Dominicus Gundissalinus
Encyclopedia
Dominicus Gundissalinus also known as Domingo Gundisalvo (flourished ca. 1150) may have been a converted Jew and was the archdeacon
of Segovia, Spain and a scholastic
philosopher. He was one of the most active component of the Toledo School of Translators
and its first official director.
Among his important translations were those of Jewish philosopher ibn Gabirol's Fons Vitæ (Meqor Hahayim), which was mistakenly thought for several centuries to be the work of a Christian scholastic named Avicebron or Avecebrol. Gundissalinus also translated works of the major Muslim
philosophers Avicenna
and al-Ghazâlî
.
Unlike most other translator
s, Gundissalinus also wrote independent philosophical works, that are believed to date from the second half of the 12th century, probably during the era of Archbishop John (1151–1166). His most well-known work is De Divisione Philosophiae (Of Divisions of Philosophy), in which he argued for a development of the traditional Quadrivium
. He also wrote about theological topics like the creation of the world
and the immortality
of the soul. In addition to Gundissalinus' translation of Meqor Hahayim, the Aristotelian
ideas of ibn Gabirol were also communicated to the Latin West through Gundissalinus' own writings On the Soul, On the Immortality of the Soul, On Unity, and The Procession of the World.
The classification of the Artes Mechanicae
as applied geometry
was introduced to Western Europe by Gundissalinus under the influence of his readings in Arabic scholarship. This view of Artes Mechanicae was later adopted by Albertus Magnus
and Thomas Aquinas
.
Archdeacon
An archdeacon is a senior clergy position in Anglicanism, Syrian Malabar Nasrani, Chaldean Catholic, and some other Christian denominations, above that of most clergy and below a bishop. In the High Middle Ages it was the most senior diocesan position below a bishop in the Roman Catholic Church...
of Segovia, Spain and a scholastic
Scholasticism
Scholasticism is a method of critical thought which dominated teaching by the academics of medieval universities in Europe from about 1100–1500, and a program of employing that method in articulating and defending orthodoxy in an increasingly pluralistic context...
philosopher. He was one of the most active component of the Toledo School of Translators
Toledo School of Translators
The Toledo School of Translators is the name that commonly describes the group of scholars who worked together in the city of Toledo during the 12th and 13th centuries, to translate many of the philosophical and scientific works from classical Arabic, classical Greek, and ancient Hebrew.The School...
and its first official director.
Among his important translations were those of Jewish philosopher ibn Gabirol's Fons Vitæ (Meqor Hahayim), which was mistakenly thought for several centuries to be the work of a Christian scholastic named Avicebron or Avecebrol. Gundissalinus also translated works of the major Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
philosophers Avicenna
Avicenna
Abū ʿAlī al-Ḥusayn ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Sīnā , commonly known as Ibn Sīnā or by his Latinized name Avicenna, was a Persian polymath, who wrote almost 450 treatises on a wide range of subjects, of which around 240 have survived...
and al-Ghazâlî
Al-Ghazali
Abu Hāmed Mohammad ibn Mohammad al-Ghazzālī , known as Algazel to the western medieval world, born and died in Tus, in the Khorasan province of Persia was a Persian Muslim theologian, jurist, philosopher, and mystic....
.
Unlike most other translator
Translation
Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. Whereas interpreting undoubtedly antedates writing, translation began only after the appearance of written literature; there exist partial translations of the Sumerian Epic of...
s, Gundissalinus also wrote independent philosophical works, that are believed to date from the second half of the 12th century, probably during the era of Archbishop John (1151–1166). His most well-known work is De Divisione Philosophiae (Of Divisions of Philosophy), in which he argued for a development of the traditional Quadrivium
Quadrivium
The quadrivium comprised the four subjects, or arts, taught in medieval universities, after teaching the trivium. The word is Latin, meaning "the four ways" , and its use for the 4 subjects has been attributed to Boethius or Cassiodorus in the 6th century...
. He also wrote about theological topics like the creation of the world
World
World is a common name for the whole of human civilization, specifically human experience, history, or the human condition in general, worldwide, i.e. anywhere on Earth....
and the immortality
Immortality
Immortality is the ability to live forever. It is unknown whether human physical immortality is an achievable condition. Biological forms have inherent limitations which may or may not be able to be overcome through medical interventions or engineering...
of the soul. In addition to Gundissalinus' translation of Meqor Hahayim, the Aristotelian
Aristotelianism
Aristotelianism is a tradition of philosophy that takes its defining inspiration from the work of Aristotle. The works of Aristotle were initially defended by the members of the Peripatetic school, and, later on, by the Neoplatonists, who produced many commentaries on Aristotle's writings...
ideas of ibn Gabirol were also communicated to the Latin West through Gundissalinus' own writings On the Soul, On the Immortality of the Soul, On Unity, and The Procession of the World.
The classification of the Artes Mechanicae
Artes Mechanicae
"Mechanical arts": a medieval concept of ordered practices or skills, often juxtaposed to the traditional seven liberal arts Artes liberales. Also called "servile" and considered "vulgar", from antiquity they had been deemed unbecoming for a free man, as ministering to baser needs.Already Johannes...
as applied geometry
Geometry
Geometry arose as the field of knowledge dealing with spatial relationships. Geometry was one of the two fields of pre-modern mathematics, the other being the study of numbers ....
was introduced to Western Europe by Gundissalinus under the influence of his readings in Arabic scholarship. This view of Artes Mechanicae was later adopted by Albertus Magnus
Albertus Magnus
Albertus Magnus, O.P. , also known as Albert the Great and Albert of Cologne, is a Catholic saint. He was a German Dominican friar and a bishop, who achieved fame for his comprehensive knowledge of and advocacy for the peaceful coexistence of science and religion. Those such as James A. Weisheipl...
and Thomas Aquinas
Thomas Aquinas
Thomas Aquinas, O.P. , also Thomas of Aquin or Aquino, was an Italian Dominican priest of the Catholic Church, and an immensely influential philosopher and theologian in the tradition of scholasticism, known as Doctor Angelicus, Doctor Communis, or Doctor Universalis...
.