Conimbricenses

The Conimbricenses are an important collection of Jesuit commentaries on Aristotle compiled at University of Coimbra in Coimbra, Portugal.

Commentaries

The Coimbra Commentaries, also known as the Conimbricenses or Cursus Conimbricenses, are a group of 11 books on Aristotle (only eight can be called commentaries). They were produced as part of King John III of Portugal's efforts to make the University of Coimbra rival the University of Paris. The names of 200 Jesuits, including those of professors and students, appeared repeatedly on the college registries. From the late 16th to the early 17th centuries, the university produced voluminous commentaries on Aristotle's philosophical writings. The commentaries were, in fact, dictated to the students by the professors and so were not intended for publication. After they were published anyway, to interpret and disown incorrect and unauthorized editions, Claudio Acquaviva, the General of the Society of Jesus, assigned Pedro da Fonseca, the provincial of the Portuguese province, the task of supervising the revision of the commentaries for authorized publication. Fonseca was called "the Aristotle of Portugal" by Charles George Herbermann in his Catholic Encyclopedia.

Contents

The treatises appeared in the following order:

1. Commentarii Collegii Conimbricenses Societatis Jesu in octo libros Physicorum Aristotelis Stagyritæ, (Coimbra, 1591, reprint Hildesheim, Georg Olms, 1984);
2. Commentarii Collegii Conimbricenses Societatis Jesu in quattuor libros Physicorum Aristotelis de Cœlo (Coimbra, 1592);
3. Commentarii Collegii Conimbricensis Societatis Jesu in libros Meteororum Aristotelis Stagyritæ (Coimbra, 1592);
4. Commentarii Collegii Conimbricensis Societatis Jesu in libros Aristotelis qui Parva naturalia appelantur (Coimbra, 1592);
5. Commentarii Collegii Conimbricensis Societatis Jesu in libros Ethicorum Aristotelis ad Nichomachum aliquot Cursus Conimbricensis disputationes in quibus præcipua quaedam Ethicæ disciplinæ capita continentur (Coimbra, 1595);
6. Commentarii Collegii Conimbricensis Societatis Jesu in duos libros Aristotelis De generatione et corruptione (Coimbra, 1595, reprint Hildesheim, Georg Olms, 2003);
7. Commentarii Collegii Conimbricensis Societatis Jesu in tres libros Aristotelis De Anima (Coimbra, 1592 reprint Hildesheim, Georg Olms, 2006). This treatise was published after the death of Father Manuel de Góis (whom Father Fonseca had commissioned to publish the earlier volumes) by Father Comas Maggalliano (Magalhães). He added a treatise of Father Balthazaar Alvarez De Anima Separata and his own work Tractatio aliquot problematum ad quinque Sensus Spectantium;
8. Commentarii Collegii Conimbricensis Societatis Jesu In universam dialecticam nunc primum (ed. Venice, 1606, reprint Hildesheim, Georg Olms, 1976) The works commented are In Isagogem Porphyry, In libros Categoriarium Aristotelis, In libros Aristotelis de Interpretatione, In libros Aristotelis Stagiritae de Priori Resolutione, In primum librum Posteriorum Aristotelis, In librum primum Topicorum Aristotelis and In duos libros Elenchorum Aristotelis.

A foreword prefixed the last treatise and disowned any connection with the work published at Frankfurt in 1604 and claiming to be the "Commentarii Conimbricenses". It reads in part, "Before we could finish the task entrusted to us of editing our Logic, to which we were bound by many promises, certain German publishers fraudulently brought out a work professing to be from us, abounding in errors and inaccuracies which were really their own. They also substituted for our commentaries certain glosses gotten furtively. It is true these writings thirty years previously were the work of one of our professors not indeed intended for publication. They were the fruit of his zeal and he never dreamed they would appear in print".

The last treatise was prepared for printing by Father Sebastian Couto. The eight parts formed five quarto volumes in wide circulation and appeared in many editions. The best known were those of Lyon, Lisbon and Cologne. The Commentaries are in Latin and are supplemented by reliable explanations of the text and an exhaustive discussion of the Aristotelian system.

In the Introduction to his translation work, John Doyle writes that three methods were utilized in the Conimbricenses. The first, summary, reflects the work of Avicenna. The second method, explanation, reflects the work of Averroes. The third method, exposition by way of question, reflects the work of Duns Scotus. The Conimbricenses relied heavily on exposition by way of question while still employing summary and explanation.

Influence

According to American philosopher John Deely, Poinsot and Peirce owe their attention to "Thirdness" to the influence of the Conimbricenses.

In the Introduction to the English translation of The Conimbricenses. Some Questions on Signs, Doyle writes that

These commentaries had broad influence throughout the seventeenth century in Europe, North and South America, Africa, India, and the Far East, including both Japan and China.

Doyle goes on to write that Descartes, Leibniz, and possibly Spinoza were influenced by the Conimbricenses.

Translation

• The Conimbricenses. Some Questions on Signs, Milwaukee: Marquette University Press 2001. (Translation with an introduction and notes by John P. Doyle of the commentary to the first chapter of Aristotle's De Interpretatione; "Foreword" 'A New Determination of the Middle Ages' by John Deely.)

See also

• Pedro da Fonseca (philosopher)
• School of Salamanca

From the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia

(Or Collegium Conimbricenses).

The name by which Jesuits of the University of Coimbra in Portugal were known. On the register of the college at various times appeared the names of two hundred Jesuits including professors and students. Toward the end of the sixteenth century and the beginning of the seventeenth, voluminous commentaries on the philosophical writings of Aristotle went forth from the university. These commentaries were dictations to the students by the professors and as such were not intended for publication. Still they were actually published, but fraudulently. In order to interpret and disown incorrect and unauthorized editions, Father Claudius Acquaviva, the General of the Society of Jesus, assigned Father Peter Fonseca, the provincial of the Portuguese province, the task of supervising the revision of these commentaries for publication. Father Fonseca was widely known as the Aristotle of Portugal. The different treatises appeared in the following order:

• "Commentarii Collegii Conimbricensis Societatis Jesu in octo libros physicorum Aristotelis Stagyritæ" (Coimbra, 1591);

• "Commentarii Collegii Conimbricensis Societatis Jesu in quattuor libros physicorum Aristotelis de Coelo" (Coimbra, 1592);

• Commentarii etc. in libros meteorum Aristotelis Stagyritæ (Coimbra, 1592);

• Commentarii etc. in libros Aristotelis qui parva naturalia appelantur (Coimbra, 1592);

• Commentarii etc. in libros Ethicorum Aristotelis ad Nichomachum aliquot Cursus Conimbricensis disputationes in quibus præcipua quaedam Ethicæ disciplinæ capita continentur (Coimbra, 1595);

• Commentarii etc. in duos libros Aristotelis de generatione et coruptione" (Coimbra, 1595);

• Commentarii etc. in tres libros Aristotelis de Animâ (Coimbra, 1592). This treatise was published after the death of Father Emmanuel Golz (whom Father Fonseca had commissioned to publish the earlier volumes by Father Comas Maggalliano (Magalhæns). To it he added a treatise of Father Balthazaar Alvarez "De Animâ Separatâ" and his own work "Tractatio aliquot problematum ad quinque Sensus Spectantium".

• Commentarii etc. in universam dialecticam nunc primum (ed. Venice, 1606).

To this last treatise was prefixed a forward disowning any connection whatever with the work published at Frankfurt in 1604 and claiming to be the "Commentarii Conimbricenses". The portion of the preface referred to is substantially the following: "Before we could finish the task entrusted to us of editing our Logic, to which we were bound by many promises, certain German publishers fraudulently brought out a work professing to be from us, abounding in errors and inaccuracies which were really their own. They also substituted for our commentaries certain glosses gotten furtively. It is true these writings thrity years previously were the work of one of our professors not indeed intended for publication. They were the fruit of his zeal and he never dreamed they would appear in print. The last treatise was prepared fro printing by Father Sebastian Couto. The entire eight parts formed five qaurto volumes, enjoyed a wide circulation, and appeared in many editions, the best known being those of Lyon, Lisbon, and Colgne. The Commentaries are in flowing Latin and are supplemented by reliable explanations of the text and exhaustive discussion of the system of Aristotle. Karl Werner says that the Jesuits of Coimbra gave the world a masterpiece, whose equal is yet to be seen and which has received the admiration it deserves. Father de Backer gives an exact list of all the editions. The later ones have added the Greek text of Aristotle. Langhorst in Kirchenlex., s.v.; Sommervogel, Bibl. de la c. de J., II; Braga, Historia da Universidade de Coimbra (Lisbon, 1892-1902).

External links

• Conimbricenses.org - Digital Project on the Conimbricenses, funded at the Institute for Philosophical Studies (IEF) of at University of Coimbra
• The Latin texts of the Commentaries (PDF)
• In libro de generatione et corruptione, In octo libros physicorum, In libros meteorum, In libro de anima in PDF or JPEG format at University of Coimbra’s site.