The Questions on the Metaphysics attributed to Johannes Rucherat de Wesalia (A Textual Analysis)

Abstract

It can hardly be questioned that the history of Western philosophy is to a good extent also a history of texts. For medieval philosophy it is likewise valid, from the thirteenth century onward, that these texts are mostly connected to university teaching and, at the same time, for good or not, to the aristotelian philosophy. This fact is easily verifiable for the major commentaries on the Aristoteles latinus and for almost each european university as well. The present contribution deals with a part of the later commentary tradition on the Metaphysics at the late medieval German universities. It focusses on a text – a quaestiones commentary on the Metaphysics – the transmission of which is extraordinarily complex. It examines two late medieval authors: John of Wesel (Johannes Rucherat de Wesalia), less known for his aristotelian commentaries than for his confrontation with the Roman church, and nicholas of amsterdam, whose work has received considerable attention in recent scholarship. Both philosophers were active at several German universities during the first half of the fifteenth century and commented on many aristotelian texts, including the Metaphysics. This paper emerged from an analysis of a manuscript (Basel, Universitätsbibliothek, F VIII 7) conveying a quaestiones commentary attributed to John of Wesel. after some basic information, a more detailed comparison shows, however, that this text runs essentially identical with one of nicholas’ versions of his own commentary. Finally, a proposal of interpreting this fact considering the university standards of the time is included.