The twofold conception of taste -- The beautiful and the agreeable -- Sensations and interests -- Some varieties of normativity.

The goal of the present article is to give an answer on the question: Does the first quaestio of the Prima Pars of Aquinas Summa theologiae represents a key for the general insight into the fundamental doctrines, the structure and the method of the most famous work of St. Thomas? Thomists like James Weisheipl answered in the negative to this question. But this paper intents to show by an careful analysis of Sth Ia, q. 1, that this treatise about the (...) necessity, the nature and the method of sacra doctrina is strictly dovetailed with the complete Summa. In a figurative way its possible to speak about this quaestio as a portal of the «cathedral» of the Summa, from which one can survey the complete ensemble of architectonic motifs building this cathedral. (shrink)

One of the most influential medieval polemics against the Jews was Gilbert Crispin's Disputatio Iudaei et Christiani, which was written in the late eleventh century and may reflect a genuine discussion between Crispin and a Jewish disputant. However, the dependence of the third book of Alan of Lille's Contra Haereticos upon Crispin's disputation has not been widely recognized. Blumenkranz, for example, in discussing the impact of Crispin's work in the twelfth century, noted the resemblance between the Disputatio and the Dialogus (...) inter Christianum et Iudeaum ascribed to William of Champeaux, but made no mention of the far closer relationship between Crispin and Alan. Vasoli, in a special study of the Contra Haereticos, also overlooked the major source of book three. Even d'Alverny, who noted the relationship between the two works, did not give a precise indication of its extent. Alan, she writes, “was inspired in large measure by the Disputatio of Gilbert Crispin and reproduced entire passages of this work.” In fact, just under forty percent of Alan's polemic is copied almost word for word from Crispin or a previous digest of Crispin. jQuery.click { event.preventDefault(); }). (shrink)