St. Albert the Great: Works Online

Opera Omnia – Borgnet edition. In this edition, the tables of contents are included as indexes in the back. There are also more typical indexes of topics covered, scripture quotations used, and suchlike. (This is only a partial list of links so far.)

Scholarship has moved on since Borgnet, so a lot of these books may not actually be by St. Albert the Great. They may be by other Alberts (like Albert of Saxony) or other students of Albert (like Henricus), or totally different people altogether. However, thanks to the practice of students publishing their lecture notes taken from great teachers, a work may be written in a totally different style and still be “by” St. Albert. And it gets more obscure still. Members of religious orders or people writing for small audiences didn’t necessarily put their names on their stuff, so work that was in a certain school might be attributed to its most famous exponents. Also, after St. Albert’s scientific skills became magical skills in popular legend, some occult books written centuries after his death got his name stuck on them. It happened to Solomon, too. So authorship is a tricky thing to establish, and you can expect a good deal of skirmishing and changes.

A lot of the first few books are commentaries on books by Aristotle. Harmonizing Aristotle’s ideas to make them accessible to medieval Christians was of course one of St. Albert’s great projects. Wikipedia has links to online collections and translations of his works for comparison purposes.

Philosophical Works:

Volume 1: Logicae, Prima Pars.
Contents:
Liber de Praedicabilibus.
Liber de Praedicamentis. (aka Liber de Decem Praedicamentis)
Liber Sex Principiorum. (Book of Six Principles.)
Liber Perihermenias (1 & 2). (aka Liber de Interpretatione)
Liber Priorum Analyticorum (1 & 2). (aka Liber de Syllogismo Simpliciter)

[Available in English: The Nature of Logic, trans. by John Hare, 1956.]

Aristotle’s On Interpretation and Prior Analytics, in English.

Volume 2: Logicae, Secunda Pars.
Contents:
Liber Posteriorum (1 & 2). (aka Liber Posteriorum Analyticorum, or De demonstratione)
Liber Topicorum (1-8).
Liber Elenchorum (1 & 2). (aka De sophisticis elenchis)

Aristotle’s Posterior Analytics, Topics, and On Sophistical Refutations, in English.

Volume 3: Physicorum libr. VIII.
Contents: Physics. 8 books.

Aristotle’s Physics in English.

Volume 4.
Contents:
De coelo et mundo.
De generatione et corruptione. Chemistry and the elements.
Liber Meteororum. (aka De Meteoris). A book on weather, and including earthquakes.

Aristotle’s On the Heavens, On Generation and Corruption, and Meteorology, in English. (On Earth is forthcoming.)

Volume 5:
Contents:
Mineralium.
De anima.
Philosophia Pauperum (The Poor Man’s Philosophy Book), (aka Isagog in libros Aristotelis – Physicorum, de Coelo et Mundo, de Generatione et Corruptione, Meteororum, et de Anima, or Philosophia Naturalis.)
Liber de Apprehensione.

Aristotle’s On the Soul, in English.

Volume 6: Metaphysicorum Libri XIII.
Contents: Metaphysics.

Volume 7: Ethicorum (10 books).
Contents.
Aristotle’s book in English.
Eudemian Ethics.

Volume 8: Politicorum Libri VIII.
Contents: Politics. (8 books.)
Aristotle’s book in English.

Science/Natural Philosophy Works:


Volume 9
: Parvorum Naturalium, Pars Prima.
Contents:
Liber de Sensu et Sensato.
Liber de Memoria et Reminiscentia.
Liber de Somno et Vigilia.
Liber de Spiritu et Respirantione.
Liber de Motibus Animalium.
Liber de Aetate, sive De Juventute et Senectute.
Liber de Nutrimento et Nutribili.
Liber de Morte et Vita.
Liber de Natura et Origine Animae.
Libellus de Unitate Intellectus contra Averroem.
Liber de Intellectu et Intelligibili.
Liber de Natura Locorum. (aka De Natura Loci)
Liber de causis et proprietatibus elementorum.
Liber de Passionibus aeris, sive De vaporum impressionibus.

[Available in English:
De Sensu et Sensato. (Translated by Akdogan in Optics in Albert the Great’s De Sensu et Sensato, 1978.)
De Natura Locorum. (Translated by Tilmann in An Appraisal of the Geographical Works of Albertus Magnus, 1971)]

Volume 10: Parvorum Naturalium Pars Altera.
Contents:
Liber de Vegetabilibus et Plantis. (7 books)
Liber de Motibus progressivis.
Liber de Causis et processu universitatis. (2 books)
Speculum astronomiae.

Volume 11: Animalium (Books 1-12)
Contents.

[Available in English Translation: On Animals: A Medieval Summa Zoologica. Translated and annotated by Kenneth F. Kitchell, Jr. and Irven Michael Resnick, 1999. Also, Quaestiones super De Animalibus, translated by Irven Resnick and Kenneth F. Kitchell, Jr, 2008.]

Volume 12: Animalium (Books 13-26).
Contents.

[Available in English Translation: Obviously the above works, but also Man and the Beasts: Books 22-26 of De Animalibus, translated by James J. Scanlan, 1987. This is a super-good book, and the translator is a veterinarian, if I recall correctly. So he further comments on what is consonant with what we know these days and what isn’t, and what sounds freaky but really is something quite true. Lively and lovable.

Of course, what we really need is a coloring book version, showing St. Albert rappelling down cliffs to look at eagle nests, playing with ant lions, and staring up at the dinosaur bones in the German mountains. :)]

Bible Commentaries: Medieval sources say that St. Albert wrote commentaries on every book of the Bible. This is the stuff that survived. His focus varies with the type of book. His commentaries on the Gospels are apparently very concerned with the literal sense, while he gets very allegorical in commentaries on some of the poetic books.

Volume 13: Sermons.
Contents:
78 Sermones de Tempore. (sermons for certain feasts and Sundays.)
53 Orationes super Evangelia Dominicalia totius anni. (a yearlong sermon series on the Gospels.)
59 Sermones de Sanctis. (sermons for saints’ days.)
32 Sermones de Sacrosancto Eucharistiae Sacramento. (On the Sacrosanct Sacrament of the Eucharist. Not generally attributed to St. Albert these days, although the medieval evidence is pretty strong. At any rate, a very famous work back in the day.)

Volume 15: Commentarii in Primam Partem Psalmorum (1-50).
Contents.

Volume 16: Commentarii in Secundam Partem Psalmorum (51-100).
Contents.

Volume 17: Commentarii in Tertiam Partem Psalmorum (101-150).
Contents.

Volume 18: Liber de Muliere Forti.
Contents:
Liber de Muliere Forti. (aka Mulieris Fortis Encomium – The Praise of the Valiant Woman)
Commentarii in Threnos Jeremiae (Commentary on Lamentations)
Commentarii in Baruch (Commentary on Baruch)
Commentarii in Danielem (Commentary on Daniel)

Volume 19: Enarrationes in XII Prophetas Minores.
Contents:
Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi.

Volume 20: Enarrationes in Evangelium Matthaei (1-20).
Contents.

Volume 22: Enarrationes in Primam Partem Evang. Lucae (1-9).
Contents.

Volume 23: Enarrationes in Secundam Partem Evang. Lucae (10-24).
Contents.

Volume 24: Enarrationes in Joannem.
Contents.

Theological Works:

Volume 25: Commentarii in I Sententiarum (1-25)
Contents.

Volume 26: Commentarii in I Sententiarum (26-48).
Contents.

Volume 27: Commentarii in II Sententiarum.
Contents: Commentarii in Sententiarum, Part 2.

Volume 28: Commentarii in III Sententiarum.
Contents: Commentarii in Sententiarum, Part 3.

Volume 29: Commentarii in IV Sentiarum (Dist. 1-22).
Contents: Commentarii in Sententiarum, Part 4A.

Volume 30: Commentarii in IV Sententiarum (Dist. 23-50).
Contents: Commentarii in Sententiarum, Part 4B.

Volume 31: Summae Theologicae, Pars Prima.
Contents: Part 1 of St. Albert’s Summae. (Somewhat obsoleted by that of his student, Aquinas.)

Volume 32: Summae Theologicae, Pars Secunda (Quaest. 1-67).
Contents: Part 2A.

Volume 33: Summae Theologicae, Pars Secunda (Quaest. 68-141)
Contents: Part 2B.

Volume 34.
Contents:
Compendium Theologicae Veritatis, in Septem Libros Digestum.
Summae de Creaturis (Pars 1).

Volume 35: Secunda Pars Summae de Creaturis.
Contents: Summae de Creaturis (Pars 2), which is “de homine”.

Volume 36: De Laudibus Beatae Mariae Virginis. Libri XII.
Contents: Of the Praises of the Blessed Virgin Mary (12 books).
(No longer attributed to Albert.)

Volume 37: Mariale, sive Quaestiones super Evangelium, Missus Est Angelus Gabriel, Etc.
Contents:
Mariale, sive 230 Quaestiones super Evangelium Missus Est. (An important Marian book, not universally attributed to Albert anymore. One of those things about which scholars disagree.)
Biblia Mariana. (Not attrib. to Albert anymore.)
Paradisus Animae, sive Libellus de Virtutibus. (Not attrib. to Albert anymore.)
De adhaerendo Deo liber. (Not attrib. to Albert anymore, but a very famous book.)
Libellus de Alchimia.
Scriptum super arborem Aristotelis.

[Available in English:
De adhaerendo Deo. (On Cleaving to God.)
Libellus de Alchimia. (Translated by Sr. Virginia Heines, S.C.N. U of California Press, 1958.)]

Volume 38:
Distinctiones in Sacramentum Eucharistiae, (aka Liber de Sacrificio Missae or De sacramento Eucharistiae.)

Enarrationes in Apocalypsim S. Joannes (aka In Apocalypsim S. Joannes Enarrationes).
Contents.

“De sacrificio Missae” includes the smaller work known as “De sacramento Eucharistiae” or “De corpore Domini,” which was translated in 2017 by Sr. Albert Marie Surmanski, O.P. as On the Body of the Lord.


Petrus Jammy also did an Opera Omnia edition of St. Albert the Great’s works, back in 1651. They are old, but they have such a nice typeface! Very pleasant to read on a tablet or phone. So I’m going to link to the volumes of his edition here.

Volume 1:

Life of Bl. Albert the Great.

De praedicabilibus.

De decem praedicamentis.

De sex principiis.

De interpretatione.

De syllogismo simpliciter – id est, priorum analyticorum.

De demonstratione – id est, posteriorum analyticorum.

Topicorum.

De sophisticis elenchis.

Volume 2:

De physico auditu.

De caelo et mundo.

De generatione et corruptione.

De meteoris.

De mineralibus.

Volume 3:

De anima.

Metaphysicorum.

Volume 4: Ethicorum. Politicorum.

Volume 5: Parva naturalia, or:

De sensu et sensato.

De memoria et reminiscentia.

De somno et vigilia.

De motibus animalium.

De aetate, or De iuventute et senectute.

De spiritu et respiratione.

De morte et vita.

De nutrimento et nutribili.

De natura et origine animae.

De unitate intellectus contra Averroem.

De intellectu et intelligibili.

De natura locorum.

De causis proprietatum elementorum.

De passionibus aeris.

De vegetalibus et plantis.

De principiis motus progressivi.

De processu universitatis a causa prima.

Speculum astronomicum, in which is included De libris licitis et illicitus.

Volume 6: De animalibus.

Volume 7: Commentarii in Psalmos.

Volume 8:

Commentarii in Threnos Ieremiae.

Commentarii in Baruch.

Commentarii in Danielem.

Commentarii in 12 Prophetas minores.

Volume 9: Commentarii in Matthaeum. Commentarii in Marcum.

Volume 10: Commentarii in Lucam.

Volume 11: Commentarii in Joannem. Commentarii in Apocalypsin.

Volume 12: Includes:

Sermones de tempore.

Sermones de Sanctis.

Sermones 32 de Sacramento Eucharistiae.

Orationes super Evangelia Dominicalia totius anni.

De muliere forti liber.

(This volume includes “On the most sacrosanct Sacrament of the Eucharist”, under the title of “Sermones 32 de Sacramento Eucharistiae,” as well as “On the Valiant Woman.”)

Volume 13: Includes:

Commentarii in Beatum Dionysium Areopagitam.

Compendium theologicae veritatis, a digest of seven volumes.

Volume 14: Commentarii in 1 Lib. Sententiarum.

Volume 15: Commentarii in 2 Lib. Sententiarum. Commentarii in 3 Lib. Sententiarum.

Volume 16: Commentarii in 4 Lib. Sententiarum.

Volume 17: Summae Theologicae, Part I.

Volume 18: Summae Theologicae, Part II.

Volume 19: Summa de creaturis. Includes “De quatuor coaevis” and “De homine.”

Volume 20:

Mariale, sive Quaestiones 230 super Evangelium, Missus est.

De laudibus B. Virginis.

Biblia Mariana.

Volume 21: Miscellanea. Includes:

De apprehensione et apprehensionis modis.

Philosophia pauperum, sive Isagoge in libros Aristotelis de physico auditu, de coelo et mundo, de generatione et corruptione, de meteoris, et de anima.

De sacrificio Missae.

De Sacramento Eucharistiae.

Paradisus animae, sive De virtutibus.

De adhaerendo Deo.

De Alchimia.

12 responses to “St. Albert the Great: Works Online

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  4. Nicholas Piotrowski

    Have Albert’s gospels commentaries been translated into English?

    • The vast majority of St. Albert the Great’s Biblical and religious works haven’t been translated into English, or indeed any other language. Some of his science and philosophy works have been translated, but that’s about as far as it goes.

  5. Nicholas Piotrowski

    That’s a bummer. Thanks for letting me know!

  6. Matthew

    Do you know anywhere the sells St. Albert’s works in Latin in a hardcopy edition? Preferably a modern edition because it is really hard to find older editions.

  7. Hi! is Paradisus Animae a book worth of reading? I mean from a philosophical persepctive.

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  9. emulholland2012

    Two colleagues and I have translated distinction 8 of Albert’s Commentary on the Sentences. Can I contact you about your experience publishing St. Albert’s works and works about St. Albert?

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