The research done has made possible the elaboration of a new way of writing the history of Aristotelian logic during the ninth century, by considering not only purely philosophical works but also texts in which logic is applied to other problems.
These texts show the use of the art of correct reasoning, of proving a position, of showing the absurd consequences of the adversary’s opinion, of deductive and inductive reasoning and of using terms and concepts from Aristotelian logic to elaborate one’s own views on a question. These texts which apply logic are extremely rich mines of information. They are more personal than exegetical works, as they are in direct contact with the intellectual debates of the time, as logic is used to defend a position. They are also more original, as it is not the matter of reproducing traditional opinions, but to create new arguments. Being more personal and original, they show better what the logical culture of their authors has been than a reproduction of a well codified exegesis. By integrating them into the narrative, it was possible to write a far richer, more detailed and precise history of the reception and use of Aristotelian logic during the long ninth century, notably in Byzantium.
A great attention was given both to the conditions of the study of Aristotelian logic (manuscripts, teaching), its function and its appreciation (positive or critic) by ninth-century thinkers.The result is a social history of logic which includes analyses of the place logic in education, its use outside a philosophical context, and the modality of its textual transmission. The research done has underlined the central role of logical argumentation in several religious polemics of the ninth century as well as the stimulus for studying logic generated by these polemics.
The team has written 38 articles (the majority of them is already published, the rest is either under evaluation or in revision); several other texts are close to completion or in a first draft. Two books – an anthology of translations of Greek, Syriac and Arabic logical texts and a monograph offering the synthesis of the results as well as a new narrative of the reception and use of Aristotelian Logic during the long ninth century – will appear in 2022/3. We have edited one thematic issue and put together two thematic sections in leading journals of the fields. A dozen of conferences, colloquia, workshops and round tables were organised.
