Internet Medieval Sourcebook Selected Sources: Intellectual Life
Contents
General
Carolingian Thought
11th-12th Century Thought- Legal Studies
- Philosophy: The Emergence of the Scholastic Approach
- Richer of Rheims:Journey to Chartres, 10th Century, trans. M. Markowski [[email protected]].
- Anselm (1033-1109):Proof of the Existence of God. See alsoCatholic Encyclopedia: Anselm.
- Anselm (1033-1109):Proslogium, full text
- Gaunilo:In Behalf of the Fool, with Anselm's: Reply
Gaunilo's attack on the argument in the Proslogium, and Anselm's reformulation. - Anselm (1033-1109):Monologium, full text
- Anselm (1033-1109):Cur Deus Homo (Why God Became Man) full text
- Anselm (1033-1109):Introduction to His Writings
- Anselm (1033-1109):Philosophers' Criticisms of Anselm's Ontological Argument for the Being of God
- Adelard of Bath:Natural Questions, c. 1137, on the impact of Muslim science in the West.
- Theophilus:An Essay Upon Diverse Arts, c. 1125.
- Peter Abelard:Sic et Non (Yes and No), 1120, short extracts.
See alsoCatholic Encyclopedia: Nominalism, Realism, Conceptualism. - Peter Abelard:Sic et Non, excerpts, [At Internet Archive, from Clinch Valley College]
- St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153): Letter to Abelard,copyrighted See alsoCatholic Encyclopedia: Bernard of Clairvaux andEncyclopaedia Britannica (9th Ed.): Saint Bernard of Clairvaux.
- Peter the Venerable vs. St. Bernard of Clairvaux:On the Keeping of Serfs, c. 1120
- Peter Lombard: Sentences
- Alain of Lille (d.1203):The Plaint of Nature, full text.
- Jewish Thinkers
- Judah Ha-Levi (ca 1075-1141):The Kuzari, also known as The Book of Argument and Proof in Defense of the Despised Faith (Kitab al Khazari).
The entire first book of the Kuzari, a philosophical treatise written by the Spanish Jewish philosopher and poet, Judah Ha-Levi. It is written in the form of a dialogue, purportedly between the king of the Khazars and the representatives of various belief systems, culminating with a rabbi. - Maimonides (Rabbi Moses ben Maimon, or Rambam):The Thirteen Principles of Judaism.
- Maimonides:The 613 Mitzvot.
- Maimonides:The Laws and Basic Principles of the Torah.
- Maimonides:The Laws Concerning Mashiach, Chapters 11 & 12 of Hilchos Melachim from the Mishneh Torah of the Rambam.
- Maimonides:Oath of Maimonides.
- Intuitive Theology
- St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153): The Love of God,pub.dom. SeeFull text [At CCEL]
- St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153): Sermon on the Song of Songs,
- St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153):Apology.
- Abelard and Heloise
- Peter Abelard (1079-1142):Prologue to Sic et Non, translated by Wendy Lewis
- Peter Abelard:History of My Calamities [selections]. The full text is also available inEnglish translation by Henry Adams Bellows and inLatin [At Georgetown]; See alsoCatholic Encyclopedia: Peter Abelard; andEric Gans: Chronicles of Love and Resentment - Abelard and Heloise [Was At UCLA, now Internet Acrhive].
- Fulk, Prior of Deuil:Letter to Peter Abelard, (Epistola XIV), trans. William North, 11th century.
A letter to Abelard after his castration. - Fulk of Deuil:Letter XVI: On Abelard’s Misfortunes, trans. William North. PDF [At Carleton] [Internet Archive version here] Fulk writes to Peter Abelard, reacting to news of Abelard’s castration
- Peter Abelard and Heloise: Letters,copyrighted but see next item.
- Heloise:Letter to Abelard, trans. C.K. Scott Moncrief.
- Photographs of Tomb of Abelard and Heloise, Père-Lachaise (Cemetery : Paris, France); andJean Vignaud: Abelard and Heloise Surprised by the Abbot Fulbert (1819).
- Peter the Venerable: Letters to Heloise 1142,copyrighted
- The Discovery of the Individual?
A much discussed theory in recent years, put forward by Colin Morris inThe Discovery of the Individual, is that the "modern" idea of the individual emerged in the twelfth century. This has not proved to be acceptable to all historians. Nevertheless, some texts - such as those about Abelard and Heloise - have been taken to represent something new. It is the writings of Guibert of Nogent which are, perhaps, of most interest. For the first time since St. Augustine, we find in his Autobiography the sort of introspection which may indeed seem "modern".- Guibert of Nogent (1053-1124):Autobiography, full text, trans. C.C. Swinton Bland.
- Guibert of Nogent (1053-1124):On His Childhood, Selections from his Autobiography.
13th-14th Century Scholasticism- Educational Institutions
- Robert de Courçon:Statutes for the University of Paris, 1215 Courses in the Arts 1215.
- Rules of the University of Paris, 1215, [Was At UVA, now Internet Archive]
- Gregory IX:Statutes of the University of Paris, 1231.
- Frederick II (r.1214-1250):Lictere Generales, establishing the University of Naples, trans. Mario Spagnuolo, 1224
- Court Rolls of The Manor of Wakefield, 1274-1297
- University of Paris: Courses in Arts 1255
- University of Paris: Courses in Theology [1271] and Medicine [1270-74].
- Bishop Stephen of Paris: Thirteen Condemned Errors, 1270
- University of Paris: Condemnation of Errors, 1241.
- Jacques de Vitry:Life of the Students at Paris, 13th century.
- Medieval Students' Songs
- Rupert, Count Palatine:Foundation of the University of Heidelberg, 1386
- Richard Plantagenet (later Richard III):The Statutes Ordained by Richard Duke of Gloucester, for the College of Middleham, July 4, 1478. [Internet Acrhive/ R3]
- Cato:Distichs. [Was At U. Penn, now Internet Acrhive]
Used as textbook in teaching elementary Latin in the middle ages. Not by either of the two famous Roman Catos.
- Theology and Philosophy
- Odofredus: Introduction to Course on Corpus Iuris Civilis c. 1250,copyrighted
- Aquinas
- See alsoWalter Farrell: A Companion to the Summa [at DomCentral]; andEncyclopeadia Britannica (9th ed): Aquinas, Thomas [At CCEL]
- Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274):Summa Theologiae, full text, [At New Advent].
- Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274):Reasons in Proof of the Existence of God, 1270, from the Summa Theologiae, trans D. Burr, oranother version
- Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274):Summa Contra Gentiles, with some abridgement, trans. Joseph Rickaby 1905 PDF , full text, [At Maritian Basilica.ca] [Internet Archive versionhere]
- Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274): Catena Aurea: Patristic Commentary on the Gospels:Matthew andMark, full text, [At CCEL]
- Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274):On the Nature of Law.
- Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274):On The Principles of Nature, trans Stephen Loughlin. [At Desales]
- Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274):On Being and Essence (De Ente et Essentia), trans. Robert T. Miller.
- Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274):On the Eternity of the World, trans. Robert T. Miller, [Diff. translation than Geary]
- Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274): On the Eternality of the World [Summa Contra Gentiles II: 31-38,], full text, inc. SCG II: 31-38, now available asSumma Contra Gentiles Part 1: Of God and His Creatures. [At Maritain Center/Notre Dame].
- Bonaventure
- Bonaventure (1217-1274): On the Eternality of the World [in II Sent. D.1, a.1. q2, and other texts] See alsoCatholic Encyclopedia: Bonaventure.
- Bonaventure (1217-1274): The Mind's Road to God
- Averroëists
- Duns Scotus
- Nominalists
Rhetoric- Medieval Diplomatic and the Ars Dictandi
Editions and Translations by Steven M. Wight of treatises on privileges, charter doctrines and model charters in artes dictandi from Italy, France and Germany (1075-1194)
Medieval Political Thought- Al-Farabi, Ibn Sina (Avicenna), Ibn Rushd (Averroës):Islamic political philosophy. [Local copy]
- John of Salisbury:Policraticus IV.1-4: On Princes and Tyrants
- John of Salisbury:Policraticus, Book VI, chapter 24
- John of Paris:On Royal and Papal Power [Local copy]
- various texts.
- Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274):On the Nature of Law.
- Marsiglio of Padua (d.1343):Defensor Pacis: Selections from Text, 1324.
- Marsiglio of Padua (d.1343):Defensor Pacis: Conclusions, 1324;Same Text with Introduction also available, complete/
- Niccolò Machiavelli (1469-1527):The Prince, excerpts, 1513s.
- Niccolò Machiavelli (1469-1527):The Prince, 1513, full text in HTML.
See also Thomas Babington Macaulay (1800-1859):Essay On Machiavelli, 1850 - Niccolò Machiavelli (1469-1527):Republics and Monarchies, Excerpt from Discourses I, 55
- Niccolò Machiavelli (1469-1527):The Ancients and Liberty, Excerpt from Discourses II, 2
- Niccolò Machiavelli (1469-1527):Founding a Republic, Excerpt from Discourses I, 9
- Niccolò Machiavelli (1469-1527):History of Florence: Lorence de' Medici
Science and Technology- Internet History of Science Sourcebook
- A Medieval Bestiary, c 1180 from British Library Additional Manuscript 11283 [with his advanced Latin class students]
- Roger Bacon:On Experimental Science, 1268.
- Roger Bacon:On Experimental Science, from Opus Majus, 13th century [At UVA]
- Roger Bacon:Despair About Thirteenth Century Scholarship, fromCompendium Studii Philosophiae, 1271.
- A Treatise from Salerno on Nutrition:De flore dietarum, in Latin and Italian, [Was At Liber Liber, now Internet Archive]
- John Buridan: Questions [c.1290-c.1360],copyrighted
- Nicholas Oresme: Questions [1320-1382],copyrighted
- Geoffrey Chaucer (c.1340-1400):A Treatise on the Astrolabe, c.1391, in Middle English.
Western European Literature- General
- Epic
- Beowulf, 8th century, trans Francis Gummere [HTML, here] orBeowulf (in Old English)
- The Song of Roland. c. 11th Century, excerpts.
- The Song of Roland, c. 11th Century, full texts, trans. Charles Scott Moncrief [At OMACL]
- The Song of Roland, c. 11th Century, full texts, trans. John O'Hagan [Here]
In rhyming couplets!
- Lyric
- Troubadour Songs,copyrighted
- Goliardic Literature,some copyrighted - see below
- The Archpoet:Confession of Golias.
- Our Lady's Tumbler,copyrighted
- Romance
- Chrétien de Troyes:Lancelot, c. 1170, excerpts.
An example of medieval romance. - Andreas Capellanus: The Idea of Courtly Love,copyrighted [see next items]
- Andreas Capellanus:The Art of Courtly Love, (btw. 1174-1186).
- Amleth, Prince of Denmark, From the Gesta Danorum of Saxo Grammaticus, c.1185. [At Pitt]
- Drama
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