The Manuscript Transmission of the Arabic Text.

The Latin text of the book de causis on causes, which was used by the Scholastics, immediately reveals itself through its linguistic peculiarity to be a translation of an Arabic text. Now, A. Jourdainoriginal: "Recherhes sur les anciennes traductions latines d'Aristote" p. 183. I always cite this work, which remains indispensable even today, according to the second edition prepared by the author's son, Ch. Jourdain, published in Paris in 1843. The first edition appeared in 1819. Ad. Stahr provided a German adaptation, Halle 1831. stated that the original title of the Latin text was likely not liber de causis book of causes, but rather liber de essentia purae bonitatis book on the essence of pure goodness. This is how the book is named by Alanus of Lille (Alanus ab Insulis), and Alanus (died c. 1202) is the earliest author writing in Latin in whose work a specific mention of this book can be verified. Due to a lack of sources, Jourdain was unable to determine the origin of the Latin translation more precisely. Otherwise, he would have added that the translator himself gave his version the heading: liber Aristotelis de expositione bonitatis purae Aristotle's book on the exposition of pure goodness.

Several Hebrew versions of our book are of a more recent date than the Latin translation, having flowed partly from the Arabic and partly from the Latin. The oldest of these, prepared by Serachja ben Isaac around 1284 based on an Arabic model, carries the title: "Book of Discourse on the Absolute Good."

Thus, from two sides, a starting point was provided that pointed to the assumption that that Arabic "Book of Aristotle's Discourse on the Pure Good," which is listed in the