Pierre de Jean Olivi. Traité des Contrats by Sylvain Piron (review)

Sylvain Piron has brought a new manuscript into play in his recent edition of Peter of John Olivi’s contribution to medieval economics. The new manuscript, Oxford, Bodleian Library, cod. Bodley 52, gives us the reworked and developed views of the author. Bodley 52’s version of the treatise allows the editor to fuse the previously known three parts together into one text, A Treatise on Contracts. On the occasion of the new edition, Piron argues its importance as a scholastic text, a treatise on the economics of its time and one of wide influence. He offers us a highly informative study of the text, then, before he gets to an excellent critical edition. The edition is accompanied by a translation of the treatise into French. It is followed by brief references to the text as aid to its study. Piron’s book is an impressive contribution to medieval studies.

Piron introduces the treatise by requesting acknowledgement of scholastic economics. The intellectual context of Brother Peter of John’s era differs from the discussions on economics that take place in the Western world in our day. There existed then presuppositions that resulted in an understandable approach to the production and distribution of goods. Following on the Decretum Gratiani (1141) theologians and canonists made explicit that an excess of property obliged the rich to see to the needs of the poor. Wealth was a special burden that the materially lucky bore. Or, in truth, if Christian, were to bear. Moreover, charity as a Christian imperative forbade preying on the poor (as U.S. economics allows; which, when impressively successful, even wins esteem). Such a simple observation helps us understand sensitivity to usury in the Middle Ages. In our day Amartya Sen (whom Piron references) has spoken clearly about the relation of ethics to economics in a positive fashion. Sen proposes we consider the origin of economics either through concern for ethics or by solutions to practical matters (engineering is Sen’s term). How can we settle down and how can we all settle down. Inevitably, Jesus’ concern for the other and its consequent censure of the wealthy will weigh in heavily on economic reflection in a Christian context. Economic thought in Peter of John’s day was otherwise concerned with people than is economics in our day. His economics was not one early stage towards the complete grasp of economic realities in our advanced day, as many of today’s historians would see it.

Once Piron justifies scholastic economics (11-26), he goes on to sketch out the social context of Peter of John’s treatise (27-71). He surfaces historical scenes in which the treatise guides business in the interests of society. Once he has made the treatise come alive historically, he goes on to the technical work of the edition. He explains how he will use what sources. He goes further when he makes a few remarks on his translation of the text.

Before Piron begins with the edition and its translation, pages 94-321, Latin to the left, French to the right, he has a few remarks (a page and a half, 91-92) on the text’s passage from Latin into French. He explains where he places himself as regards the text and as regards the reader of the translation. He is sensitive to both. He has a duty to the text and would make it understandable to today’s reader. Once clear on the point, Piron goes into a list of words. He explains how he will handle them, given context. Now languages are different. There is no verbal or syntactical correspondence between them. And an economic treatise is drenched in precise detail. In a way, a translator will never get it right because the two linguistic worlds differ. Yet she or he has to make it work somehow. Piron’s brief explanation of the several...