A critical edition, translation, and some arguments against authenticity
Colin Murtha (Trier)
Among the texts of the Pseudo-Avicenna corpus, we find a short treatise on meteorology the authenticity of which remains to be determined, extant in three manuscripts under the title „Upper Affections“ (Al-āṯār al-ʿulwiyya). In this article, I provide the first critical edition of this treatise along with an English translation and commentary on its contents. In my commentary, I compare the contents with Avicenna’s meteorological writings in his philosophical summae and put forward three arguments against authenticity. Taken cumulatively, in considering the major differences on fundamental issues in natural philosophy between the treatise in question and Avicenna’s authentic meteorological writings in the summae, I conclude that a position against authenticity is highly favorable over claiming that it is an authentic work.
Contact: murtha@uni-trier.de