The Sense of Smell in the Commentary on the "De sensu" attributed to Nicole Oresme and to Albert of Saxony

The sense of smell has traditionally been neglected in studies of Medieval Latin Aristotelianism. In this article, I demonstrate the importance of investigating this topic, both in its own right and for theories of perception more broadly. I consider a specific case study: the debate regarding whether odours have material or immaterial being in the medium and in the sense organ. I focus on a fourteenth-century commentary on the "De sensu", attributed both to Nicole Oresme and to Albert of Saxony. I show that the commentary lies at the crossroads between a traditional Scholastic understanding of odours as endowed with immaterial being in the medium and in the sense organ and a more “materialistic” modern understanding. This crossroads evidences a wider shift in how the workings of the external senses were understood. In this way I also stress the importance of considering "De sensu" commentaries when studying Medieval Latin Aristotelian theories of perception.