Original scientific paper
The Ontic Order in Descriptions of Herman the Dalmatian
Ivica Martinović
; Institut za filozofiju, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Abstract
In his manuscript De essentiis (Beziers, 1143) Herman the Dalmatian (Hermannus Secundus, first half of the 12th century) introduced and expounded his original sequenee of essences: causa, motus, locus, tempus, habitudo. This sequenee differs from the preceding medieval catalogues and classifications of essences in the hermeneutical circle: »that which is proposed would be established from the entirety« (ut ea quae proposita sunt ex integro constitllantllr, c. 7, 8).
The entire first book of Herman's manuscript discusses cause as the first essence. It includes the basic description of the ontic order: esse - essentia - genitura, through which Herman parts from Boethius' original. In the further ontological variations Herman added new content to the notion of cause. He was particularly successful in setting cause against effect in a series of ontic contraries (causa genitrix - genitllm, conditor - condita, unus - opus eius, auctor - subiectllm, creator - creata, opitex - opus).
The meaning of some of the mentioned syntagms is merely hinted at in Herman's descriptions of the ontic order. The meaning of some others, however, is broadened to include the original insights. Discussing Aristotle's statement what is prior to another as to implication of being, Herman, between Aristotle's argumentation and Boethius' commentary and examples, opted for a reconsideration of Aristotle's statements, having enriched his approach by the knowledge that he had acquired in translating Abu Ma'shar's work Introductorium in astronomiam. When he attempted to describe the first cause as the creator, he concluded - contrary to Plato's description of the Demiurge in the Timaeus - that it is sufficient to describe the creator as »semper esse«, without, unlike Plato, referring to God's goodness as the origin of goodness and order of the creator's work. By the important distinction between creation and generation, Herman parted from Abu Ma'shar's idea on the artist, instrument and artifact. He had also introduced the bipartition of the efficient cause by quality. In the investigations of the efficient cause, Herman confronted with the Platonic, Aristotelian and Hermetic doctrines on cause, in Boethius' translations and commentaries of Aristotle's works in particular, in Boethius' De arithmetica and Abu Ma'shar's Introductorium in astronomiam, as valuable mediators of the Classical spiritual heritage during his studies in France and his work as a translator in Spain. Thanks to the eclectic approach, or rather in spite of it, Herman reached original results concerning the thought on cause in the first book of the treatise De essentiis.
The paper is accompanied by »Table of contents of the first book of De essentiis«.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
81890
URI
Publication date:
6.12.1993.
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