Jacopo Zabarella
Encyclopedia
Giacomo Zabarella (5 September 1532 – 15 October 1589) was an Italian
Aristotelian
philosopher and logician. He was accused of atheism
for the notable chapter "De inventione æterni motoris" in his De rebus naturalibus libri XXX.
education and entered the University of Padua
, where he received a doctorate in 1553. His teachers included Francesco Robortello
in humanities, Bernardino Tomitano in logic, Marcantonio Genua
in physics and metaphysics, and Pietro Catena in mathematics. In 1564 he succeeded Tomitano in a chair of logic. In 1577 he was promoted to the first extraordinary chair of natural philosophy
. He died in Padua at the age of 56 in 1589. His entire teaching career was spent at his native university. His successor was Cesare Cremonini
.
Zabarella's work reflects his teaching in the Aristotelian tradition. His first published work was Opera logica (Venice 1578), followed by Tabula logicae (1578). His commentary on Aristotle's Posterior Analytics
appeared in 1582. His great work in natural philosophy was De rebus naturalibus, published posthumously in 1590. It constituted 30 treatises on Aristotelian natural philosophy, the introduction to which was written only weeks before his death. His two sons edited his incomplete commentaries on Aristotle's texts, also published posthumously (the commentary on the Physics (Aristotle)
in 1601 and the commentary on On the Soul
(1605).
Zabarella consulted newly recovered Greek commentators such as Alexander of Aphrodisias
, Philoponus, Simplicius
and Themistius
, as well as medieval commentators like Thomas Aquinas
, Walter Burley
and Averroes
. Unlike some earlier scholastic philosophers, he read Greek, and was therefore able to use the Greek text of Aristotle. He devoted much effort to presenting what he considered to be the true meaning of Aristotle's texts.
Texts of Zabarella
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
Aristotelian
Aristotle
Aristotle was a Greek philosopher and polymath, a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. His writings cover many subjects, including physics, metaphysics, poetry, theater, music, logic, rhetoric, linguistics, politics, government, ethics, biology, and zoology...
philosopher and logician. He was accused of atheism
Atheism
Atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities...
for the notable chapter "De inventione æterni motoris" in his De rebus naturalibus libri XXX.
Life
Zabarella was born into a noble Paduan family. He received a humanistRenaissance humanism
Renaissance humanism was an activity of cultural and educational reform engaged by scholars, writers, and civic leaders who are today known as Renaissance humanists. It developed during the fourteenth and the beginning of the fifteenth centuries, and was a response to the challenge of Mediæval...
education and entered the University of Padua
University of Padua
The University of Padua is a premier Italian university located in the city of Padua, Italy. The University of Padua was founded in 1222 as a school of law and was one of the most prominent universities in early modern Europe. It is among the earliest universities of the world and the second...
, where he received a doctorate in 1553. His teachers included Francesco Robortello
Francis Robortello
Francesco Robortello was a Renaissance humanist, nicknamed Canis grammaticus for his confrontational and demanding manner.-As scholar:...
in humanities, Bernardino Tomitano in logic, Marcantonio Genua
Marcantonio Genua
Marcantonio Genua was a Renaissance Aristotelian philosopher who taught at the University of Padua. He was a teacher and uncle of the great Renaissance philosopher Giacomo Zabarella.-References :...
in physics and metaphysics, and Pietro Catena in mathematics. In 1564 he succeeded Tomitano in a chair of logic. In 1577 he was promoted to the first extraordinary chair of natural philosophy
Natural philosophy
Natural philosophy or the philosophy of nature , is a term applied to the study of nature and the physical universe that was dominant before the development of modern science...
. He died in Padua at the age of 56 in 1589. His entire teaching career was spent at his native university. His successor was Cesare Cremonini
Cesare Cremonini (philosopher)
Cesare Cremonini, sometimes Cesare Cremonino , was an Italian professor of natural philosophy, working rationalism and Aristotelian materialism inside scholasticism...
.
Work
Posterior Analytics
The Posterior Analytics is a text from Aristotle's Organon that deals with demonstration, definition, and scientific knowledge. The demonstration is distinguished as a syllogism productive of scientific knowledge, while the definition marked as the statement of a thing's nature, .....
appeared in 1582. His great work in natural philosophy was De rebus naturalibus, published posthumously in 1590. It constituted 30 treatises on Aristotelian natural philosophy, the introduction to which was written only weeks before his death. His two sons edited his incomplete commentaries on Aristotle's texts, also published posthumously (the commentary on the Physics (Aristotle)
Physics (Aristotle)
The Physics of Aristotle is one of the foundational books of Western science and philosophy...
in 1601 and the commentary on On the Soul
On the Soul
On the Soul is a major treatise by Aristotle on the nature of living things. His discussion centres on the kinds of souls possessed by different kinds of living things, distinguished by their different operations...
(1605).
Zabarella consulted newly recovered Greek commentators such as Alexander of Aphrodisias
Alexander of Aphrodisias
Alexander of Aphrodisias was a Peripatetic philosopher and the most celebrated of the Ancient Greek commentators on the writings of Aristotle. He was a native of Aphrodisias in Caria, and lived and taught in Athens at the beginning of the 3rd century, where he held a position as head of the...
, Philoponus, Simplicius
Simplicius
Simplicius may refer to:* Pope Simplicius * Simplicius of Cilicia , philosopher* Simplicius, Constantius and Victorinus , Roman martyrs and saints* Simplicius, Faustinus and Beatrix , Roman martyrs and saints...
and Themistius
Themistius
Themistius , named , was a statesman, rhetorician, and philosopher. He flourished in the reigns of Constantius II, Julian, Jovian, Valens, Gratian, and Theodosius I; and he enjoyed the favour of all those emperors, notwithstanding their many differences, and the fact that he himself was not a...
, as well as medieval commentators like Thomas Aquinas
Thomas Aquinas
Thomas Aquinas, O.P. , also Thomas of Aquin or Aquino, was an Italian Dominican priest of the Catholic Church, and an immensely influential philosopher and theologian in the tradition of scholasticism, known as Doctor Angelicus, Doctor Communis, or Doctor Universalis...
, Walter Burley
Walter Burley
Walter Burley was a medieval English Scholastic philosopher and logician. He was a Master of Arts at Oxford in 1301, and a fellow of Merton College, Oxford until about 1310. He spent sixteen years at Paris until 1326, becoming a fellow of the Sorbonne by 1324. After that, he spent seventeen...
and Averroes
Averroes
' , better known just as Ibn Rushd , and in European literature as Averroes , was a Muslim polymath; a master of Aristotelian philosophy, Islamic philosophy, Islamic theology, Maliki law and jurisprudence, logic, psychology, politics, Arabic music theory, and the sciences of medicine, astronomy,...
. Unlike some earlier scholastic philosophers, he read Greek, and was therefore able to use the Greek text of Aristotle. He devoted much effort to presenting what he considered to be the true meaning of Aristotle's texts.
Writings
- Opera Logica (1578)
- Tabula logicae (1580)
- In duos Aristotelis libros Posteriores Analyticos comentarii (1582)
- De doctrinae ordine apologia (1584)
- De rebus naturalibus libri XXX (1590).
- In libros Aristotelis Physicorum commentarii (1601)
- In tres libros Aristotelis De anima commentarii (1605)
Translations
- Iacobus Zabarella, Tables de logique. Sur l'Introduction de Porphyre, les Catégories, le De l'interprétation et les Premiers Analytiques d'Aristote: Petite synopse introductive à la logique aristotélicienne. Paris, L'Harmattan, 2003, translated by Michel Bastit.
- Jacques Zabarella, La nature de la logique. Paris, Vrin 2009, translated by de Dominique Bouillon.
External links
- Biography at The Galileo Project, biography of Jacopo Zabarella
- De ordine intelligendi, at the same website http://www.phil-hum-ren.uni-muenchen.de/Versiones/ZabOrdoInt.htm
- Philosophy Institute of the Düsseldorf University: Philosophengalerie, article "Jacobus Zabarella (Giacomo Zabarella)" (in German) online : with picture
Texts of Zabarella
- German translation of Zabarella's De natura, by Rudolf Schicker
- Opera Logica