Abelard's Philosophical Works: Editions, Translations, Selected Texts

Abelard's main logical works

The Philosophical works of Abelard are composed from several parts, only partly extant (for the detail see the next list):

Peter, Abelard. 1969. "Editio Super Porphyrium." In Scritti Di Logica, edited by Dal Pra, Mario, 3-42. Firenze: La Nuova Italia.

Introductiones dialecticae (Introductiones parvulorum): I.
———. 1992. "Super Porphyrium." Traditio no. 47:74-100.

Second Appendix to Yukio Iwakuma essay: Vocales, or Early Nominalists (pp. 37-111).
———. 1933. "Glossae Super Porphyrium Secundum Vocales." In Peter Abaelards Philosophische Schriften. Ii. Die Logica "Nostrorum Petitioni Sociorum". Die Glossen Zu Porphyrius, edited by Geyer, Bernhard, 583-588. Münster: Verlag der Aschendorffschen Verlagsbuchhandlung.
———. 1933. "Glosae Super Librum Porphyrii Secundo Vocalem." In Testi Medioevali Inediti. Fontes Ambrosiani, Iii, edited by Ottaviano, Carmelo, 107-207. Firenze: Olschki.

Latin logical works

Peter, Abelard. 1919. "Glossae Super Porphyrium." In Peter Abaelards Philosophische Schriften. I. Die Logica 'Ingredientibus'. 1. Die Glossen Zu Porphyrius, edited by Geyer, Bernhard, 1-109. Münster: Verlag der Aschendorffschen Verlagsbuchhandlung.

Logica 'ingredientibus' I.

The commentary from Logica Ingredientibus on Porphyry's Isagoge.
———. 1933. "Glossulae Super Porphyrium." In Peter Abaelards Philosophische Schriften. Ii. Die Logica "Nostrorum Petitioni Sociorum". Die Glossen Zu Porphyrius, edited by Geyer, Bernhard, 505-588. Münster: Verlag der Aschendorffschen Verlagsbuchhandlung.

The Logic that begins with the words: At the request of our friends or Little Glosses on Porphyry Isagoge.
———. 1969. "Glossae in Categorias." In Scritti Di Logica, edited by Dal Pra, Mario, 43-68. Firenze: La Nuova Italia.

Introductiones dialecticae (Introductiones parvulorum): II.
———. 1921. "Glossae Super Predicamenta Aristotelis." In Peter Abaelards Philosophische Schriften. I. Die Logica "Ingredientibus". 2. Die Glossen Zu Den Kategorien, edited by Geyer, Bernhard, 111-305. Münster: Verlag der Aschendorffschen Verlagsbuchhandlung.

Logica 'ingredientibus' II.

The commentary from Logica Ingredientibus on Aristotle's Categories.
———. 1969. "Editio Super Aristotelem De Interpretatione." In Scritti Di Logica, edited by Dal Pra, Mario, 69-154. Firenze: La Nuova Italia.

Introductiones dialecticae (Introductiones parvulorum): III.
———. 1927. "Glossae Super Periermenias Aristotelis." In Peter Abaelards Philosophische Schriften. I. Die Logica "Ingredientibus". 3. Die Glossen Zu Peri Ermenheias, edited by Geyer, Bernhard, 306-504. Münster: Verlag der Aschendorffschen Verlagsbuchhandlung.

Logica 'ingredientibus' III.

Glosses on Aristotle's De Interpretatione.
———. 2010. Glossae Super Peri Hermeneias. Turnhout: Brepols.

Logica 'ingredientibus' III.

New critical edition of the text edited by Geyer in 1927 with introduction and notes; Corpus Christianorum Continuatio Mediaevalis Vol. 206.
———. 1958. "Glosse Super Periermenias Xii-Xiv." In Twelfth Century Logic: Texts and Studies. Vol Ii: Abelardiana Inedita, edited by Minio-Paluello, Lorenzo, 1-108. Roma: Edizioni di Storia e Letteratura.
———. 1969. "Super Topica Glossae." In Scritti Di Logica, edited by Dal Pra, Mario, 205-330. Firenze: La Nuova Italia.

Logica 'ingredientibus' VII.

The commentary from Logica Ingredientibus on Boethius De topicis differentiis.
———. 2003. "Super Topica Glossae." In Rhetoric and Renewal in the Latin West 1100-1540. Essays in Honour of John O. Ward, edited by Mews, Constant J., Nederman, Cary J. and Thomson, Rodney M., 62-80. Turnhout: Brepols.

Appendix to Karin M. Fredborg essay: Abelard on Rhetoric (pp. 55-61).
———. 1969. "De Divisionibus." In Scritti Di Logica, edited by Dal Pra, Mario, 155-204. Firenze: La Nuova Italia.

Introductiones dialecticae (Introductiones parvulorum): IV.

Gloss on Boethius De divisione.
———. 1956. Dialectica. Assen: Van Gorcum.
———. 1994. "Tractatus De Intellectibus." In Des Intellections, edited by Morin, Patrick, 24-96. Paris: Vrin.

First edition in: Victor Cousin (ed.), Fragaments philosophiques, II. Philosophie scholastique. Paris, Ladrage, 1840, deuxième edition, pp. 461-496, reprinted in appendix to: Lucia Urbani Ulivi, La psicologia di Abelardo e il "Tractatus de Intellectibus". Roma, Edizioni di Storia e Letteratura, 1976, pp. 103-127.
———. 1992. "Positio Vocum Sententiae." Traditio no. 47:66-73.

Appendix to Yukio Iwakuma: Vocales, or Early Nominalists (pp. 37-111).
———. 1958. "Secundum Magistrum Petrum Sententie." In Twelfth Century Logic: Texts and Studies. Vol Ii: Abelardiana Inedita, edited by Minio-Paluello, Lorenzo, 109-122. Roma: Edizioni di Storia e Letteratura.

Modern editions of the Latin works

Peter, Abelard. 1836. Ouvrages Inédits D'Abélard Pour Servir À L'histoire De La Philosophie Publiés Par M. Victor Cousin. Paris: Imprimerie Royale.

Contains the first edition of: Dialectica (pp. 173-497); Glosse in Porphyrium (pp. 551-576); Glosse in Categoriam (pp. 577-594); Glosse in Librum De Interpretatione (pp. 595-602); Glosse in Topica Boethii (pp. 603-610).

This work is supersed by the editions of Geyer and De Rijk.
———. 1919. Peter Abaelards Philosophische Schriften. I. Die Logica 'Ingredientibus'. 1. Die Glossen Zu Porphyrius. Münster: Verlag der Aschendorffschen Verlagsbuchhandlung.

Beiträge zur Geschichte der Philosophie und Theologie des Mittelalters. n° 21 (Part 1).

Contents: Einleitung V-XII; Logica Ingredientibus. [The Logic that begins with the words: For beginners] First Part: Glossae super Porphyrium [The commentary from Logica Ingredientibus on Porphyry's Isagoge] pp. 1-109.
———. 1921. Peter Abaelards Philosophische Schriften. I. Die Logica "Ingredientibus". 2. Die Glossen Zu Den Kategorien. Münster: Verlag der Aschendorffschen Verlagsbuchhandlung.

Beiträge zur Geschichte der Philosophie und Theologie des Mittelalters. n° 21 (Part 2).

Contents: Logica Ingredientibus. [The Logic that begins with the words: For beginners] Second Part: Glossae super Predicamenta [The commentary from Logica Ingredientibus on Aristotle's Categories] pp. 111-305.
———. 1927. Peter Abaelards Philosophische Schriften. I. Die Logica "Ingredientibus". 3. Die Glossen Zu Peri Ermhneias. Münster: Verlag der Aschendorffschen Verlagsbuchhandlung.

Beiträge zur Geschichte der Philosophie und Theologie des Mittelalters. n° 21 (n° 3).

Contents: Glossae super Periermeneias [Glosses on Aristotle's De Interpretatione] pp. 307-503.
———. 1933. Peter Abaelards Philosophische Schriften. Ii. Die Logica "Nostrorum Petitioni Sociorum". Die Glossen Zu Porphyrius. Münster: Verlag der Aschendorffschen Verlagsbuchhandlung.

Beiträge zur Geschichte der Philosophie und Theologie des Mittelalters. n° 21 (n° 4).

Contents: Logica nostrorum petitioni sociorum: Glossulae super Porphyrium. [The Logic that begins with the words: At the request of our friends or Little Glosses on Porphyry Isagoge] pp. 505-580. Glossae super Porphyrium secundum vocales 583-588. Untersuchungen 591-633; Sachindex zu den Texten 634-648.
———. 2010. Glossae Super Peri Hermeneias. Turnhout: Brepols.

Corpus Christianorum Continuatio Mediaevalis Vol. 206.

Critical edition with introduction and notes.

"The commentary on Aristotle's Peri hermeneias is certainly one of the most important texts in the corpus of Peter Abaelard's works on logic. The author discusses the Aristotelian text in an unbiased and thorough manner without avoiding any difficulties, and thereby addresses all basic issues of classical logic and semantics. The text forms part of the so-called "mixed commentaries" and is characterised by short self-contained systematic discussions within an explication of the Aristotelian text. Of particular significance are the discussions of predication (chapter 3), future contingentia (chapter 9) and modal logic (chapters 12-14).

In 1927, this substantial commentary was edited by Bernhard Geyer. The edition was based on the only manuscript of the text then known to scholarship (Milan, Biblioteca Ambrosiana M 63 sup., fols. 45r-72r). In 1938, M. Grabmann discovered a second manuscript of the work (Berlin, Staatsbibliothek Preussischer Kulturbesitz, lat. fol 624, fols. 97r-146r). As L. Minio-Paluello has shown, the final part of Abaelard's text, which includes the long excursus on modal logic and the commentary on chapters 12-14, is accurately preserved only in this second manuscript. He edited this final part in 1958.

A detailed comparison of the two manuscripts showed that the differences between them are so numerous and noteworthy that a new critical edition was necessary. Geyer's and Minio-Paluello's editions could be improved upon in several places. Aristotle's text in the version known by Abaelard is also included."
———. 1958. Twelfth Century Logic: Texts and Studies. Vol Ii: Abelardiana Inedita. Roma: Edizioni di Storia e Letteratura.

"The present volume contains an edition of two logical texts -- one certainly and the other probably by Abailard -- which have not been published in print before now.(1) The first -- a section of Abailard's longer commentary on Aristotle's De interpretatione, now usually known as the third part of the Logica 'Ingredientibus' -- was discovered about twenty years ago by the late Martin Grabmann.(2) The second, consisting of two sections apparently extracted from one or two otherwise lost works by Abailard (?), was seen and mentioned, though not ascribed to this author, by Bernhard Geyer.(3)

ABAILARD'S COMMENTARY ON ARISTOTLE'S DE INTERPRETATIONE CHAPTERS XII-XIV.

Abailard's more extensive commentary on Aristotle's De interpretatione ( Perierrnenias) is preserved complete in one manuscript, now in Berlin, and incomplete in another manuscript, now in Milan. Geyer published the text of the latter; (4) a short passage of the seciton missing from it was included by Grabmann in his description of the former. (5) " (pp. XII-XII).

(1) No other unpublished logical works ascribed to Abailard are known to exist. There are, however, a number of references to and quotations from logical writings of Abailard in unpublished texts; see, e.g., below, p. XLI, and Grabmann's paper mentioned in the next note. It is possible that one or more works in cod. Orleans 266 (see below, pp. XLII-XLVI) belong to him.

(2) M. Grabmann, Kommentare zur aristotelischen Logik aus dem 12. and 13. Jahrhundert in MS lat. fol. 624 der Preussischen Staatsbibliothek in Berlin (" Sitzungsb. d. Preuss. Akad. d. Wissensch." 1938, pp. 185-210).

(3) B. Geyer, Peter Abaelards Philosophische Schriften, IV, Münster 1933 (" Beitr. z. Gesch. d. Philos. u. Theol. d. Mittelalt." XXI. 4), p. 595 n. 3.

(4) Op. cit., III, Münster1927, pp. 307, 1-497.20.

(5) Op. cit., p. 204.

"The short text which appears under the title of "Secundum M. Petrum sententie" in a collection of logical writings originally belonging to the library of the monastery at Fleury (cod. Orleans 266, pp. 278-281) is fragmentary. (...)

The text clearly consists of two sections, in no way distinguished from each other in the manuscript. The first contains the analysis of a paralogism; the second, four problems arising from the use of 'totum', and their solutions. It is conceivable that the second section originated in the study of -- or might even be extracted from a commentary on -- Boethius's De divisione, which is partly concerned with 'totum' and includes more than once examples referring to the parts of a house. But their is nothing in the first section of the Sententie to suggest that it may belong to such a work, or indeed that it is part of the same work as the second section. There is, however, much in common between the two sections: the concepts used and the methods applied for the solution of logical difficulties are the same: much turns, in both sections, on the distinction between the " personal " and the " ad sensum" reference of words, or, roughly speaking, between the reference to individual things and the reference to concepts. Again, much use is made of logical " regule " in both sections. These common characteristics do not necessarily point to unity of work, but rather to the interest which caused the compiler to connect these two sections in one text.

This text can be tentatively ascribed to Abailard. It is found in the midst of writings by Jocelyn (Goslenus) and other, anonymous, masters of the first half and middle of the twelfth century." (pp. XXXIX-XLI).
———. 1969. Scritti Di Logica. Firenze: La Nuova Italia.

Indice: Introduzione XI-XXXIX; Avvertenze XL; Introductiones dialecticae: Editio super Porphyrium 3; Glossae in Categorias 43; Editio super Aristotelem De interpretatione 69; De divisionibus [Gloss on Boethius De divisione] 155; Logica "Ingredientibus": Super topica glossae [The commentary from Logica Ingredientibus on Boethius De topicis differentiis] 205-330.

Seconda edizione; prima edizione col titolo: Scritti filosofici, Milano, Bocca, 1954.
———. 1956. Dialectica. Assen: Van Gorcum.

First complete edition of the Parisian manuscript; with an introduction by L.M. De Rijk (Introduction CVI pages; Text pages 51-637); second revised edition 1970 (Introduction CXII; Text pages 51-669).

The Dialectica was edited incompletely for the first time by Victor Cousin in Ouvrages inédits d'Abélard, Paris 1836, pp. 173-497.

The beginning (and the end?) of the text is missing: "Nevertheless I commence the text on p. 51, in the case someone should be fortunate enough to find it [the beginning]" (De Rijk, note 3, p XIII).

First complete edition of the Parisian manuscript; with an introduction by L.M. De Rijk (Introduction: IX-XCVII; Text: 51-598; Indices: 601-637; the beginning is lost); second revised edition 1970.

Contents of the Introduction: 1. Peter Abailard. Life. Works on logic IX; 2. Abailard's Dialectica. The manuscript. Sources. 3. Masters mentioned in the Dialectica. Date of the Dialectica XII; 4. The content of the Dialectica XXV; 5. Inference. Consequence. Syllogism XXXI; 6. Categorical proposition. Terms. Copula. Identity theory. Inherence theory XXXVI; 7. Hypothetical proposition. Implication. Conjunction. Disjunction XLIII; 8. Supposition XLIX; 9. Truth and falsity LI; 10. Affirmation. Negation. Signum quantitatis LV; 11. Modal propositions LIX; 12. Categorical syllogism LXIII; 13. Hypothetical syllogism LXVIII; 14. Argumentation. Kinds. Locus differentia. Maxima propositio LXXV; 15. Division. Kinds. Definition. Kinds LXXXV; 16 Abailard's position in twelfth century logic. Dialecticians and Anti-dialecticians. Nominalism and Realism. The question of the universals LXXXIX; Books and Articles referred to XCV-XCVII.

"Aristotle deals with the use of speech, Abailard says (Log. Nostr. petit., 508, 32--509, 8), in his Categories, De Interpretatione and Topics, and with argumentations in his Prior and Posterior Analytics (1): Porphyry wrote an introduction to the first-mentioned treatise. Thus, the scheme of his own Dialectica is obvious: he first treats of the parts of speech (partes orationis): tractatus I; next the categorical propositions and syllogisms are dealt with: tractatus II; the treatment of the hypothetical propositions and syllogisms (tractatus IV) is preceded by that of the topics ( tractatus III); the author ends his work with a treatise on division and definition: tractatus V." p. XXV.

(1) Abailard's description of the Aristotelian treatises is not wholly correct.
———. 1994. Des Intellections. Paris: Vrin.

Édition, traduction et commentaire par Patrick Morin.

Table des matières: Introduction 7; P. Abelardi Tractatus de intellectibus 24-96; Pierre Abélard. Le traité Des Intellections 25-97; La psychologie d'Abélard. Commentaire du De Intellectibus 99; Annexe A: Les affections d l'âme 128; Annexe B: Vie et œuvres d'Abélard 129; Orientation bibliographique 155; Index 161; Table de matières 169-170.
———. 1933. "Un Opusculo Inedito Di Abelardo: Glosae Super Librum Porphyrii Secundo Vocalem." In Testi Medioevali Inediti. Fontes Ambrosiani, Iii, edited by Ottaviano, Carmelo, 107-207. Firenze: Olschki.

Glossae secundum vocales.
———. 2003. "Super Topica Glossae." In Rhetoric and Renewal in the Latin West 1100-1540. Essays in Honour of John O. Ward, edited by Mews, Constant J., Nederman, Cary J. and Thomson, Rodney M., 62-80. Turnhout: Brepols.

Appendix to Karin M. Fredborg, Abelard on Rhetoric (pp. 55-61).
———. 1992. "Positio Vocum Sententiae." Traditio no. 47:66-73.

Appendix toYukio Iwakuma, Vocales, or Early Nominalists (pp. 37-111).
———. 1992. "Super Porphyrium." Traditio no. 47:74-100.

Second Appendix to Yukio Iwakuma, Vocales, or Early Nominalists (pp. 37-111).
Burnett, Charles, Luscombe, David E., and Barrow, Julia. 1984. "A Checklist of the Manuscripts Containing the Writings of Peter Abelard and Heloise and Other Works Closely Associated with Abelard and His School." Revue d'Histoire des Textes no. 14-15:183-302.

"This checklist has been compiled to take stock of what is presently known about the manuscripts of the works of Peter Abelard and to aid and stimulate further work in Abelardian studies. It also includes information about the writings of Heloise and about the manuscript sources for the study of her life. The manuscripts of the writings of some contemporaries who were closely concerned with Abelard, e. g. as correspondents, are added, together with manuscripts of writings by Abelard's closest disciples and followers.

The material is arranged as follows:

Part 1. The manuscripts p. 188

Appendix : Lost, unidentified or destroyed manuscripts p. 229

Part 2. The writings of Peter Abelard p. 240

Appendix : Lost or unidentified writings of Peter Abelard p. 256

Part 3. Unauthenticated or anonymous writings giving the teaching of Peter Abelard p. 259

Part 4. Writings which have from time to time been attributed to Peter Abelard, either in the manuscripts in which they occur or by later scholars p. 262

Part 5. Writings bearing directly on the doctrines of Peter Abelard, the lives of Abelard and Heloise and the Council of Sens p. 273

Part 6 a. Writings attributed to Heloise, or bearing on the early history of the Paraclete p. 283

Part 6 b . List of charters issued for the Abbey of the Paraclete be fore the death of Abbess Heloise p. 287

Part 7. Epitaphs of Abelard and Heloise p. 293

Index of works included in the checklist p. 298

The list is designed to provide guidance on the manuscripts for those engaged in editing writings by Abelard and by his associates and followers, as well as for those who wish to know how, when, where and by whom these manuscripts were copied and read. Several manuscripts are listed here which have not hitherto been used in editions or which have only recently come to light."

Translations of the logical works

English

Peter, Abelard. 1973. "The Glosses of Peter Abailard on Porphyry." In Philosophy in the Middle Ages. The Christian, Islamic and Jewish Traditions, edited by Hyman, Arthur and Walsh, James.J., 169-188. Indianapolis: Hackett.

Second revised edition (first edition 1967).

Reprinted from Richard McKeon (ed.), Selections from Medieval Philosophers, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1929, Vol. I.
———. 1994. "From the "Glosses on Porphyry" in His Logica 'Ingredientibus'." In Five Texts on the Mediaeval Problem of Universals: Porphyry, Boethius, Abelard, Duns Scotus, Ockham, edited by Spade, Paul Vincent, 26-56. Indianapolis: Hackett.

Translation from the edition of Geyer 1919, 7.25-32.12.
———. 1996. "Glosses on Porphyry from Logica Ingredientibus, "on Universals"." In Readings in Medieval Philosophy, edited by Schoedinger, Andrew, 529-538. New York: Oxford University Press.
———. 1984. "Glosses in Peri Hermeneias." In Aristotle's Theory of Language and Its Tradition. Texts from 500 to 1750, edited by Arens, Hans, 231-302. Amsterdam: Benjamins.

Translation of pp. 307-371 of the edition Geyer 1927 (pp. 307-503): the Glosses on chapters 1-4 of the Peri hermeneias; with a commentary by Hans Arens pp. 303-338.
King, Peter. 1982. Peter Abailard and the Problem of Universals in the Twelfth Century, Princeton University.

Peter Overton King Doctoral Dissertation in Philosophy, Princeton University, three volumes (available at ProQuest Dissertation Express).

Vol. 2 contains an Appendix with the the following translations:

a) Peter Abailard:

Logica "Ingredientibus" I.ii.1-156 (pp. 1*-28*) [Geyser 1933, pp. 7.25-32.12]

Logica Nostrorum Petitione Sociorurm ii.1-94 (pp. 29*-51*) [Geyser 1933, pp. 512.6-533.]

Theologia Christiana Liber III.138-164 (pp. 55*-63*) [Translated from the latin text edited by E. M. Buytaert in Corpus Christianorum Continuatio Mediaevalis XII, Turnhout, 1969]

Treatise on Understandings (complete) (pp. 64*-91*) [Translated from the latin text edited by Lucia Urbani Ulivi in La psicologia di Abelardo e il "Tractatus de intellectibus" Edizioni di Storia e Letteratura, Roma, 1976, pp. 103-127]

Logica "Ingredientibus" III.i.1-14 (pp. 92*-95*) [Geyser 1933, pp. 307.1-309.35]

Logica "Ingredientibus" III.ii.1-49 (pp. 96*-103*) [Geyser 1933, pp. 312.33-318.35]

Logica "Ingredientibus" III.iv.1-43 (pp. 104*-110*) [Geyser 1933, pp. 325.12-331.11]

Logica "Ingredientibus" III, On dicta propositionum (pp. 111*-116*) [Geyser 1933, pp. 365.13-370.22]

b) Boethius:

Lesser Commentary on Porphyry 18D-22B (pp. 117*-121*) [Translated from the latin text appearing in J. P. Migne, Patrologia Latina, LXIV (Paris 1847)]

Greater Commentary on Porphyry 82A-86A (pp. 122*-127*) [Translated from the latin text of the aiora commentaria in Porphyrium appearing in J. P. Migne, Patrologia Latina, LXIV (Paris 1847)]

c) Walter of Mortagne:

Tractatus "Quoniam de generali" (complete) (pp. 128*-142*) [Translated from the latin text edited by Hauréau in Notices et extraits de quelque manuscrits latins de la Bibliothèque Nationale Tom. V, Paris, 1892, pp. 298-320]

d) Pseudo-Joscelin:

On genera and species ( On integral wholes) Text 143*-185* - Translation 186*-212*
Tweedale, Martin, and Bosley, Richard, eds. 2006. Basic Issues in Medieval Philosophy. Selected Readings Presenting the Interactive Discourses among the Major Figures. Peterborough: Broadview Press.

Second edition (First edition 1997).

Includes selections from Abelard on foreknowledge, universals, and ethics.

French

Pierre, Abélard. 1945. œuvres Choisies D'Abélard. Paris: Aubier.

Texts presentés et traduits par Maurice de Gandillac.

Logique (Première partie.) [From the Logica Ingredientibus pp. 77-127]; Éthique; Dialogue entre un philosophe, un juif et un chrétien.
———. 1969. "La Première Critique Du Réalisme." In Abélard Ou La Philosophie Dans Le Langage, edited by Jolivet, Jules, 111-122. Paris: Seghers.