In Ciceronis Topica

by Eleonore Stump, Eleonore Stump (Translator)

In Ciceronis Topica and De topicis differentiis are Boethius's two treatises on Topics (loci). Together these two works present Boethius's theory of the art of discovering arguments, a theory that was highly influential in the history of medieval logic. Eleonore Stump here presents the first English language translation of In Ciceronis Topica, Boethius's extended commentary on Cicero's Topica. To supplement her translation, Professor Stump has provided an introduction that supplies essential information about In Ciceronis Topica, Boethius's life, and the tradition of dialectic; her detailed notes explore the many philosophical problems in Boethius's text.

A significant contribution to the history of Western intellectual life in its own right, Boethius's ''In Ciceronis Topica" makes an excellent companion to Professor Stump's earlier work, Boethius's "De topicis differentiis" (also available from Cornell).

Genres: Philosophy

296 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1988

About the author

Eleonore Stump is the Robert J. Henle Professor of Philosophy at Saint Louis University, where she has taught since 1992. She has published extensively in philosophy of religion, contemporary metaphysics, and medieval philosophy. Her books include her major study Aquinas (Routledge, 2003) and her extensive treatment of the problem of evil, Wandering in Darkness: Narrative and the Problem of Suffering (Oxford, 2010). She has given the Gifford Lectures (Aberdeen, 2003), the Wilde lectures (Oxford, 2006), and the Stewart lectures (Princeton, 2009). She is past president of the Society of Christian Philosophers, the American Catholic Philosophical Association, and the American Philosophical Association, Central Division.

Reviews

[Brent Pinkall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Boethius's commentary on Cicero's Topica. A tremendous resource for anyone trying to understand topical theory in the classical rhetorical tradition. Topics were once at the center of rhetoric education, but they were largely purged from rhetoric after the Enlightenment, when philosophical criticism was elevated far above rhetoric and the Cartesian search for certainty deemed them useless. Even most "classical" rhetoric textbooks today give short shrift to topics, and none deals with them as seriously as the ancients do. I read this after having thoroughly examined Cicero's Topica, and Boethius provides much helpful commentary. Stump also provides some stellar commentary and scholarship. Readers will probably benefit more by reading Cicero first, but this is an invaluable companion.