16. Reception

Session 16

A Christian Reception

1. The period of early translations 2. The period of later translations 3. The works translated 4. The consequences 5. Why Aristotle?

1. The period of early translations

the early translations in the 12th and 13th centuries Christians came to know the scientific treasures of Islam Christian scholars became interested in the learning of Muslim scholars to make accessible these works an translation program was started

in several parts of Western Europe: particularly Christian Iberia, specially Toledo, but also Barcelona, Tarazona and Tudela other centers in Christian Europe: Southern France, Southern Italy and Sicily

centers of translation of Arabic learning, 11th-13th centuries

the early translations the translations included – the translations of Arabic translations of Greek scholars (Aristotle) – the translations of the works written by Arabic and Jewish scholars

works of all kind of scholars – philosophers, physicians, astrologers, astronomers and scholars who wrote on alchemy, magic

the early translations

translators

early translators: mainly Christians from Northern Christian Iberia (not Mozarabs, not Mudejars), Britain, Germany and Italy, and Jews – the 12th century Gerard of Cremona (died 1187)

– the 13th century Michael Scottus (died circa 1235)

the early translations

Gerard of Cremona

a translator who translated more than eighty works of Greek and Arabic scholars twenty-four works on medicine; eighteen on astronomy, astrology, alchemy and divination; seventeen on the mathematical sciences, including geometry, dynamics and optics; eleven on philosophy; three on logic Gerard translated, assisted by a Mozarab named Galippus: Aristotle, Arquimedes, Euclid, Ptolemy, and Arabic scholars like al-Farabi, alKindi (philosophy), al-Hwarizmi (mathematics), Rhases (medicine), Gabir ibn Aflah (astronomy), Masa Allah (astrology)

the early translations

Michael Scott

a translator who worked for the Archbishop of Toledo and later also for the emperor Frederic II (king of Sicily) – translated works of Aristotle that had been translated into Arabic (Historia animalium, De partibus, De generatione) – translated works of Arabic Aristotelians (Averroes, Avicenna), who will be studied by the Christian Aristotelians

a French copy (circa 1275) of the translation of Averroe's comment of Aristotle's De anima translation made by Michael Scott, circa 1230 BnF, Manuscrits, Latin 16151 fol. 22

the early translations

the process

a complex process (three languages involved) – the 'original' in Arabic – first step: translation from Arabic into Romance (Castilian, Catalan) – second step: translation from Romance into Latin

2. The later translations

the later translations circa 1250-1300, a new period: officially sponsored translations translations made in courts of churchmen, princes and kings • the court of Rodrigo Jiménez de Rada, Archbishop of Toledo • the court of Toledo of Alfonso X, el Sabio, king of Castile (1252-1284)

the translations made in the court of Alfonso X were different – the use of Castilian – the importance of Jews Jewish translators in the court of Alfonso X: Judah ben Moses Kohen, Abraham Alfaquim, Isaac ibn Zadok and others

3. The works translated

the works translated linked to the court of the king Alfonso X we find – Christian and Jewish translators translating for the king the works of Arabic scholars – translating different kinds of science and other learning

the works translated translations of astronomical and astrological works – the Tablas Alfonsinas (Alfonsine Tables) – the Libro de las cruzes – the Libro de los juicios de las estrellas works on the nature and power of planets and stars, including tables on planetary movements and fortune-telling tables

the works translated translations of books on games games known in Arabic (courtly) culture, Arabs had learned from other cultures (Hindus)

the Libros del axedrez, dados et tablas, of Alfonso X of Castile

a translation of an Arabic work on games like chess, draughts, backgammon, and many others

all these games are explained in detail in the libros translated

the libros introduced these games in Christian Iberia and Europe, were they played an important role in Christian courtly culture

4. The consequences

the consequences by translating of Arabic-Greek learning Christians – wanted to learn the sciences of Greeks and of their Arabic and Jewish commentators – the interest in Islam and Arabic culture as such was not really relevant

the consequences translations brought new learning, produced a Christian learning (based on the Greeks and on their Arabic and Jewish commentators) – new ways of thinking on God and Man – new ways of thinking nature

that new learning was transmitted from the translation centers to the rest of Christian Europe

the transmission of Arabic learning, 11th-13th centuries

the new learning were taught in a new and original Christian school-system: the universities

Paris and Oxford Montpellier centers Cambridge

of Christian learning, the universities 13th-15th centuries

5. Why Aristotle?

why Aristotle? the discovery of the Greeks a discovery of a new worldview

lady Nature

sir God

(mother) (politheism)

(father) (monotheism)

a world not created

a world created

has its laws (good and bad) are discovered (ethics)

has its laws (good and bad) are commanded (morals)

are discovered

are revealed

reason (science)

faith (religion)

why Aristotle? a clash of worldviews – intellectual crisis in Islam, Judaism, Christianity – reaction to crisis • reason is necessary • reason is not necessary