Our website is made possible by displaying online advertisements to our visitors.
Please consider supporting us by disabling your ad blocker.
Liber de Causis
The Liber de Causis ("Book of Causes") is a philosophical work composed in Arabic in the 9th century. It was once attributed to Aristotle and became popular in West during the Middle Ages, after it was translated into Latin by Gerard of Cremona between 1167 and 1187.[1] The original title was كتاب الإيضاح لأرسطوطاليس في الخير المحض Kitāb al-Īḍāḥ li-Arisṭūṭālis fī l-Khayr al-Maḥd, "The Book of Aristotle's Explanation of the Pure Good".[2] Its Latin title, Liber de Causis, came into use following its translation. The work was also translated into Armenian and Hebrew.[3] Many Latin commentaries on the work are extant.[4]
The real authorship of the Liber remains a mystery, but most of the content is taken from the Elements of Theology of the Neoplatonic philosopher Proclus. This was first noticed by Thomas Aquinas, following William of Moerbeke's translation of Proclus' work into Latin. As such its author is now known as pseudo-Aristotle.[5]
- ^ Lydia Schumacher, "Liber de Causis," in Andrew Louth (ed.), The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, 4th ed. (Oxford University Press, 2022), retrieved 12 September 2023.
- ^ This is the title given by Bardenhewer 1882.
- ^ Dodds 1963, p. xxx.
- ^ Edited (some only partially) in Calma 2016.
- ^ Helmig & Steel 2015.
Previous Page Next Page
