CHAPTER I. 

 INTRODUCTOEY. 



AMONG all the works which have come 



down to us from the Ancients &amp;gt; few have 

 Works. exercised a greater influence on the human 



mind than those of Aristotle. The nature 

 and extent of this influence have varied greatly during the 

 past two thousand years, but ardent students of the Aristo 

 telian treatises have at all times been found at most of the 

 great seats of learning, and Alexandria, Cordova, Paris, 

 Oxford, Padua, Pisa, and Cologne have been specially dis 

 tinguished for their Aristotelian studies. 



From the very first Aristotle s teaching and writings 

 engaged the attention of scholars, and his method of reason 

 ing and peculiar style of writing were imitated by many of 

 them. At a later time his writings were used as authori 

 tative sources of information by many Greek and Latin 

 authors, and among the many Arabs who studied his 

 writings and did much to preserve them and extend their 

 influence, Avicenna and Averroes may be specially men 

 tioned. After the time of Averroes (1126-1198), Aristotle 

 was followed with implicit confidence until the time of the 

 Reformation. 



Before the time of Averroes, however, some of the 

 Aristotelian treatises were read, mainly in consequence of 

 the work of Boethius, and the Church encouraged the 

 study of such as were useful for training the reasoning 

 powers. The adoption of Aristotle s methods of reasoning 

 was followed by the adoption, in part at least, of his system 

 of philosophy, and the resulting alliance, if it may be so 

 called, between the Church and Aristotelianism became so 

 close that an attack on one was considered to be an attack 

 on the other. 



During the early part of the fourteenth century the 

 influence of Aristotle s works appears to have reached its 

 greatest development. That this influence was consider- 



B 



