Divisions and Definitions: Syriac School Manuals on Logic

The edited volume contains seven school manuals composed in Classical Syriac (an ancient Middle Eastern language) between the 6th and 9th centuries. These manuals were created during a major shift in education when traditional Greek learning was declining and Christian schools were becoming more prominent. Christian schools used these manuals to teach logic and reasoning, focusing on explaining two important ancient Greek works: Aristotle`s "Categories" (a guide to organizing knowledge) and Porphyry`s "Introduction" (a primer on logic). However, these Christian educators didn`t just copy the Greek texts they adapted them for religious purposes. All seven textbooks share a common teaching approach called "division- and-definition". This method involved breaking down complex ideas into smaller, more manageable parts and then clearly defining each part. This systematic approach gradually transformed ancient Greek logic into a powerful tool for Christian theological debates and religious reasoning. The transformation happened in three stages: first, scholars created detailed explanations of the original Greek texts; second, they developed visual representations using diagrams; and finally, they compiled these materials into practical teaching manuals. These manuals show us how Christian schools actually operated during a crucial transition period from ancient to medieval times. Rather than studying Aristotle and Porphyry directly, students primarily learned from commentaries and interpretations. The manuals also included excerpts from Christian theologians and medical writers, showing how different fields of knowledge were interconnected in medieval education. This collection provides rare insight into how education evolved as the ancient world gave way to the medieval period, and how Greek philosophical tools were transformed into instruments of Christian learning. This edition and translation of Syriac logic manuals makes these texts available for the first time to philosophy historians and anyone interested in how Christian communities in the Middle East received and adapted Greek scientific and philosophical knowledge. Thanks to funding from the FWF (Austrian Science Fund), the book will be published with open access, making it freely available to all readers.