Ordinatio

John Duns Scotus

Ordinatio

John Duns Scotus (1266–1308)

John Duns Scotus's Ordinatio (also called the Opus Oxoniense) is his revised, authorially prepared commentary on Peter Lombard's Sentences. Scotus began arranging it for publication around 1300 after lecturing at Oxford and continued revising material associated with Paris until his death in 1308; the work therefore remains unfinished and textually layered. Its disputations on God, creation, individuation, freedom, grace, and the Incarnation helped establish Scotism as a major alternative within late-medieval scholastic theology. Schola uses the Vatican critical-edition tradition for the Latin and a separately sourced English translation.

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Prologus I: Prologus Totius Operis

Pars I: Pars 1 - On the Necessity of Revealed Doctrine

Quaestio I: Single Question: On the Necessity of Revealed Doctrine - Whether it be necessary for man in this present state for some doctrine to be supernaturally inspired

Articulus I: 1. Controversy between Philosophers and Theologians

Section I: A. Opinion of the Philosophers

Section II: B. Rejection of the Opinion of the Philosophers

Articulus II: II. Solution of the Question

Articulus III: III. About the Three Principal Reasons against the Philosophers

Articulus IV: IV. To the Arguments of the Philosophers

Articulus V: V. To the Principal Arguments

Pars II: Pars 2 - On the Sufficiency of Revealed Doctrine

Quaestio I: Single Question: On the Sufficiency of Revealed Doctrine Whether the supernatural knowledge necessary for the wayfarer is sufficiently handed on in Sacred Scripture.

Articulus I: I. On the Truth of Sacred Scripture

Articulus II: II. Principal Response to the Question

Articulus III: III. To the Principal Arguments

Pars III: Pars 3 - On the Object of Theology

Quaestio I: Question 1: Whether theology is about God as about its first object.

Quaestio II: Question 2: Whether Theology is about God under some Special Idea

Quaestio III: Question 3: Whether Theology is about All Things from the Attribution of them to its First Subject

Articulus I: I. Preliminary Remarks

Articulus II: II. About Necessary Theology

Section I: A. To the First Question, speaking of Theology in itself

Section II: B. To the Second Question, speaking of Theology in itself

Section III: C. To the First Question, speaking of Our Theology

Articulus III: III. On Contingent Theology

Articulus IV: IV. On Christ as First Object

Articulus V: V. To the Principal Arguments of the First Question

Articulus VI: VI. To the principal Arguments of the Second Question

Articulus VII: VI. To the Third Question

Section I: A. Opinion of Others

Section II: B. Scotus’ own Response

Articulus VIII: VII. To the principal Arguments of the Third Question

Pars IV: Pars 4 - On Theology as a Science

Quaestio I: Questions 1 and 2 - Whether theology in itself is a science, and whether it is subalterning or subalternate

Articulus I: I. To the First Question

Articulus II: II. To the Second Question

Pars V: Pars 5 - On Theology insofar as it is a Practical Science

Quaestio I: Question 1 - Whether theology is a practical or a speculative science

Quaestio II: Question 2 - Whether a science is called practical per se from order to action as to its end

Articulus I: I. What Action [Praxis] is

Articulus II: II. How Practical Knowledge is Extended to Action

Articulus III: III. From what Source Knowledge has Extension to Action

Articulus IV: IV. To the Second Question

Articulus V: V. To the First Question

Section I: A. The Opinion of Others

Section II: B. Scotus’ own Opinion

Articulus VI: VI. To the Principal Arguments of the First Question.

Articulus VII: VII. To the Principal Arguments of the Second Question

Book 1

Distinctio I: First Distinction

Pars I: First Part - On the Object of Enjoyment

Quaestio I: Question 1: Whether the object of enjoyment per se is the ultimate end

Articulus I: I. To the Question

Tractatus I: II. To the Principal Arguments

Quaestio II: Question 2 - Whether the ultimate end has only the one idea of enjoyability

Articulus I: I. To the Question

Section I: A. On the Enjoyment of the Wayfarer as to its Possibility

Section II: B. On the Enjoyment of the Comprehender when Speaking of the Absolute Power of God

Section III: C. On the Enjoyment of the Comprehender when Speaking of the Power of the Creature

Section IV: D. On the Enjoyment of the Comprehender and of the Wayfarer when Speaking of the Fact

Articulus II: II. To the Arguments

Section I: A. To the Principal Arguments

Section II: B. To the Reasons for the Opposite

Pars II: Second Part - On Enjoying in Itself

Quaestio I: Question 1 - Whether enjoying is an act elicited by the will or a passion received in the will

Articulus I: I. To the Question

Articulus II: II. To the Principal Arguments

Quaestio II: Question 2 - Whether when the end has been apprehended by the intellect the will must necessarily enjoy it

Articulus I: I. To the Question

Section I: A. The Opinion of Others

Section II: B. Attack on the Opinion of Others

Section III: C. Scotus’ Own Opinion

Section IV: D. To the Arguments for the Opinion of Others

Articulus II: II. To the Principal Arguments

Pars III: On the Enjoyer

Quaestio I: Whether Enjoying Belongs to God

Quaestio II: Whether the Wayfarer Enjoys

Quaestio III: Whether the Sinner Enjoys

Quaestio IV: Whether the Brutes Enjoy

Quaestio V: Whether All Things Enjoy

Articulus I: I. To the Questions Together

Articulus II: II. To the Principal Arguments

Distinctio II: Second Distinction

Pars I: First Part - On the Existence of God and his Unity

Quaestio I: Question 1 - Whether among beings there is something existing actually infinite

Quaestio II: Question 2 - Whether something infinite is known self-evidently

Articulus I: I. To the Second Question

Articulus II: II. To the Principal Arguments of the Second Question

Articulus III: III. To the First Question

Section I: A. The Existence of the Relative Properties of an Infinite Being is Made Clear

Section II: B. The Existence of an Infinite Being is Made Clear

Subsection I: 1. Conclusions preliminary to infinity are proposed and demonstrated

Subsection II: 2. The infinity of God is proved directly

Articulus IV: IV. To the Principal Arguments of the First Question

Quaestio III: Question 3 - Whether there is only one God

Articulus I: I. To the Question

Tractatus I: II. To the Arguments

Section I: A. To the Arguments for the Other Opinion

Section II: B. To the Principal Arguments

Pars II: Second Part - On the Persons and Productions in God

Quaestio I: Question 1 - Whether there can be along with the unity of the divine essence a plurality of persons

Quaestio II: Question 2 - Whether there are only three persons in the divine essence

Quaestio III: Question 3 - Whether being Produced can Stand in Something along with the Divine Essence

Quaestio IV: Question 4 - Whether in the Divine Essence there are only Two Intrinsic Productions

Articulus I: I. To the Third Question

Section I: A. Scotus’ own Proofs

Section II: B. Proofs of Others

Articulus II: II. To the Principal Arguments of the Third Question

Articulus III: III. To the Fourth Question

Section I: A. The Opinion of Henry of Ghent is Expounded

Section II: B. The Opinion of Henry of Ghent is Rejected

Section III: C. Scotus’ Own Opinion

Section IV: D. Instances against the Solution

Articulus IV: IV. To the Principal Arguments of the Fourth Question

Articulus V: V. To the Second Question

Tractatus I: A. About the Produced Persons in Divine Reality

Section I: B. About the Sole Non-produced Person in Divine Reality

Articulus VI: VI. To the Principal Arguments of the Second Question

Articulus VII: VII. To the First Question

Section I: A. Declaration of Scotus’ Own Solution

Section II: B. On Formal Distinction or Non-Identity

Articulus VIII: VIII. To the Principal Arguments of the First Question

Distinctio III: Third Distinction

Pars I: First Part - About the Knowability of God

Quaestio I: Question 1 - Whether God is Naturally Knowable by the Intellect of the Wayfarer

Tractatus I: Question 2 - Whether God is the First Thing Naturally Known by Us in this State of Life

Articulus I: I. Clarification of the First Question

Articulus II: II. Opinion of Others as to Each Question

Articulus III: III. Scotus’ own Response to the First Question

Section I: A. A Quidditative Concept can be Had of God

Section II: B. About a Concept Univocal to God and Creatures

Section III: C. God Cannot be Known under his Proper Idea

Section IV: D. About the Concept of Infinite Being

Section V: E. God is Known through the Species of Creatures

Articulus IV: IV. To the Arguments of the First Question

Articulus V: V. Scotus’ own Response to the Second Question

Section I: A. About the Order of Origin of Intelligibles

Section II: B. About the Order of Perfection and Adequacy in Intelligibles

Articulus VI: VI. To the Arguments for the Second Question

Quaestio II: Question 3 - Whether God is the Natural First Object that is Adequate Relative to the Intellect of the Wayfarer

Quaestio III: Question 4 - Whether any Certain and Sincere Truth could Naturally be Known by the Intellect of the Wayfarer without a Special Illumining of Uncreated Light

Articulus I: I. Opinion of Henry

Articulus II: II. Attack on Henry’s Opinion and Solution of the Question

Section I: A. Against the Fundamental Reasons Adduced

Section II: B. Against the Opinion in Itself

Section III: C. Against the Fundamental Reasons insofar as they are Less Probative

Section IV: D. Against the Conclusion itself of the Opinion

Section V: E. Solution of the Question

Section VI: F. Once More Against the Fundamental Reasons Adduced

Articulus I: I. Opinion of Others

Section I: A. First Opinion

Section II: B. Second Opinion

Articulus II: II. To the Question

Section I: A. Of What Sort the Univocity of Being is and to What Things it Extends.

Section II: B. About the First Object of the Intellect

Section III: C. Arguments against the Univocity of Being and their Solution

Articulus III: III. About Other Transcendentals

  1. His visis de ente, restat ulterior dubitatio, - utrum posset poni aliquod aliud transcendens primum obiectum intellectus, quod videtur habere aequalem communitatem cum ente. Et ponitur quod sic, et hoc quod 'verum' sit primum obiectum intellectus et non ens. - Quod probatur tripliciter.

  2. Primo sic: distinctae potentiae habent distincta obiecta formalia, ex II De anima; intellectus et voluntas sunt distinctae potentiae; igitur habent distincta obiecta formalia, quod non videtur posse sustineri si ens ponatur primum obiectum intellectus, - sed si 'verum' ponatur, bene possunt assignari distincta obiecta.

  3. Secundo sic: ens est commune, de se, ad sensibile et insensibile; obiectum autem proprium alicuius potentiae est obiectum eius sub aliqua propria ratione; ergo ad hoc quod ens sit proprium obiectum intellectus, oportet quod determinetur, et contrahatur ad ens intelligibile per aliquid per quod excludatur ens sensibile. Sed tale contrahens videtur esse 'verum', quod dicit de se rationem manifestativi vel intelligibilis.

  4. Item, tertio sic: obiectum non est proprium alicuius potentiae nisi secundum quod est proprium motivum potentiae; non movet autem aliquid potentiam nisi secundum quod habet aliquam habitudinem ad eam; ens ergo, secundum quod est absolutum et non habens aliquam habitudinem ad intellectum, non est proximum et immediatum obiectum. Illud autem secundum quod ens formaliter habet habitudinem ad intellectum, est veritas, quia - secundum Anselmum De veritate - ((veritas est rectitudo, sola perceptibilis mente)).

  5. Sed contra istam conclusionem de 'veritate' arguo sic: primum obiectum, hoc est adaequatum, vel aequatur secundum communitatem, vel secundum virtualitatem, vel secundum utramque primitatem concurrentem; 'verum' nullo istorum modorum adaequatur intellectui, - ens adaequatur, ut patuit; ergo etc. Probatio primae partis minoris: 'verum' non dicitur in 'quid' de omnibus per se intelligibilibus, quia non dicitur in 'quid' de ente, nec de aliquo per se inferiore ad ens. Secunda pars minoris probatur cum tertia, quia inferiora ad 'verum' licet includant ipsum essentialiter, non includunt omnia intelligibilia virtualiter vel essentialiter, quia 'hoc verum' quod est in lapide non includit essentialiter vel virtualiter lapidem, sed e converso, 'illud ens' quod est lapis includit veritatem, - et ita de quibuscumque aliis entibus et eorum veritatibus.

  6. Item, 'verum' est passio entis et cuiuslibet inferioris ad ens; ergo intelligendo ens vel quodcumque inferius ad ens praecise sub ratione veri, non intelligetur nisi per accidens, et non secundum rationem quiditativam. Sed cognitio 'cuiuscumque secundum rationem quiditativam, est prima cognitio' et 'perfectissima' de eo, ex VII Metaphysicae cap. 1. Igitur nulla cognitio de aliquo, praecise sub ratione veri, est prima cognitio obiecti, - et ita nec veritas est prima ratio, praecise, cognoscendi obiectum.

  7. Confirmatur ratio: ex II Priorum, cum scientia mulae ut mula stat ignorantia 'huius mulae' ut haec. Sicut enim - comparando ad habitum - inferius extraneatur suo superiori, de quo superiore est primo ille habitus, ita multo magis extraneabitur obiectum suae passioni, comparando sive ad habitum sive ad potentiam.

  8. Item, obiectum habitus naturaliter non praecedit obiectum potentiae; sed obiectum primum metaphysicae, quae est habitus intellectus, est ens, quod est prius naturaliter 'vero', - et non 'verum', quod est passio entis, est primum subiectum metaphysicae; igitur etc.

  9. Ad rationes 'in oppositum' respondeo, ducendo illas ad oppositum. Primam sic, quia sicut voluntas non potest habere actum circa ignotum, ita non potest habere actum circa obiectum, sub ratione formali aliqua obiecti quae ratio sit penitus ignota. Igitur omnis ratio secundum quam obicitur aliquid voluntati, est cognoscibilis ab intellectu, - et ita non potest esse prima ratio obiecti intellectus illa quae distinguitur contra rationem volibilis, si qua sit talis.

  10. Hoc etiam patet de quibuscumque passionibus entis habetur distincta notitia, ita de bono sub ratione boni, sicut de vero sub ratione veri, quia - secundum Avicennam VI Metaphysicae cap. ultimo - ((si aliqua scientia esset de omnibus causis, illa esset nobilissima quae esset de causa finali)), cuius ratio, secundum multos, est bonitas.

  11. Ad illud igitur quod accipitur in argumento, de distinctione obiectorum, respondeo: potentiae distinctae tripliciter se habent ad invicem - aut sunt omnino disparatae, aut sunt ordinatae, et tunc vel in eodem genere, sicut cognitiva superior et inferior, vel in alio genere potentiarum, ut cognitiva ad suam appetitivam.

  12. Primo modo potentiae distinctae habent obiecta omnino distincta, quia nulla earum - ex quo sunt disparatae - est per se operativa circa obiectum circa quod alia. Tales sunt sensus exteriores, ut visus et auditus.

  13. Secundo modo distinctae habent obiecta subordinata, ita quod sicut potentia superior potest habere per se actum circa quodcumque circa quod potest potentia inferior, ita obiectum primum potentiae superioris continet sub se primum obiectum potentiae inferioris, alioquin non esset illud obiectum adaequatum superiori. Unde obiectum primum visus, secundum suam communitatem, continetur ut inferius sub primo obiecto sensus communis.

  14. Tertio potentiae sic se habent, quod si appetitiva adaequetur cognitivae operando circa quaecumque obiecta, idem esset obiectum primum utriusque, et sub eadem ratione formali, ex parte obiecti; si autem appetitiva habeat actum circa aliqua cognoscibilia et aliqua non, tunc obiectum appetitivae erit inferius ad obiectum cognitivae.

  15. Ad propositum. Intellectus et voluntas cadunt in tertio membro: et si voluntas ponatur habere actum circa omne intelligibile et sub quacumque ratione intellectum, ponetur idem esse obiectum tam voluntatis quam intellectus, et sub eadem ratione formali; si non, sed quod voluntas tantum habeat actum circa intelligibilia quae sunt finis vel entia ad finem, et non circa mere speculabilia, tunc ponetur obiectum voluntatis aliquo modo particulare respectu obiecti intellectus, sed semper stabit quod ens est obiectum intellectus.

  16. Secundam rationem duco ad oppositum, quia obiectum proportionatum potentiae superiori, est commune ad obiectum proprium potentiae inferioris, ex praedicta distinctione, - et ita ens, secundum quod abstrahens a sensibili et insensibili, est vere proprium obiectum intellectus, quia intellectus tamquam potentia superior potest habere actum tam circa sensibile quam circa insensibile. Unde ista abstractio, quae videtur esse non appropriatio, est sufficienter appropriatio respectu potentiae superioris. Per hoc respondeo ad rationem quod communitas entis ad sensibile et insensibile est ratio appropriandi ipsam potentiae operativae circa utrumque obiectum per se, qualis est intellectus. Et licet sub ente sic in communi contineatur sensibile, non tamen ipsum in communi est sensibile, hoc est obiectum sensus, - sed tantum intelligibile, adaequatum intellectui, quia non oportet respectum proprium inferioris esse proprium superioris. Talem dicit hoc quod est 'sensibile', qui convenit qualitati alicui, omni et soli, - sed 'intelligibile' etsi conveniat alicui enti, ita quod non sensibile, non tamen omni et soli: immo nulli soli nisi enti in communi; non ut est 'hoc aliquid', ut quoddam intelligibile singulare, sed ut est commune ad omne intelligibile, et hoc secundum modum aliquem communitatis praedictum.

  17. Tertiam duco ad oppositum, quia 'rationem obiecti' dico esse illam secundum quam obiectum motivum est potentiae, - sicut ratio activi vel agendi dicitur esse illa forma secundum quam agens agit. Talis autem ratio obiecti non potest esse respectus ad potentiam, - et isto modo loquitur Philosophus II De anima, ubi assignat primum obiectum visus. Dicit quod ((illud cuius est visus ut obiecti, est 'visibile')), 'non per se primo modo sed secundo, ita quod ipsum ponitur in ratione visibilis'. Si autem formalis ratio obiecti potentiae esset respectus ad talem potentiam, tunc obiectum primum visus esset 'visibile' per se primo modo, quia ipsa visibilitas esset ratio formalis obiecti, et tunc facile esset assignare prima obiecta, quia obiectum primum cuiuscumque potentiae esset correlativum ad talem potentiam, puta visus 'visibile', auditus 'audibile', quo modo Philosophus non assignavit prima obiecta potentiarum, sed aliqua absoluta, puta visus 'colorem', auditus 'sonum', etc. Unde si 'verum' dicat formalem respectum ad intellectum (de quo alias) sequitur oppositum propositi in hoc. Ex hoc enim sequitur quod ratio illa non sit ratio formalis obiecti, sed aliqua alia ab ea.

  18. Patet igitur ex dictis quod nihil potest ita convenienter poni obiectum primum intellectus sicut 'ens' - neque aliquod virtuale primum, neque aliquod transcendens aliud, quia de quolibet alio transcendente probatur per eadem per quae probatum est de vero.

Articulus IV: IV. Doubt about the First Object of the Intellect for this Present State

Articulus V: V. To the Initial Arguments

Pars II: Second Part - About the Vestige/Footprint

Quaestio I: Single Question - Whether in Every Creature there is a Vestige of the Trinity

Articulus I: I. To the Question

Section I: A. On the Idea of Footprint/Vestige

Subsection I: 1. Opinion of Others

Subsection II: 2. Against this Opinion

Subsection III: 3. Scotus’ own Opinion

Section II: B. About Ratification and Somesort-ness

Subsection I: 1. Opinion of Others

Subsection II: 2. Rejection of the Opinion

Sub-subsection I: a. A First Rejection of the Opinion

Sub-subsection II: b. Another Rejection of the Opinion

Subsection III: 3. Scotus’ own Opinion

Subsection IV: 4. To the Reasons for the Rejected Opinion

Section III: -

Articulus II: II. To the Initial Arguments

Pars III: Third Part - About the Image

Quaestio I: Question 1 - Whether in the Intellective Part Properly Taken there is a Memory that has an Intelligible Species Naturally Prior to the Act of Understanding

Articulus I: I. To the Question

Section I: A. The Opinion of Others

Section II: B. Scotus’ Response and his own Opinion

Subsection I: 1. Reasons on the Part of the Universality of the Object

Subsection II: 2. Reasons on the Part of the Presence of the Object

Subsection III: 3. Scotus’ Concluding Opinion

Subsection IV: 4. To the Reasons from the Authorities

Section III: -

Articulus II: II. To the Initial Arguments

Articulus III: III. To the Arguments for the Opinion of Others

Quaestio II: Question 2 - Whether the Intellective Part Properly Taken or Something of it is the Total Cause Generating Actual Knowledge or is the Idea of Generating

Articulus I: I. Six Opinions of Others are Expounded and Rejected

Section I: A. About the First Opinion

Subsection I: 1. Exposition of the Opinion

Section I: 2. Rejection of the Opinion

Section II: B. About the Second Opinion

Subsection I: 1. Exposition of the opinion

Subsection II: 2. Rejection of the Opinion

Section III: C. About the Third and Fourth Opinion

Subsection I: 1. Exposition of the Opinions

Subsection II: 2. Rejection of the Opinions

Section IV: D. About the Fifth and Sixth Opinion

Subsection I: 1. Exposition of the Opinions

Subsection II: 2. Rejection of the Opinions

Subsection III: 3. Rejection of the Sixth Opinion Specifically

Articulus II: II. Scotus’ own Opinion

Articulus III: III. To the Arguments for the Opinions

Section I: A. To the Arguments for the First Opinion

Section II: B. To the Arguments for the Second Opinion

Section III: C. To the Things Said in the Third and Fourth Opinion

Section IV: D. To the Arguments of the Fifth Opinion

Articulus IV: IV. To the Initial Arguments

Quaestio III: Question 3 - Whether the More Principal Cause of Generated Knowledge is the Object Present in Itself or in the Species, or the Very Intellective Part of the Intellect

Articulus I: I. Solution of the Question

Articulus II: II. To the Initial Arguments

Quaestio IV: Question 4 - Whether there is Distinctly in the Mind an Image of the Trinity

Articulus I: I. To the Question

Section I: A. About the Image of the Trinity in Us

Section II: B. Two Doubts

Subsection I: 1. To the First Doubt

Subsection II: 2. To the Second Doubt

Subsection III: 3. Corollary

Articulus II: II. To the Initial Arguments

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