PP- 55"7° certa cog- tior, est talis: Philosophia est rerum nitio; et addit Gundissalinus: cum divinarum humanarumque cognitio, studio bene vivendi coniuncta. cum studio bene vivendi coniuncta. Ista autem definitio includit in se Res igitur divinae et humanae causam materialem et causam for- subiectum sunt totius philosophiae. malem et finalem. Materialem per Studium autem bene vivendi finis, hoc quod dicit: divinarum rerum et quia omnis cognitio ad honestam humanarum; causam formalem per. vitam ordinatur, sicut infra patebit.” hoc quod dicit: cognitio certa; finalem per hoc quod dicit: cum studio bene vivendi coniuncta.” Since this definition of philosophy can be foundentirely in St. Isidore, the author of the question on the Metaphysics reveals by the words “ et addit Gundissalinus” that he did not see it in the original, but only as it is quoted in the prologue of Gundissalinus’ De divisione philosophiae;8 therefore he must have thought that the second part was added by Gundissalinus. In the De ortu scientiarum the same definition is quoted correctly, and very likely from the original; hence, supposing the identity of the author, we could infer immediately that the questions on the Metaphysics were written before the De ortu scientiarum. b) The division of the sciences in our prologue is given only inciden­ tally and in abbreviated fashion; therefore it can be compared more aptly with the recapitulation of the De ortu scientiarum: 8 Cf. L. Baur, op. cit., pp. 369-75. 7 Etymol., II, c. 24, n. 1 (PL 82, 141 A). Besides this definition our author cites the threefold description of philosophy b y Isaac ben Salmon Israeli: 1. Philosophia est amor sapientiae; 2. Philosophia est assimilatio operibus Creatoris secundum virtutem humanitatis; 3. Philosophia est cognitio hominis sui ipsius; in the Liber diffinitionum, Lugduni 1515, f. 2b-c. Both this description and the definition of St. Isidore can be found also in Gundissalinus’ De divisione philosophiae, ed. cit., pp. 6 ff. 8 Ed. cit., p. 7. Robert Kilwardby’s Questions il Metaph., f. 53b. "Divisio autem philosophiae patet sic: quia quaedam est de divinis et quaedam de humanis. E t dicuntur res divinae . . . quia a Deo exeunt in esse. Res autem humanae dicun­ tur quae sunt a proposito, vel exeunt...