Universa Philosophia

The ancient Dialecticians wrongly called this treatise the Summulae. For in teaching them they wander so far and wide that they seem intent on nothing less than thrusting all natural and divine philosophy into the prison of the Summulae. Thus they produce not so much a summa as an immense heap of material. The early Parisians devoted themselves entirely to devising and refuting sophisms, imagining they offered something divine whenever they brought forward some deceptive triviality. Peter of Spain was more moderate in his teaching of the Summulae, which he presented so briefly and clearly that he is rightly regarded by all as the Prince of Summulists. Dominic Soto, a man renowned for piety and learning, illuminated Peter of Spain's Summulae with commentaries in his book, but at very great length. Villalpando abridged Soto in a brief, clear, and elegant style. Our Cardinal Toledo surpassed Villalpando in brevity and clarity. They banished that ancient and monstrous chaos of the Summulae from the schools, and philosophy began to be taught briefly and clearly, with the darkness and horror of words dispelled. Father Pedro Fonseca brought light to Portugal through his textbooks. Finally, the College of Coimbra, in its recently published Logic, has discussed these matters most successfully and appropriately of all. For my part, I shall touch very briefly on what suits beginners' minds as they take up the other disciplines, leaving the long and exact discussion of everything to its proper place: both so that I may accommodate each discipline in its own way, and so that my listeners not be frightened, supposing that darkness is cast over everything amid the brightest light of philosophy.