A lógica como condição necessária para a filosofia medieval: um estudo acerca da argumentação tópica a partir de Boécio

Abstract

The medieval philosophical language is entwined with Aristotelian logical theories on which it sometimes relies. These logical theories, although they share their origin in Aristotle’s Organon, do not establish a unified language nor do they offer united solutions to logical questions derived from them. Even if Boethius does not have his own logical theory, the medieval philosophical Latin tradition largely relies on his interpretations and translations to deal with logical questions through the Middle Ages. Specifically, topical arguing, through Boethius’s reading, cannot be considered the same theory of arguments proposed by Aristotle in Topics, even if it is derivative of that treatise. Taking into account Boethius’s influence, we use his reading of the topics as our conducting point for this study on the utilization of logic as an instrument of discourse, considering selected writings to point out how the use of topics survives the suggested changes for this kind of dialectical arguing. Our approach of the logical development during the Middle Ages happens through de inquiry on how the Boethian reading survives its own evolution, paying attention, then, to the Boethian influence as an authority in the Middle Ages. We believe that his influence can be more easily traced than that of other authors, taking into account his impact both during the period of Logica Vetus and in other philosophical aspects, including the very own language that Medieval Philosophy uses because of his translations. Our starting point is the Boethian topics going on to then clarify how metaphysical and moral theories rely upon logical points or are derivative of essential parts of logical arguments. From this study, we expect to shed light, sometimes through demonstrations of topical arguments under the Syllogistic, on how Medieval Philosophy studies logic as a discipline as well as utilizes logic as a fundamental tool for the philosophical investigation. By limiting this study to the partial mapping of topical argumentation according to Boethius, we believe that it was possible to indicate the impact we perceive that logic exercised on medieval philosophical inquiries.