Loquentes in lege sua appellat voluntates. Alcune osservazioni su un passo controverso degli Errores philosophorum attribuiti a Egidio Romano

Abstract

This article analyses a controversial passage from the Errores philosophorum, traditionally attributed to Giles of Rome, located within the first error ascribed to Averroes (Errores, IV, 1). The passage addresses the question of creatio ex nihilo and uses enigmatic terminology, referring to the loquentes – a Latin term that identifies the mutakallimūn of the Arab world – as voluntates. Through a systematic comparison between the Latin and Hebrew manuscript traditions of Averroes’ Commentarium magnum in Physicorum libros, the hypothesis of a palaeographical corruption of the term voluntates from involventes, the meaning of the term within the given context, and possible alternative readings are investigated. The study aims to show that the term voluntates ultimately represents an authentic element of the text of the Errores philosophorum. In conclusion, a comprehensive re-evaluation of the passage in the broader context of the work is proposed, outlining its theoretical implications and its relationship with contemporary sources.