NICOLE ORESME AND HASDAI. CRESCAS ON MANY WORLDS
Warren Zev Harvey
The two most creative thinkers in the new physics of the late fourteenth century were arguably Nicole Oresme (ca. –), grand maître of the College of Navarre at the University of Paris and later Bishop of Lisieux, and Hasdai. Crescas (ca. –/), Rabbi of the Jews of the Crown of Aragon and advisor to its kings. The direct or indirect influence of Oresme on Crescas was long ago noted by Pierre Duhem, and further explored by Shlomo Pines and others. This connection is particularly striking with regard to their notions of infinite space and eternal time, and their critique of Aristotle’s theory of natural places.1 Given Oresme’s connection to the Kingdom of Navarre, adjacent to the Crown of Aragon, it is likely that his works were known and available in Crescas’ vicinity. It is reasonable to speculate that Crescas knew scholars who had studied with Oresme in Paris, and it is not inconceivable that he met Oresme personally.2 In my following remarks, I shall compare the views of Oresme and Crescas on the problem of many worlds. Both philosophers discuss the problem primarily in response to Aristotle’s thesis in De caelo,I,– , a–b, that there is one and only one world. Although Oresme eventually accepts Aristotle’s thesis and Crescas explicitly rejects it, the approachesofthetwophilosopherstotheproblemareinmanyrespects similar.
1 P. D u h e m , Le Système du monde (Paris, –): :–, :–; S. Pines, “Scholasticism after Thomas Aquinas and the Teachings of Hasdai Crescas and his Predecessors,” Proceedings of the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities , no. (): –; reprinted in idem, Collected Works (Jerusalem, –): :–; and see my Physics and Metaphysics in Hasdai Crescas (Amsterdam, ): –, and also my Hasdai. Crescas (Heb.) (Jerusalem, ): –. 2 On the College of Navarre, see N. Gorochov, Le Collège de Navarre de sa fondation () au début de XVe siècle () (Paris, ). Cf. A. Albertos, R. Garcia-Alonso and J.M. Ortiz, “París : La fundación del Colegio de Navarra,” Príncipe de Viana (): –. warren zev harvey
The two main discussions of Oresme’s on the problem of many worlds are found in his Quaestiones on Aristotle’s De caelo, I, qq. –,3 and in his Le livre du ciel et du monde, I, .4 The Quaestiones probably date from Oresme’s early teaching days at the College of Navarre (–), while the Du ciel et du monde was written much later, in , when Oresme was dean of the Cathedral of Rouen. The Du ciel et du monde is a French translation with commentary of Aristotle’s De caelo,andwas written at the behest of King Charles V of France, to whom Oresme was a close advisor. Crescas’ discussions of many worlds are found in his Light of the Lord, I, , ; I, , ; I, , ; I, , ; IIIa, , ; IV, –. The Light of the Lord was written over many years, and completed in .5 The discussion in I, , , although appearing early in the book, is manifestly a late interpolation by Crescas, appended to his arguments against the Aristotelian proposition that an infinite magnitude is impossible.6 ThediscussionsinI,, and , and I, , , are interconnected, and concern the possibility that different Gods rule different worlds.7 The passage in IIIa, , , concerns the doctrine of the eternal creation of successive worlds.8 IV,, treats the problem of eternity apartepostand successive worlds;9 and IV, , treats that of many worlds existing simultaneously.10
3 C. Kren, “The Questiones super De Celo of Nicole Oresme” (Ph.D. thesis, University of Wisconsin, ), Xerox Microfilms, Ann Arbor, no. –, pp. –. The thesis contains the Latin text and an annotated English translation. 4 Le Livre du ciel et du monde. Edited by A.D. Menut and A.J. Denomy, translated with an introduction by Menut (Madison, ): –. 5 Page references to the Light of the Lord will be to the useful vocalized edition by S. Fisher, Or ha-Semˇ (Jerusalem, ). The passages regarding many worlds are dis- cussed and translated in my Physics and Metaphysics, pp. –, –. In preparing the present study, I made use of two unpublished lectures on Crescas’ theory of many worlds: A. Ackerman, “Hasdai Crescas’ Discussion of the Possibility of Multiple Worlds,” Con- ference on Hasdai Crescas: Years after his Death, Zalman Shazar Center, Jerusalem, January ; and S. Feldman, “Plural Universes: A Debate in Late Medieval Jewish Phi- losophy,” Meeting of the Academy for Jewish Philosophy, American Philosophical Asso- ciation, Eastern Division, Washington, DC, December . 6 Or ha-Semˇ (ed. Fisher), p. . See H.A. Wolfson, Crescas’ Critique of Aristotle (Cam- bridge, MA, ): .–., and p. n. ; and my Physics and Metaphysics, pp. –. 7 Or ha-Semˇ (ed. Fisher), pp. , , –. See my Physics and Metaphysics, pp. – . 8 Or ha-Semˇ (ed. Fisher), pp. –. See my Physics and Metaphysics, pp. –, –. 9 Or ha-Semˇ (ed. Fisher), pp. –. See my Physics and Metaphysics, pp. –. 10 Or ha-Semˇ (ed. Fisher), pp. –. See Wolfson, Crescas’ Critique, pp. – n. ; and my Physics and Metaphysics, pp. –.