The Cambridge Translations of Medieval Philosophical Texts. - Review - book review

Contemporary Review, March, 2001

The Cambridge Translations of Medieval Philosophical Texts. Volume Two: Ethics and Political Philosophy. Arthur Stephen McGrade, John Kilcullen and Matthew Kempshall, editors. Cambridge University Press. [pound]52.50 h.b. and [pound]18.95 p.b. 664 pages. ISBN 0-521-23625-8 h.b. and 0-521-28082-6 p.b.

This second volume in Cambridge's Mediaeval Philosophical Texts series has been in preparation for ten years. Its aim is to make 'the activity of contemporary philosophy intellectually continuous with mediaeval philosophy'. After brief introductions there are substantial selections from seventeen leading mediaeval philosophers who dealt with ethics and political philosophy. The first is Albert the Great and the last, John Wyclif -- the selection itself shows the range and development of mediaeval thought. The selections chosen show how these philosophers came to grips with Aristotle's influence and with contemporary questions such as the just war, the extent of a man's right and duty to offer civil obedience and the claims of individual conscience when tested against revealed truth. Suggestions for further reading are given for each writer included.