The Role of praxis in Philosophy and Human Life: Paul’s of Worczyn Commentary on Nicomachean Ethics in Polish Medieval Thought

The aim of the paper is to present the main theses of Paul’s of Worczyn commentary on Nicomachean Ethics (1424-1425). Paul’s commentary (though still unedited and available in manuscript in the Jagiellonian Library in Cracow, sign. BJ 720) is not only regarded as his opus magnum, but also it is the largest commentary on Aristotle in Polish medieval philosophical legacy. Additionally, it reflects the common tendency of doing philosophy in medieval Poland (namely as a strict practical philosophy), and as such plays a crucial role in the history of Polish medieval thought.

Paul of Worczyn (1383-1430) was an influential representative of a Cracow practicism, i.e., a intellectual current which relied on a specific way of understanding philosophy. Cracow practicism is understood as a metaphilosophical position that claims: (1) philosophy is first and foremost practical in its nature, (2) ethics is a distinguished philosophical discipline, (3) metaphysics and other theoretical disciplines ought to be marginalized, and (4) vita activa is the proper human way of life. In result, the medievalists describe Cracow practicism as “anti-speculative, ” “anti-metaphysical, ” and “anti-theoretical.”

Paul of Worczyn commented all ten books of Aristotle’s work. The commentary has a scholastic quaestio form. The numerous questions (the commentary consist of 547 questions) are presented briefly, some of them refer to Thomas’ Aquinas and Geraldus’ Odonis solutions, but most of them are highly inspired by John Buridan’s commentary. Paul focused mainly on the first six books of Nicomachean Ethics. Thus, the central issues in Paul’s commentary are the problem of action, the role of habitus in action, practical reasoning, etc. The X book, which is originally devoted by Aristotle to the problem of contemplation, is in Paul’s commentary relatively short (only 12 questions).

In result, Paul’s main philosophical theses presented in the commentary concern the problem of human action, which was the essential problem of Cracow practicism as such. The Book I of Paul’s commentary (which is the largest one, since it contains 105 questions) presents the meta–ethical issues, e.g., the proper object of moral philosophy, its method and its relation to metaphysics. Paul clarifies such terms as “theory” and “practice”, and he introduces the hierarchy of philosophical disciplines; in addtition, he explains the reasons for putting the practical disciplines on the top of the hierarchy (lib. I, q. 3, Utrum de virtutibus moralis sit scientia; q. 9, Quid sit subiectum scienciae moralis). Moreover, he refers to the Cracow discussion on vita activa and vita contemplativa, and he argues for superiority of the former. Paul assumes that active life is coherent with human nature. In other words, the I book of the commentary shows not only the original Paul’s view on moral philosophy, its place among other disciplines and in human life, but it also shows the meta–philosophical program of Cracow practicism.

The VI book is a further investigation of problems of practice. It seems to be the most important part of the commentary, because it presents the definition of action (lib. VI, q. 5 Quaeritur, quid est praxis). Following Geraldus Odonis, Paul explores the internal and external causes of action and secundum Buridanum he introduces the concept of free will and clarifies its place in the structure of human action. In this context Paul reinterprets Aristotle’s theory of habits which mediate between man’s powers and action, and in result he creates his own theory of habitus.

The X book concentrates on human happiness. Paul of Worczyn intends to accept Aristotelian idea of contemplative life as the highest human aim, as well as to support his own vision of human nature and happiness (lib. X, q. 9, Utrum felicitas principaliter consistat in actu intellectus vel voluntatis). Thus, he proposes the specific concept of contemplation that is defined here as a kind of action. Additionally, Paul adopts the Buridan’s division between libertas oppositionis and libertas finalis ordinationis and presents his own theory of human freedom (lib. X, q. 9, Utrum felicitas principlaiter consistat in actu intellectus vel voluntatis).

Although Paul of Worczyn referred to the 14th century antecedents and used their ideas as a point of departure for his own philosophical research, all above mentioned topics consist of Paul’s original and comprehensive account of practice, its relation to theory, and the structure of human action and happiness. Meaning of philosophical questions and problems contained in Paul’s commentary make his theory still undiscovered, though important element of European tradition of commenting on Nicomachean Ethics.

[29] Rodion Savinov

St. Petersburg State Academy of Veterinary Medicine, Russian Federation