Philosophers and Theologians on Happiness. An analysis of some early Latin commentaries on Nicomachean Ethics

BUFFON, VALERIA

Montréal

Otro; IVe Colloque Interuniversitaire de Philosophie médiévale du Québec; 2003

Université de Montréal, Département de philosophie

Before 1250, even with a statutorily restricted field of research, the Arts masters of Paris included in their teaching a certain number of philosophical disciplines. Courses imposed on Arts masters included ethics, using Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics. Commenting on this text, Arts masters would interpret it and teach their own doctrine of “happiness”, involving concepts not always in agreement with those of the theologians. Taking into account the controversial context of the University of Paris, we focus in this paper on the opinions of Arts masters in both their differences and their agreements with the theologians, regarding the concept of happinessNicomachean Ethics. Commenting on this text, Arts masters would interpret it and teach their own doctrine of “happiness”, involving concepts not always in agreement with those of the theologians. Taking into account the controversial context of the University of Paris, we focus in this paper on the opinions of Arts masters in both their differences and their agreements with the theologians, regarding the concept of happiness