Some Relationships between Gerald Odo's and John Buridan's Commentaries on Aristotle's "Ethics"

SOME RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN GERALD ODO'S AND JOHN BURIDAN'S COMMENTARIES ON ARISTOTLE'S «ETHICS" I I should like to begin this study by outlining the stages by which I stumbled upon its topic. Sharing the interest generated by my surprise, the reader may be fortified for laborious details to follow. So, presuming indulgence, here is a brief chronicle by way of introduction . Some time ago, I examined a dissertation on the sexual ethics of Martin Le Maistre, a fifteenth-century figure in the tradition of John Buridan.1 Poor Buridan was taken to task for his conclusions in that dissertation, and I made a note to look more closely into his treatment of the whole range of topics pertaining to the virtue of temperance. After all, the strength of Buridan is not so much the answers he comes to, but the questions he asks and the ingenuity and subtlety with which he analyzes the issues. And some of the problems pertaining to temperance, for instance, whether there is evil in natural desires, whether virginity is a moral virtue, whether insensibility is a vice, ought to be specially challenging to an Aristotelian moral philosopher who is at the same time an orthodox Catholic.2 So I read through the Questions near the end of Book III of his commentary on Aristotle's Ethics, and was taken once again, not only with his cleverness, but also with his humanity and propen1 M. Valente, The Sexual Ethics of Martin Le Maistre, Columbia University, 1968. 2 For the claim that despite his methodological nominalism, Buridan is a reasonably traditional Aristotelian naturalist, and what sense that thesis has, see my "Nominalism and the Ethics: Some Remarks about Buridan's Commentary," Journal of the History of Philosophy, 4 (1966), 1-13. For the suggestion that Buridan 's Aristotelianism was tempered by a considerable respect for Stoicism, see my "Buridan and Seneca," Journal of the History of Ideas, 27 (1966), 23-40. 238JAMES J. WALSH sity for the concrete.3 To discover what might be distinctive in his treatment, I decided to consult some other commentary of the time.4 Walter Burley had little of special interest to say. Then it occurred to me that the commentary by Gerald Odo might serve an as excellent foil. Buridan is usually considered an Ockhamist; Odo was an avowed opponent of William of Ockham, and indeed, had displaced Ockham's friend Michael of Cesena as Minister General of the Franciscan Order. Furthermore, I remembered a cursory sampling of Odo's commentary I once made, which suggested a strongly Augustinian orientation, with frequent references not only to St. Augustine, but also to Avicenna and Hugh of St. Victor — not exactly standard authorities for Buridan. What would Odo have to say about the virtuousness of virginity, the viciousness of insensibility, the sinfulness of natural desires, and related topics? 5 I read Odo's Question 14 from Book IV, "Utrum virginitas sit moralis virtus tanquam species temperantiae et castitatis," which promised to parallel Buridan's Question 30 from Book III, "Utrum virginitas sit virtus vel vitium?" I experienced a certain uneasiness as I read, and then near the end, a sudden start. Odo was remarking on the two-fold character of 'oportere' — a term that has always 3 The commentary is titled Quaeshones in Decern Libros Ethicorum Aristotelis ad Nicomachum. The text used for this study is the 1637 Oxford edition, which is more readily available and more easily read than earlier editions. This text has been extensively spot-checked against the 1513 Paris edition and JViS Bib. nat. lat. 16128. I wish to thank the Bibliothèque Nationale for enabling me to obtain a microfilm of this manuscript. As for concrete situations, Buridan relates the virtuous status of virginity to the population situation, and at one point asks if a King of France should not have offspring if a tyrant would probably succeed him otherwise (276) . Some of the arguments he considers are familiar in our own moral ferment. Question 29 of Book HI asks "Whether there can be sin in natural desires?" Much of the discussion concerns natural law and marriage. What if John and Mary have a firm will...