Nicholas Tempelfeld of Brzeg’s two redactions of Principia in Tractatum Petri Hispani

Abstract

Nicholas Tempelfeld of Brzeg (ca. 1400–1471) was a distinguished Silesian figure among the scholar of the University of Krakow: he was a professor of theology educated there, a dean of the Faculty of Arts, a canonic of St. Florian’s Chapel, a preacher in St. Mary’s Church in Krakow and St. Elisabeth’s Church in Wroclaw, and even a politician, if we may call the author of the treatise against Czech king George of Podiebrad so. His philosophical output remains unknown since he seems to have written a single commentary on Aristotle (Parva naturalia) and is to be discovered on the basis of research into his university sermons. The paper presents the edition (preceded by a substantial introduction) of two redactions — a draft and a proper redaction — of such a sermon: his opening lectures on Summulae logicales by Peter of Spain, composed during his activity at the University of Krakow. The draft consists of seven notabilia only, dealing primarily with some general problems concerning logic. The proper redaction is a deeply elaborated introduction to Peter’s work, that — according to Nicholas — should be entitled: The treatise by Peter of Spain dealing with the argumentation and some other things relating to it, compiling views of the other philosophers, composed because of the love for young students to these students obtain the way of argumentation, as well as the possibility to discern the truth from the false. It contains the recommendation of logic, some general logical problems, like the causes and subject matter of commented text, and the accessus to the first part of the Tractatus. Both versions of the sermon are preserved in Ms. Wroclaw, University Library, cod. I Q 380.