„Auctoritates ethicorum" by John of Ząbkowice († 1446): the author, the features of the text, the quoted sources (from „translacio arabica” to Aquinas) Cover Image

„Auctoritates ethicorum" Jana z Ząbkowic († 1446): autor, charakter tekstu i wykorzystane źródła (od „translacio arabica” do Akwinaty)
„Auctoritates ethicorum" by John of Ząbkowice († 1446): the author, the features of the text, the quoted sources (from „translacio arabica” to Aquinas)

Author(s): Marcin Bukała
Subject(s): Philosophy, History of Philosophy, Ethics / Practical Philosophy, Philosophy of Middle Ages
Published by: Naukowe Towarzystwo Tomistyczne
Keywords: John of Ząbkowice; Aristotle; Nicomachean Ethics; Auctoritates ethicorum; Thomas Aquinas; Albert the Great; Herman of Germany; Summa Alexandrinorum; Dominicans; history of medieval philosophy; 15th ce

Summary/Abstract: The article is dedicated to the abbreviation of Nicomachean ethics written by Wrocław Dominican John of Ząbkowice (in manuscripts: „Johannes de Franckenstein”). The text, titled Auctoritates ethicorum, is preserved in only one manuscript – Wrocław, Bibl. Univ. Wrocł., ms. IV Q 52, scriptum per manus Johan-nis de Franckenstein – together with Auctoritates politicorum, Auctoritates yconomicorum and Auctoritates rethoricorum. The authorship of the texts is not certain, but in the previous works of histo-rians it is attributed to John (that thesis is followed also by Ch. Lohr listing the Aristotelian medieval commentaries, and by T. Kaeppeli in his compendium on the medieval Dominican scriptores). Only the part of Auctoritates ethicorum has been edited so far: the fragment, concerning the geometrical model of economic exchange and nature of money from the Book V. The author of the article published it in his book Zagadnienia ekonomiczne w nauczaniu wrocławskiej szkoły dominikańskiej w późnym średniowieczu (Wrocław 2004); this fragment was later referred in details also in the book of the same author: „Oeco-nomica mediaevalia” of Wrocław Dominicans. Library and Studies of Friars, and Ethical-Economic Ideas: the Example from Silesia (Spoleto 2010). The sources of the text of Auctoritates ethicorum are the following: translatio Lincoliensis of the Aristotelian text, Sententia libri ethicorum by Thomas Aquinas, paraphrasis of Ethica by Albertus Magnus, and Summa Alexandrinorum (called translacio arabica). The fragments of the Book IV and Book V, described in the article, shed light on the method applied in the Auctoritates. Summa Alexandrinorum is quoted in the description of the virtue of liberalitas. Writing about diversity of artes and occupations the author cites Albertus Magnus, quoting after him the sentence delivered from Michael Ephesius, erroneously attributed to Eustratius by Albert. However, the Albertinian reference to the role of compensation of labores & expensa is omitted. The author of the Auctoritates refers mainly to points the common to St. Thomas and St. Albert.

  • Issue Year: 1/2022
  • Issue No: 11
  • Page Range: 211-225
  • Page Count: 15
  • Language: Polish