‘Abd al-Latif al-Bagdadi's Reception of Book Beta of Aristotle’s Metaphysics against the background of the competing readings by Avicenna and Averroes.

This study is devoted to the Arabic reception of Metaphysics Beta in the Book on the Science of Metaphysics by ‘Abd al-Latif al-Bagdadi (1162- 1231). After a brief overview of Aristotle's scope in Beta, of its Arabic direct tradition and of the competing readings devoted to it by Avicenna and Averroes, I present ‘Abd al-Latif al-Bagdadi's paraphrase. I focus on the concept of metaphysics as a science that stands out from it: metaphysics owes its leading role to the fact that it studies beings qua beings, it demonstrates the principles of particular sciences and inquires into the first principle: it is ontology, universal science, first philosophy and theology. ‘Abd al-Latif al-Bagdadi gathers all the results of the science of metaphysics produced before him and transmitted through the schools'milieu. Al-Kindi and al-Farabi cooperate to this end without any perception on ‘Abd al-Latif al-Bagdadi's part that a problem might arise: in ‘Abd al-Latif al-Bagdadi's view, the 'theologizing' interpretation of Greek metaphysics and al-Farabiìs distinction between theology and ontology coexist.