Albertus magnus and the problem of reception of Aristotle's legal ideas

The article is devoted to the genesis of the theological and philosophical works of Albert the Great (1193/1200-1280) in the context of his possible acquaintance with the court of Emperor Frederick II. The author explores the nature of the court of Frederick II in the early period of his rule and concludes that German knighthood at the beginning of the XIII century formed an intellectual environment that was susceptible to the influence of Byzantine and Arabic-Persian philosophy, as well as their legal ideas. Thus, the reception of Aristotle’s legal ideas, conducted by Albert the Great in paraphrases at Aristotle - primarily regarding natural law and the social contract - and the perception of some of these ideas by the tradition of ecclesiastical law of the Catholic Church, obviously became the fruit of cultural influence that Albert could perceive in his youth at the imperial court. Frederick II probably contributed to the dissemination of the ideas of Aristotle, providing patronage to the Arab philosophers.