Treatise on Consequences
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The rediscovery of Aristotle in the late twelfth century led to a fresh development of logical theory, culminating in Buridan’s crucial comprehensive treatment in the Treatise on Consequences. Buridan’s novel treatment of the categorical syllogism laid the basis for the study of logic in succeeding centuries.
This new translation offers a clear and accurate rendering of Buridan’s text. It is prefaced by a substantial Introduction that outlines the work’s context and explains its argument in detail. Also included is a translation of the Introduction (in French) to the 1976 edition of the Latin text by Hubert Hubien.
“John Buridan is one of the greatest of all medieval logicians. His writings display a breadth of understanding and depth of insight that stamp them as contributing at a very high level to the same subject modern logicians work in. This accurate and idiomatic translation is most welcome.”
“Buridan’s Treatise on Consequences is without a doubt one of the most important texts in the Latin medieval tradition in logic. However, until now it was only available in Latin or in an unreliable English translation of the 1980s. For these reasons, the publication of this excellent translation of Buridan’s treatise is a huge contribution to medieval logic scholarship; its importance cannot be over-emphasized.”
John Buridan’s Treatise on Consequences is, in this respect, a fundamental reference point. It both presents one of the most sophisticated theories about logical consequence
in medieval times and explains all the basic concepts connected with it (truth, supposition, ampliation among others). Buridan’s style is exemplarily clear, and Stephen Read’s accurate translation faithfully reflects it.
John Buridan (Author)
John Buridan, ca. 1300 to after 1358, was a French independent cleric who studied and later taught at the University of Paris.
Stephen Read (Translator)
Stephen Read is honorary professor of history and philosophy of logic at the Arché
Research Centre for Logic, Language, Metaphysics and Epistemology at the University of St. Andrews, Scotland. He edited and translated Thomas Bradwardine’s Insolubilia (2010) and is the translator of a new edition of John Buridan’s Treatise on Consequences (2014).