Chapter Thirteen: On the Advancement of the People of Paris in Sciences, Arts, and Crafts, and on their Organization and Clarification of Related Matters.

It appears, upon reflection on the state of sciences, literary arts, and crafts in this era in the city of Paris, that human knowledge has spread and reached its zenith in this city. It is evident that no Frankish scholars can match the scholars of Paris, nor even the scholars of past ages. However, the discerning critic might say that the practical sciences, whose effects are evident through experimentation, are known and mastered by these scholars without doubt, as attested by the statement of some esteemed scholars: "Matters are judged by their completeness, actions by their outcomes, and crafts by their durability." As for most theoretical sciences and arts, their knowledge is profound. Yet, they hold certain philosophical beliefs that deviate from reason in comparison to other nations. However, they possess such talent and superiority that their truth and validity become apparent to people, as in the science of astronomy, for example. They achieve greater certainty in this field than others due to their knowledge of the secrets of instruments and their invention. It is known that knowledge of the secrets of instruments is the strongest aid to crafts. However, in their philosophical sciences, they have conceptual interpretations that contradict other divine books, and they present evidence for them, making it difficult for people to refute them. We will soon encounter many of their innovations and draw attention to them in their appropriate places, God willing. We mention here that all books of philosophy contain many of these innovations. Consequently, the third principle of disagreement mentioned by the author of "Ain al-Silm" regarding the study of logic is applied to them. Therefore, it is incumbent upon anyone who wishes to delve into the French language, which contains some philosophy, to first master it.