Boethius's "De topicis differentiis" (review)

470 HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY In it, after a prehmlnary explanation of basic concepts and terms (Book I), Boethius sets out two systems or classifications on the topics used m dmlectmal reasoning. ThemlsnUS'S classification (Book 2) and C.mero's/Book 3) He then shows how each on the two may be reduced to the other (Book 3) and contrasts both classifications with the topics used in rhetorical reasoning (Book 4) Much of this material will strike the nonspeciahst as quite foreign--and perhaps of dubious interest. To overcome this, Stump has supplemented her translation with an lntroduct~on, very ample and detailed notes, and, in Part 2 of her book, a set of six essays three on the changes and developments m the notion of dialectic and of a dialectical "'topic" from Aristotle to Boethius ("Dmlectlc and Aristotle's Topics," "'Dialectic and Boethlus's De toptct~, dtfferentti,s," and "'Between Aristotle and Boethius"), one on the development after Boethius I'Peter of Spain on the Topics"), and two on technical notions in Boethlus's tract ~tself I'Dlfferenua and the Porphynan Tree," and "'Differentia"). Although there ~sconsiderable cross-referencing, the six essay's are for the most part self-contained and may be read independently of one another (This is less true for "Peter of Spain on the Topics.") There are also indices and a full bibliography' Stump's translation is based on Mlgne's text in the Patrologta latma (vol 64, cols. 1173~1216), supplemented by the edmon of Basel 1570 (from which the Migne text is apparently' copied) and Paris 1537, and by the Orleans manuscript 267. A spot check against the Latin shows the translatmn to be quite faithful. 1found only two small points to quibble over At page 44, line 37, In the phrase "'as though the matter were so in all other cases too," the suggestion of counterfactuahty spoils Boethtus's point. The Latin has the present subjunctive, and should be translated "as if the matter should be so . "' Again, on page 72, in lines 36-37, the Enghsh sentence is ill-formed. Perhaps a word has been omitted. In any' case, it appears that Stump has read the edmon's "ordlentes" as "'orientes." I would translate the sentence, "'According to this method, let us set the whole division of Cicero and Themlstms side by' side from the begmmng, and let us.. '" There is one point in Stump's introduction that 1think is mistaken On pages 25-26 she says: For Abelard, a Topic p, an mterence rule that helps one fred ,.,.hatis missing m enthymemes Enthymemes. or "unperfect s~lloD~ms,'" are ,.ahd not formally but because ot a certain relanonsh~p between the term', The Topic makes such references formally vahd because ~tpro,,'Mesa rule or law founded on a certain relatumsh~p between the things s~gnlfiedby the term,,, for example Whatc,,er the specie', is predmated of. thc genu~ [of that spemes] zsalso predmated of (Theaddmon ISStump".) This is confusing. An Abelardlan Topic appears to be both a statement ("law") and an inferencerule , If it is a rule, |ormally vahdatlng certain inferences, then the inferences so validated are formally valid. But we are told in the second sentence that they are "valid not formally '" On the other hand, if the topic ts a statement that, when added to the premise and conclusion of an enthymeme, makes it formally valid, then Stump's example will not work. The enthymeme "'If It is a man, it is an animal" (Abelard's illustration) is not made formally vahd by adding the premise Stump gives (unless there is an unusual nouon of formahty at play here that ought to bc explained). One would also have to add the premise "'Ammal is the genus of the specms man." Except for an occasional mfehclty like this, Stump's explanatory' material is very, helpful and goes a long way toward illuminating the obscurities of what Boethlus, and other authors on this subJeCt, are doing. But It also reveals a disturbing sloppiness m Boethms's tract. Too often, he appears to contradict himself, his points fall to be illustrated by the examples he gives, and in some cases...