The Worcester ethics commentary and its background : commentaries on Nicomachean Ethics in 13th century Europe

In this paper, I discuss commentaries on Nicomachean Ethics in 13th century Europe to show the significance of an anonymous commentary on Nicomachean Ethics in the ms. Worcester Cathedral Library, Q. 13. The question-commentary has characteristics similar to those once called “Averroistsʼ commentaries”, i.e., the Ethics commentaries written by Parisian masters of arts in the late 13th century. There are, however, elements peculiar to the Worcester commentary and aspects that resemble work written by John of Tytynsale, a contemporary Oxford master of arts. Hence, I conclude that the Worcester Ethics Commentary was probably produced at Oxford. I believe that a critical edition and a study of this ignored Ethics commentary will shed a light on the teaching of philosophical ethics in late 13th century Oxford, of which little is known.