The Latin Tradition (Up to the 12th Century)

This chapter covers the tradition of the Categories in the Latin West, from its rediscovery in Carolingian times around 780 all the way to c. 1200. It consists of two parts. The first provides a general overview. It describes the two main phases of the reception of the Categories in these centuries (what has been called a ‘Roman’ phase, from the end of the eighth to the late tenth century, and the so-called ‘Boethian’ phase, from the late tenth century to the end of the twelfth); the forms in which the Categories were read by Latin scholars in these centuries; and various medieval texts, inspired by the Categories. The second part goes on to discuss three case studies in more detail: John Scottus Eriugena, Anselm of Canterbury, and commentators active from the late eleventh to the late twelfth century (including William of Champeaux, Peter Abelard and Alberic of Paris but also, in most cases, anonymous).