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| Aristotle |
The philosophical and scientific works of Aristotle were lost to Western Europe for centuries and were rediscovered through Arabic translations. Their rediscovery gave rise to a Western European philosophical movement, Scholasticism, with such prominent figures as Albertus Magnus, Thomas Aquinas, Duns Scotus, William of Ockham, Jean Buridan, Albert of Saxony, Nicholas Oresme, Gregory of Rimini, and many others.
I will recall here a curious debate that took place
among the Scholastics between the 12th and 14th centuries, which may seem
pointless to us today, but which was quite important in its time. For those who
wish to learn all the details of the debate, I recommend Pierre Duhem's book, Le Système du
Monde, volume VII.
The debate originated from the detection of an incompatibility between two statements due to Aristotle:
