The Book of Causes

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The text of our book used by the Scholastics medieval university professors and theologians is the translation by Gerard of Cremona a prolific 12th-century translator who brought Arabic science and philosophy to the West 146. The various titles of that text found in the manuscripts 147. The linguistic character of Gerard’s translations 148. A second translation of our book into Latin (specifically a translation attributed to Michael Scot a 13th-century scholar and mathematician at the court of Frederick II) cannot be proven to exist 149.

The manuscript tradition of the Latin translation. The previous editions of the text. Preliminary remarks regarding the following edition. pp. 152–162.

The diversity of the titles. The alleged authors. The distinction between the core text and the commentary 152. A list of the manuscript copies known to me 153.

The first printed edition original Latin: editio princeps of the Latin translation (from the year 1482) 154. The first printing of the commentary by St. Thomas Thomas Aquinas, who famously recognized the text's Neoplatonic roots 155. The second edition of the Latin translation (from the year 1496) 156. The commentary by Giles of Rome original: Aegidius von Rom; a prominent Augustinian theologian 157. The complete edition of the works of Aristotle and Averroes the 12th-century Andalusian philosopher known as "The Commentator" from the year 1552 157. The later printings of the Latin translation 158.

The following edition is based on numbers 527 and 162 of the Latin manuscripts from the Royal Court and State Library in Munich, and the first two printed editions from the years 1482 and 1496. A description of those manuscripts 159. The relationship of these various textual witnesses to one another 160. I have not indicated the full extent of the differences between them 160. In some points, admittedly of a more external nature, I have departed from the authority of the named manuscripts and editions, relying instead on other evidence 161.

Text of the Latin Translation. pp. 163–191.

Characteristics and Critique of the Latin Translation. pp. 192–203.

The work of Gerard of Cremona is less a translation and more a painstaking original German: ängstliche; implying a scrupulously literal, almost fearful adherence to the word order imitation of the Arabic text 192.

On the whole, the translation reflects a correct understanding of the original; in specific instances, however, various errors can be pointed out. These are not solely due to the translator’s inattention or haste, but were often caused by incorrect readings in his Arabic source 195.

This source used by Gerard, as it mostly shines clearly through his translation, shows an abundance of deviations compared to the Leiden manuscript a key Arabic manuscript of the text held in the library of Leiden University 199. In the category of errors, a large number of minor gaps specifically belong 199. Otherwise, however, Gerard’s source approached the original wording much more closely than the Leiden manuscript 200. Many minor textual differences cannot be definitively valued or dismissed due to the lack of external witnesses 201. On several occasions, Gerard’s source and the Leiden manuscript coincide even in their errors 202. Two specific details 203.

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