Philosophy in the Middle Ages: The Christian, Islamic, and Jewish Traditions (Hardcover)

by Arthur Hyman (Author), James J. Walsh (Editor)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Contents: Early Mediaeval Christian Philosophy. Augustine, Boethius, John Scotus Eriugena, Anselm of Canterbury, Peter Abailard and John of Salisbury. Islamic Philosophy. Alfarabi, Avicenna, Algazali, Averroes. Jewish Philosophy. Saddia, Solomon Ibn Gabirol, Moses Maimonides, Levi Ben Gerson (Gersonides), Hasdai Crescas. Latin Philosophy in the Thirteenth Century. Bonaventure, Robert Grosseteste and Roger Bacon, Siger of Brabant, Thomas Aquinas, the Condemnation of 1277. Latin Philosophy in the Fourteenth Century. John Duns Scotus, William of Ockham, Nicholas of Autrecourt, Marsilius of Padua, John Buridan. Selected Bibliography. Index.

About the Author
Arthur Hyman and James J Walsh, Editors

Product Details

• Hardcover: 805 pages
• Publisher: Hackett Publishing Company; 2 Sub edition (June 1983)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0915145812
• ISBN-13: 978-0915145812
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #555,273 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Continues to be an excellent source., February 19, 2001

By	E. M. Dale (USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Philosophy in the Middle Ages: The Christian, Islamic, and Jewish Traditions (Paperback)

This book was in its fifth edition in 1980 (my copy), and obviously has been reprinted since then. There are more recent treatments of the subject, no doubt, and a lot of scholarship has taken place in medieval thought since that time. Nevertheless, I recommend that you buy this book (find a used copy if you can) because it is still one of the best places to get so many primary sources between the covers of one book. The introductory essays are very well done, but the value of this tome (761 pages) is the selection and depth of primary texts. This in no mere medieval cafeteria--the texts here are all selected for their importance to the overall content of each thinker's work. The selections are generous, too. With this book, you get Augustine, Boethius, Erigena, Anselm (with Gaunilo), Abelard, John of Salisbury, al-Farabi, Avicenna, al-Gazali, Averroes, Sa'adia, Solomon Ibn Gabirol, Maimonides, Bonaventure, Grosseteste, Bacon, Siger of Brabant, Aquinas (Spiritual Creatures, Summa Part I, II [first part], and the text of the 1277 condemnation), Scotus, William of Ockham, Nicholas of Autrecourt, Marsilius of Padua, and John Buridan (on Aristotle).

If you are concerned that there is no way you could get good information on so many writers in one book, let me assure you that you can. For example, you may not read all of Aquinas, but you ought to be familiar with the first part of the Summa. Similarly, you may not read all of Augustine, but some of the best of his work is here (good sections from The Teacher, Retractions, Confessions, City of God, The Trinity, and On Free Will). The important additions of Islamic and Jewish philosophy (Christian medieval thought depends upon the Aristotelian work of Muslim thinkers to a great extent) to this work make it a very nice one to have.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Exhaustive and Authoritative Medieval Philosophical Sourcebook, December 16, 2007

By	Johannes Platonicus (South Bend, Indiana) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Philosophy in the Middle Ages: The Christian, Islamic, and Jewish Traditions (Paperback)

Here is an exhaustive and authoritative, Medieval philosophical sourcebook which contains excerpts of primary importance from key thinkers within the Christian, Islamic and Jewish traditions. This enormous volume covers nine-hundred years of intellectual history [beginning with St. Augustine in the 5th century and ending with John Buridan 14th century AD], making this the finest single-volume anthology concerning Middle Age philosophy available. Preceding the writings of each author are informative biographical sketches and introductory material that will be of great assistance to the reader while tackling these texts. The only drawback to this volume is the fact that there are very few annotations; but this slight discrepancy cannot negate from the general value of this book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good selection, accessible translations, January 4, 2009

By	Chris Travers "Einhverfr" (Chelan, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Philosophy in the Middle Ages: The Christian, Islamic, and Jewish Traditions (Paperback)

This work contains selections from the most important Medieval scholars, including Maimonides, Avicenna, and St. Augustine. The selections are reasonably brief, so one may have to go read more works of some authors. However, that is the best one can expect from a book of this sort, and the selections are the best available.

Additionally, the translations are accessible to the modern reader. I had no trouble getting into the translations here at all.

On the whole, I think this is one of the best anthologies of the subject and would highly recommend it to anyone interested in the subject. Well done!