Stuff to Download

Here are some things that may be freely downloaded and distributed. Depending on the capabilities and configuration of your Web browser, most of them can also be viewed right here on-line, without having to download them.

Note: Almost all of the things here are in the Adobe Acrobat ("PDF") format. They are identified with the icon. In order to make use of them, you will need a copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader, which can be downloaded as freeware from Adobe Systems Incorporated. You can do it right here. (Acrobat and the Acrobat logo are trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated.)

• Justin Martyr's "Dialogue with Trypho the Jew," Prologue (= Chs. 1-9) {justin.pdf = 100,948 bytes).
  
  This is the famous "Prologue" to Justin's Dialogue. In it, he describes how he was converted to Christianity from the best of pagan Greek philosophy, and furthermore was converted on basically philosophical grounds.
  
  
• History of the Problem of Universals in the Middle Ages: Notes and Texts (univers.pdf = 965,265 bytes).
  
  This is a set of translations and notes I used as a course-packet for a graduate-level course in the Fall of 1994. It consists of two parts: (1) a set of notes to supplement the translations in my Five Texts on the Mediaeval Problem of Universals, (Indianapolis: Hackett, 1994); and (2) translations of several additional texts.
  
  
• A passage from the beginning of Walter Burley's De suppositionibus (Translation) (burley.pdf = 78,194 bytes).
  
  My translation from the beginning of Walter Burley's (or Burleigh's) De suppositionibus, as edited in Stephen F. Brown, "Walter Burleigh's Treatise De suppositionibus and Its Influence on William of Ockham," Franciscan Studies 32 (1972), pp. 15-64. The translation consists of everything up through the discussion of the supposition of "absolute" terms, but omits the discussion of the supposition of "relative" terms and everything after that. (This amounts to Brown, pp. 31-43, paragraphs (1.1)-(2.425).) I didn't translate the rest because I didn't have time.
  
  
• Walter Burley, The Longer Treatise On the Purity of the Art of Logic, Tract. 1: "On the Properties of Terms." (Translation with notes) (purity.pdf = 444,704 bytes)
  
  This is basically an on-line version of the translation on deposit with the Translation Clearing House at Oklahoma State University (http://www.okstate.edu/artsci/philosophy/). I am preparing a complete translation of On the Purity of the Art of Logic, both "The Shorter Treatise" and "The Longer Treatise," to appear in the series "Yale Library of Medieval Philosophy" published by Yale University Press.
  
  
• Selections from Part I of William of Ockham's Summa logicae (Translation) (ockham.pdf = 321,383 bytes).
  
  As it says, this is a translation of Part I of Ockham's Summa logicae, specifically, of Adam of Wodeham's Prologue, and then of Ockham's own Prefatory Letter, and Chs. 1-6, 8, 13, 26-28, 30-31, 33, 63-66, 70 and 72, together with summaries of Chs. 7, 29 and 32.
  
  
• Fridugisus of Tours, Letter on Nothing and Shadows, (Translation, complete) (fridugis.pdf = 33094 bytes).
  
  Just exactly what it says. This is essentially the same translation as is included in A Survey of Mediaeval Philosophy, (= "The Course in the Box," see below). It's just been cleaned up a little and put in the "PDF" format.
  
  
• Peter Damian, Selections from his Letter on Divine Omnipotence (Translation) (damian.pdf = 43798 bytes).
  
  Again, this is essentially the same translation as is included in A Survey of Mediaeval Philosophy, (= "The Course in the Box," see below). It's just been cleaned up a little and put in the "PDF" format.
  
  
• "Boehner's Text of Walter Burley's De puritate artis logicae: Some Corrections and Queries" (boehner3.pdf = 124,589 bytes).
  
  This is a paper of mine done in conjunction with my translation of Burley's De puritate artis logicae, both the shorter and the longer treatises, for the "Yale Library of Medieval Philosophy" (forthcoming). In preparing that translation, I checked Boehner's edition against Vat. lat. 3066, which contains both versions and was used by Boehner in his edition. I found that the edition needs to be corrected or reconsidered in several places. This paper presents my findings. It is not available elsewhere.
  
  Note: This is "version 3" of this paper. Version 1 was uploaded on July 13, 1996. But I subsequently found a couple of other small things to correct, and uploaded version 2 on December 28, 1996. After finding yet one more small point, I prepared version 3 on August 7, 1998. If for some peculiar reason you want a copy of version 1 or 2, me and I'll get one to you.
  
  

• "Three Questions by John of Wesel on Obligationes and Insolubilia " (wesel.pdf = 227,131 bytes).
  
  My Latin edition of three logical questions disputated in Paris, probably 1344-1353, by a certain John of Wesel. The questions show the marked influence of Roger Swyneshed at Paris by this time. I also include a discussion of the author's identiy. The paper is not available elsewhere.
  
  
• Thoughts, Words and Things: An Introduction to Late Mediaeval Logic and Semantic Theory, Version 1.2. (Thoughts, Words and Things1_2.pdf = 2,622,868 bytes). This is a "minor upgrade" of the original Version 1.0 and Version 1.1a that were posted here earlier. It corrects some typographical and formatting errors, inserts some missing Greek, and adds a few items to the Bibliography. But nothing substantial is changed. If for any reason you want to consult the original version 1.0, you can still find it here; version 1.1a is here.
  
  This is a book of 402 pages (plus front material) on early-fourteenth century logic and semantics. It focuses primarily on the theories of signification and supposition (including ampliation), along with connotation-theory and the theory of mental language. The main authors discussed are Ockham, Burley, Peter of Ailly and, to some extent, Gregory of Rimini, although other people are treated too. Ch. 2 contains a "Thumbnail Sketch of the History of Logic to the End of the Middle Ages." There is an Appendix with a chronological table of names (and comments), and another Appendix of short primary texts that are discussed in the book. It is meant to be used in connection with my translations from William of Ockham's Summa logicae and Walter Burley's De suppositionibus, which may be downloaded from this Web page (see above), and with my preliminary translation from Walter Burley's De puritate artis logicae tractatus longior, available for downloading above, and also available from the Translation Clearing House at Oklahoma State University (http://www.okstate.edu/artsci/philosophy/).
  
  
• "Boethius against Universals: The Arguments in the Second Commentary on Porphyry" (boethius.pdf = 156,305 bytes).
  
  A paper of mine on the part of Boethius' Second Commentary on Porphyry where he presents the case against universals. The paper discusses: (a) where Boethius got his famous three-part description of a universal as something present as a whole, simultaneously and in some appropriate metaphysically intimate way to several things at once, (b) the curious and little-explored "infinite regress" argument contained in the passage, and (c) the overall structure of the passage, how the various arguments are related to one another.
  
  
• Thomas Aquinas, "On the Mixture of the Elements, to Master Philip of Castrocaeli" (Translation) (mixture.pdf = 113,483 bytes).
  
  My translation of this short treatise by Aquinas. This is a revised version of a translation I deposited in 1982 with the Translation Clearing House at Oklahoma State University (http://www.okstate.edu/artsci/philosophy/).
  
  
• "The Warp and Woof of Metaphysics: How to Get Started on Some Big Themes" (WarpWoof.pdf = 171,905 bytes).
  
  This is an updated (and on-line) version of a “handout” — by now a full-fledged “paper” — that I first prepared many years ago for use in some of my classes. It seems to have proved useful over the years, and so I am sharing it with you. I felt the need to prepare such a handout because I came to realize that students — graduate as well as even the best undergraduates — often find a broadly “Aristotelian” approach to metaphysical issues utterly baffling to them, even after they learn to “make the moves.” That is, even after they get to the point of being able to predict with some accuracy what various authors were likely to say on a given issue, they often don’t really see what motivates such views and why anyone would take them seriously. The handout seems to have helped get past this problem and to supply some missing motivation and orientation. Fair warning: A lot of the picture I develop in this paper is painted in very broad strokes. Specialists will find much to cavil over: I skip important qualifications, lump quite disparate things together under a common heading, ignore certain controversial points in the literature, and so on. But the paper is not addressed primarily to specialists (although I hope that even the most hardened scholar can find something useful here). It’s addressed to two kinds of people: (a) those who need to be shown why and how the issues I discuss here are really interesting and even fun, and (b) those who already know that but just want to be reminded why. So, take it or leave it.
  
  
• Richard of St. Victor, On the Trinity, Book One, translated by Jonathan Couser (StVictor.pdf = 85,875 bytes).
  
  This is not by me at all, but a translation by a student of Rega Wood at Yale University. I am delighted to post both it and the next item here on this website, both because of their intrinsic interest and also to establish the point once and for all that this site is by no means restricted to my own work.
  
  
• Richard Rufus, Lectura Oxoniensis in Sent., Book I, Distinction 42, translated by Astrid Storm (Rufus.pdf = 96,302 bytes).
  
  Another translation by a student of Rega Wood at Yale University. I said it above and I'll say it again. I am delighted to post both this and the preceding item here on this website, both because of their intrinsic interest and also to establish the point once and for all that this site is by no means restricted to my own work.
  
  
• "Why Don't Mediaeval Logicians Ever Tell Us What They're Doing? Or, What Is This, A Conspiracy?" (Conspiracy.pdf = 148,834 bytes)
  
  A paper of my own, highlighting four examples of a peculiar problem facing historians of late mediaeval logic and semantic theory. Earlier version of this paper were read at the conference "Looking Back, Looking Forward: Philosophy, Its History and Future: A Conference to Celebrate the Centenary of the Doctoral Program at the University of Toronto," October 25, 1997; to the Medieval Studies Institute (Indiana University), September 27, 1999; and to the Purdue Philosophy Colloquium, November 2, 2000.
  
  
• Nathan Basik, "The Guilt of Boethius" (GuiltOfBoethius.pdf = 210,822 bytes).
  
  A very interesting paper, arguing that, far from being innocent and unjustly accused, Boethius was in fact guilty, if not of treason, then at least of suppressing evidence against traitors. The paper was originally written for a class I co-taught at Indiana University.

• Rondo Keele, trans. William of Ockham: Concerning Virtues and Vices (HTML format, circavirtutes.htm = 29,478 bytes).
  
  A translation of Ockham's Circa virtutes et vitia.

• William of Ockham, Summa logicae III.3.46 (= "De insolubilibus") (OckhamInsolubilia.pdf = 107, 720 bytes).
  
  A translation of Ockham's treatise on insolubilia.

• John Catan, "Recollection and Posterior Analytics II, 19". (Recollection.pdf = 231,018 bytes).
  
  A revised version of a paper originally published in Apeiron, 4.2 (August, 1970), pp. 34–57.

• James A. Weisheipl, Aristotelian Methodology: A Commentary on the Posterior Analytics of Aristotle, edited by John R. Catan. (Weisheipl.pdf = 851,047 bytes).
  
  A set of notes by Weisheipl, edited and prepared for the web by John Catan..

• Joseph Owens, Reportatio: The Essential and Accidental Character of Being in St. Thomas Aquinas, and the Historical Controversy Surrounding the Problem of the Real Distinction, edited by John R. Catan. (Owens.pdf = 1,699,629 bytes).
  
  A set of notes put together by the students of Joseph Owens, from a course taught in the Michaelmas semester, 1956–57, at the Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies, Toronto. More than one generation of PIMS students will recognize much of the material covered in these notes. Edited and prepared for the web by John R. Catan, Professor Emeritus at SUNY, Brockport.

• Paul Vincent Spade and Stephen Menn, "A Note on the Title of Walter Burley's On the Purity of the Art of Logic." (BurlNote.pdf = 171,553 bytes).
  
  At last! An explanation of Burley's strange title.

• Boethius, On the Holy Trinity. (BoethiusDeTrin.pdf = 77,743 bytes).
  
  A new translation of Boethius's De trinitate, by Erik C. Kenyon.

• Boethius, Whether Father, Son and Holy Ghost are Predicated of the Trinity in Reference to Substance. (BoethiusUtrumPater.pdf = 24,420 bytes).
  
  A new translation of Boethius's Utrum pater et filius et spiritus sanctus de divinitate substantialiter praedicentur, again by Erik C. Kenyon.

• Paul Vincent Spade, "Supplement to 'Insolubles'." (HTML format, supplement.html = 22,032 bytes.)
  
  A supplementary file to accompany my 2005 entry "Insolubles" in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Professor Stephen Read has kindly taken over editorship of that entry.

• 4.0 A Survey of Mediaeval Philosophy, Version 2.0 (August 29, 1985) — interim version. (Survey 2 Interim.pdf = 1,795,306 bytes). Note: This files requires the PDF reader version 4.0 or later.
  
  This is the document popularly (and unofficially) known as "The Course in the Box," for reasons explained in the document itself. It is a set of lecture notes, handouts and other materials I have used over the years in teaching survey courses in mediaeval philosophy at various levels. The package has circulated freely in printed form since 1985, and previous versions since before that. This version was originally produced on an old CPM machine (pre-MSDos days!), using a program called "FancyFont," and printed on an Epson FX-80 printer. For reasons of time and technicalities, I never got around to converting the files to a more up-to-date format. Nevertheless, I am pleased to find that Terry Parsons (University of California — Irvine) has done the job for me. He converted my old FancyFont files to WordPerfect 5.1 format, which is a convenient, absoluely stable, "least common denominator" word processing format. I in turn have taken Parsons's files and converted them to Microsoft Word 2000 format, for output in Adobe PDF format. The several translatations the files have been through virtually guarantee that there are problems of detail. To begin with, Parson's original WordPerfect 5.1 conversions were not — and really couldn't be — perfect. In particular, the original graphics — which I laboriously constructed by giving individual commands dot-by-dot for my FX-80 printer — of course do not convert at all. And there are other things that were lost in the translation as well. But never mind; his files were still tremendously useful to me, and I owe Parsons an enormous debt of gratitude.
  
  Earlier on this page, I had posted a series of self-extracting ZIP files (for PC users), which simply contained compressed versions of Parsons's original WordPerfect conversion files, along with some self-extracting Stuffit files (for Mac), which Peter King (Ohio State) generously produced for me from Macintosh MS Word 4.0 conversions he made of Parson's WordPerfect files (it's getting complicated, isn't it!) as well as some scanned fiiles of the images from an original printout of the Survey. I made all these files available here for downloading, although they could not be viewed on screen.
  
  Well, that system gradually fell apart. First the Mac files somehow got corrupted. I got several complaints that the Stuffit files either could not be downloaded at all, or could be downloaded but couldn't be unstuffed. Since I'm only occasionally a Mac user, I was not in a position to figure out how to fix things there. Then people started reporting mysterious "server errors" when trying to download the ZIP files for PC. I think I know a little more about what the problem was in this case, but it wasn't worth trying to fix it. By far the easiest solution was just to generate an Adobe PDF file based on Parsons's WordPerfect files, and post that! So that is what I have done. (Please note: This PDF file requires the Adobe Acrobat reader version 4.0 or greater. You can download it for free as described above. If you missed the link then, here it is again: )
  
  Note: I want to emphasize that the PDF file available here is merely an interim version of the familiar Version 2.0 of "the Course in the Box." A new version is in process.
  
  Fair warning: You use this material at your own risk. Parts of it I'm fairly happy with, but other parts of it I'm not. The Survey as a whole is the sort of thing you give to a class when you feel obliged to cover certain topics, but not all of it is the what you'd want to appear in a scholarly journal. In particular, some of what I say about Avicenna on the human soul is just plain false. Also the material on Scotus is very sloppy. And the chapter on Nicholas of Cusa at the end can only be described as, well, perfunctory. You may well find other gross failings as well. (I have, but I leave it as homework for you to find where they are.) Still, I think there is much that's useful in this material. So — take it or leave it.
  
  Notice: All the materials in the Survey are copyrighted by me. I don't care if you copy and distribute it, and in fact I hope you do. But if you do so, please include the copyright notice at the beginning. Just don't claim it's yours, and don't charge anything more than what it costs you to duplicate it.
  
  
  • 9.0 A Survey of Mediaeval Philosophy, Version 2.0 (August 29, 1985). (The Course in the Box Version 2_0.pdf = 124,190,193 bytes.) News Flash: Here is a complete PDF scan of the original Version 2.0 (August 29, 1985) — the last complete version in circulation. No codes, no mysterious markup, just a scan of the original. Some of the pages are a little blurry, because the paper copy was a little blurry to begin with. Note: This file requires the PDF reader version 9.0 or later.

• How to get the "supposition dragon" that graces the Home Page.

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