Journal of the History of Philosophy

286 JOURNAL OF THE HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY 28:2 APRIL 199 ° Of the two other chapters one is a not entirely satisfactory treatment by W. Bernard of Philoponus's commentary on Aristode's discussion (De anima 3.9) of how we are aware that we are perceiving. Bernard takes no account of discussions of Aristotle by, e.g., L. Kosman and C. Osborne, of Alexander and Plotinus by P. Henry or of Plotinus and Philoponus by the reviewer. The second is a discussion of the date and composition of the Contra Aristotelem by C. Wildberg which shows that the work extended beyond the generally cited six books on ether (the quintessence) and the eternity of time and movement: Wildberg's annotated translation of the fragments has since appeared (Philoponus, Against Aristotle on the Eternity of the World [London: Duckworth, 1987]). H. J. BLUMENTaAL University of Liverpool Boethius of Dacia: On the Supreme Good, On the Eternity of the World, On Dreams. Translation and Introduction by John F. Wippel. Mediaeval Sources in Translation, 3o. Toronto: Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies, 1987. Pp. 89. Paper, $5.75. Boethius of Dacia has long been viewed as a radical critic of Christian doctrine, especially because of his identification with his contemporary, Siger of Brabant, as leaders of the "Latin Averroists." He has been accused of denying the immortality of the human soul, the creation of the world, the possibility of eternal beatitude, and of callously defending the infamous "double-truth" theory in order to avoid ecclesiastical censure. Due to the work of F. Van Steenberghen, R. Hissette, P. Wilpert and others, Boethius's reputation as an outspoken critic of the Bible and as an ardent follower of the thoroughly Aristotelian Averroes has undergone a substantial modification . These scholars maintain that while Boethius asserts the fight of philosophers to investigate questions that may infringe upon the concerns of Christian doctrine, he adheres firmly to the answers provided by revelation to questions that transcend human reason. The problems concerning the constitution of human goodness and the limits of human rationality, which contributed significantly to the controversy between philosophers and theologians in the thirteenth century, are clearly evident in the opuscu/a recently translated by J. Wippel. Especially important for an understanding of the thirteenth-century philosophical debate are the first two works concerning human goodness and the eternity of the world. In the introduction to his translations Wippel discusses both Boethius's philosophical determinations of these questions as well as his alleged involvement in the two hundred and nineteen propositions condemned by Bishop Tempier at Paris in 1277. Wippel is careful to present a balanced view of all the modern literature concerning Boethius's role in the controversy, but seems to favor the view that Boethius was misunderstood by the more conservative ecclesiastical authorities. Wippel finds no indication in Boethius's writings of the double-truth theory or an anti-Christian bias, but suggests that Boethius's trouble with theologians may have BOOK REVIEWS 287 arisen from a "certain kind of what might be called philosophical imperialism" (8). The form of this imperialism manifests itself in a refusal to violate the limits of philosophical reason: "When Boethius writes as a philosopher, for him to draw upon anything which he accepts solely on the strength of his religious belief would be to violate that principle" (9)Wippers understanding of the aims and importance of Boethius's opuscula is likely correct, since it is based upon a careful reading of the texts together with a thorough familiarity with the intellectual milieu of thirteenth-century Paris. But Wippel's work is not merely an attempt to rehabilitate a long misunderstood minor figure in the history of philosophy. By translating these works, he gives the reader a glimpse into the most passionately debated questions of one of the most fascinating periods in our intellectual history. The problems of human goodness and the human capability to know through deductive reasoning are not without interest today, and a discussion of Boethius's works could easily lead to a consideration of contemporary issues in ethics and epistemology. The translations themselves are masterful, providing an easy entry into the difficult and often obscure world...