John Buridan, Quaestiones super octo libros Physicorum Aristotelis (secundum ultimam lecturam)

Paul J.J.M. Bakker (Ph.D. 1999) is Professor of Medieval and Renaissance Philosophy at Radboud University. His research focuses on the commentary tradition on Aristotle's works on natural philosophy, from the late Middle Ages to the seventeenth century. Michiel Streijger (Ph.D. 2008) is a researcher at the Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities in Munich. He is working on an edition of book II of Robert Cowton's commentary on the Sentences of Peter Lombard. Edith D. Sylla (Ph.D. 1971) is Professor Emerita at North Carolina State University (Raleigh, North Carolina). She works on the history of mathematics, physics, and their interrelations from the late Middle Ages to the early eighteenth century. Johannes M.M.H. Thijssen (Ph.D. 1988) is Professor of History of Philosophy at Radboud University.

Preface xi

Johannes M.M.H. Thijssen



Introduction xiii

Johannes M.M.H. Thijssen



Guide to the Text xliii

Edith D. Sylla



1 Introduction xliii

1.1 The Sources of Buridan’s Question Statements lxvii

1.2 Authors of Questions on Books I and II of the Physics Related to Buridan’s Questions lxx

2 The Questions on Book I lxxvii

2.1 Questions I.1–3 lxxvii

2.2 Physics, I, 1: Questions I.4–I.7 lxxxvi

2.3 Physics, I, 2: Questions I.8–I.10 c

2.4 Physics, I, 4: Questions I.11–I.13 cxiii

2.5 Physics, I, 4–6: Questions I.14–16 cxvi

2.6 Questions I.17–I.19 cxx

2.7 Physics, I, 9: Questions I.20–I.24 cxxviii

3 The Questions on Book II cxxxvii

3.1 Preliminaries and Physics, II, 1: Questions II.1–II.4 cxxxviii

3.2 Question II.5 cliii

3.3 Physics, II, 2: Question II.6 clvi

3.4 Physics, II, 3: Questions II.7–II.8 clxii

3.5 Physics, II, 4–6: Questions II.9–II.12 clxvii

3.6 Question II.13 clxxiv



Bibliography clxxvi



Iohannis Buridani Quaestiones super octo libros Physicorum Aristotelis (secundum ultimam lecturam)

Libri I–II

Conspectus siglorum et compendiorum 2



Liber I

Prologus 3

Tabula quaestionum primi libri Physicorum 4

I.1. Utrum scientia naturalis sit scientia de omnibus rebus 8

I.2. Utrum totalis scientiae naturalis debeat assignari subiectum unum proprium 14

I.3. Utrum ens mobile sit subiectum proprium totalis scientiae naturalis vel quid aliud 22

I.4. Utrum in omni scientia ex cognitione principiorum, causarum et elementorum contingat alia scire et intelligere, scilicet principiata, causata et elementata 30

I.5. Utrum ad perfecte sciendum aliquem effectum oporteat scire omnes causas eius 48

I.6. Utrum sint eadem notiora nobis et naturae 55

I.7. Utrum universalia sint nobis notiora singularibus 59

I.8. Utrum omnis res extensive et situaliter habens partem extra partem sit magnitudo 79

I.9. Utrum totum sit suae partes 93

I.10. Utrum Socrates sit hodie idem quod ipse fuit heri, posito quod hodie additum est sibi aliquid ex nutrimento et conversum in eius substantiam, vel posito quod hodie est aliqua pars ab eo remota, ut si sibi amputata est manus 107

I.11. Utrum infinitum secundum quod infinitum sit ignotum 112

I.12. Utrum omnia entia naturalia sint determinata ad maximum 118

I.13. Utrum entia naturalia determinata sint ad minimum 137

I.14. Utrum cuiuslibet transmutationis naturalis principia intrinseca sint contraria 143

I.15. Utrum necesse sit omne quod fit fieri ex subiecto praesupposito 151

I.16. Utrum sint tria principia rerum naturalium, non plura nec pauciora 161

I.17. Utrum generatio substantialis sit forma substantialis vel materia vel compositum vel aliquod accidens eis additum 169

I.18. Utrum generare sit generans vel generatio vel quid aliud 174

I.19. Utrum illud quod in generatione substantiali generatur sit materia vel forma vel compositum 196

I.20. Utrum materia prima sit ens 201

I.21. Utrum forma, antequam generetur, habeat aliquod esse substantiale in materia distinctum ab ipsa materia 210

I.22. Utrum materia sit potentia ad formam generandam 217

I.23. Utrum privatio sit materia privata 225

I.24. Utrum materia appetat formam 231



Liber II

Tabula quaestionum secundi libri Physicorum 241

II.1. Utrum res artificiales sint distinctae a rebus naturalibus 243

II.2. Utrum ista differentia quam assignat Aristoteles inter naturalia et artificialia sit conveniens, scilicet quod naturalia inquantum naturalia habent in se ipsis principium sui motus et status, artificialia autem inquantum artificialia nullum habent impetum suae mutationis innatum 249

II.3. Utrum figura sit res distincta a re figurata 256

II.4. Utrum definitio naturae sit bona qua dicitur: ‘natura est principium et causa movendi et quiescendi eius in quo est primum per se et non secundum accidens’ 264

II.5. Utrum in istis substantiis materialibus formae substantiales sint principaliter activae suorum motuum et suarum operationum vel magis qualitativae dispositiones illarum substantiarum 271

II.6. Utrum naturalis differat a mathematico per hoc quod naturalis definit per motum et mathematicus sine motu 284

II.7. Utrum finis sit causa 294

II.8. Utrum pater sit causa filii 302

II.9. Utrum definitio fortunae sit bona in qua dicitur: ‘fortuna est causa per accidens secundum propositum extra semper et frequenter eorum quae propter hoc sunt’ 308

II.10. Utrum casus et fortuna sint causae agentes 316

II.11. Utrum casus et fortuna reperiantur in contingentibus ad utrumlibet vel solum in contingentibus raro vel ut in paucioribus 322

II.12. Utrum natura producens monstrum intendat monstrum 330

II.13. Utrum in operationibus naturalibus necessitas proveniat ex fine vel ex materia 337



Index locorum 353

Index codicum manu scriptorum 358

Index nominum 360