Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics in a catalan epitome of XVth century

Abstract

This edition of the Llibre de monàstica o ètica by Aristotle, based on the only known manuscript (Biblioteca de Catalunya ms. 296), is the first version of this Catalan epitome probably written in the second third of the 15 th century to be published in modern times. With this first edition, we hope to further the existing knowledge about the use of the vernacular in philosophical writing and teaching during the 15th century. The work is a primary source of Catalan philosophical lexicon and, more specifically, it provides us with the basic vocabulary with which moral life has been analysed. Furthermore, this publication links the Catalan text to other Castilian and Aragonese compendia, which shows the deep influence of Aristotelianism on Iberian moral thought throughout the 15th century. Moreover, this epitome is proof of the widespread diffusion of the literary genre to which it belongs, namely, conclusiones. This text is also a noteworthy example of the educational role played by this scholastic genre, due to the fact that its schematic structure facilitates the memorisation of its main ideas.

Key words: Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, Medieval Philosophy, Medieval translations, Diffusion of Aristotle’s Moral Philosophy in Spain.