De Philosophia Peripatetica apud Syros Commentatio Historica

The French philosopher and scholar Ernest Renan (1823-1892), known for several works, but especially his Life of Jesus, here gives a study of Aristotelian philosophy as evidenced from Syriac texts, especially some of the manuscripts then recently acquired by the British Museum. This work, written in a readable and pleasant Latin rather early in Renan’s career, is the first detailed and specific study of the subject. There are several chapters on Peripatetic philosophy among both east Syriac and west Syriac schools at different times and in different centers; the last two chapters deal with “The Character of Peripatetic Studies among the Syrians,” that is, on the particular selection of texts that were the object of their study and why, and then with Syriac writers as teachers of the Arabs in Greek philosophy. The volume will be of great interest to students and scholars of philosophy in Late Antiquity and the medieval period, the history of science, and Syriac literature.