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
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In ista quaestione est opinio una talis, quod intentiones generales habent inter se ordinem naturalem. De duabus, quae sunt ad propositum, videlicet de intentione entis et veri, loquamur. Intentio prima est entis, - quod probatur per illud De causis propositionis quartae, ((Prima rerum creatarum est 'esse')), et in commento primae propositionis, (('Esse' est vehementioris adhaerentiae)); et ratio est, quia 'entitas' est absoluta, 'veritas' dicit respectum ad exemplar. Ex hoc sequitur quod ens possit cognosci sub ratione entitatis licet non sub ratione veritatis. ƿHaec etiam conclusio probatur ex parte intellectus, quia ens potest concipi simplici intelligentia, et tunc concipitur illud quod verum est; sed ratio veritatis non concipitur nisi intelligentia componente et dividente. Compositionem et divisionem praecedit simplex intelligentia.
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Si autem quaeratur de notitia entis, sive eius quod verum est, dicitur quod intellectus ex puris naturalibus potest sic intelligere 'verum', - quod probatur, quia inconveniens est ((naturam esse expertem propriae operationis)), secundum Damascenum, et hoc magis inconveniens est in natura perfectiore, secundum Philosophum II De caelo et mundo, de stellis. Igitur cum propria operatio intellectus sit intelligere 'verum', videtur inconveniens quod natura non concesserit intellectui illa quae sufficiunt ad hanc operationem.
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Sed si loquamur de cognitione veritatis, respondetur quod sicut est duplex exemplar, creatum et increatum, secundum Plaƿtonem in Timaeo (videlicet exemplar factum et non factum, sive creatum et non creatum: 'exemplar creatum' est species universalis causata a re, 'exemplar increatum' est idea in mente divina), ita duplex est conformitas ad exemplar et duplex veritas. Una est conformitas ad exemplar creatum, et isto modo posuit Aristoteles veritates rerum cognosci per conformitatem earum ad speciem intelligibilem: et ita videtur Augustinus ponere VIII De Trinitate cap. 7, ubi vult quod rerum notitiam, generalem et specialem, ex sensibilibus collectam habemus, secundum quam de quocumque occurrente veritatem iudicamus quod ipsum sit tale vel tale.
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Sed quod per tale exemplar, acquisitum in nobis, habeatur omnino certa et infallibilis notitia veritatis de re, hoc videtur omnino impossibile, - et hoc probatur triplici ratione, secundum istos: prima sumitur ex parte rei de qua exemplar est extractum, secunda ex parte subiecti in quo est, et tertia ex parte exemplaris in se. Prima ratio est talis: obiectum illud a quo abstrahitur exemplar ƿest mutabile, igitur non potest esse causa alicuius immutabilis; sed certa notitia alicuius de aliquo sub ratione veritatis, in eo habetur per rationem immutabilem; igitur non habetur per tale exemplar. Haec icitur ratio Augustini 83 Quaestionum quaestione 9, ubi dicit quod ((a sensibilibus non est exspectanda veritas)), quia ((sensibilia sine intermissione mutantur)).
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Secunda ratio talis est: anima est ex se mutabilis et passiva erroris, igitur per nihil mutabilius ea potest rectificari sive regulari ne erret; sed tale exemplar in ea est mutabilius quam ipsa anima sit; igitur illud exemplar non perfecte regulat animam ne erret. - Haec dicitur ratio Augustini De vera religione, ((Lex omnium artium)) etc.
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Tertia ratio: notitiam veritatis nullus habet certam et infallibilem nisi habeat unde possit 'verum' discernere a verisimili, quia si non possit discernere 'verum' a falso vel a verisimili, potest dubitare se falli; sed per exemplar praedictum creatum non potest discerni 'verum' a verisimili; ergo etc. - Probatio minoris: species talis potƿest repraesentare se tamquam se, vel alio modo se tamquam obiectum, sicut est in somniis. Si repraesentet se tamquam obiectum, falsitas est, si se tamquam se, veritas est. Igitur per talem speciem non habetur sufficiens distinctivum, quando repraesentat se ut se, vel ut obiectum, et ita nec sufficiens distinctivum veri a falso.
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Ex istis concluditur quod certam scientiam et infallibilem veritatem si contingat hominem cognoscere, hoc non contingit ei aspiciendo ad exemplar a re per sensus acceptum, quantumcumque sit depuratum et universale factum, sed requiritur quod respiciat ad exemplar increatum. Et tunc modus ponendi est iste: Deus non ut cognitum habet rationem exemplaris, ad quod aspiciendo cognoscitur sincera veritas (est enim ' cognitum ' in generali attributo), sed est ratio cognoscendi ut nudum exemplar et propria ratio essentiae creatae.
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Qualiter autem possit esse ratio cognoscendi et non 'cognitum', ponitur exemplum, quia sicut radius solis quandoque derivatur quasi obliquato aspectu a suo fonte, quandoque directo: quod videtur in radio primo modo derivato, licet sol sit ratio videndi, non tamen ut visus in se, - eius autem quod videtur secundo modo in ƿradio, sol est ita ratio cognoscendi quod etiam est cognitus. Quando igitur ista lux increata intellectum quasi directo aspectu illustrat, tunc ut 'visa' est ratio videndi alia in ipsa. Intellectum autem nostrum pro statu viae quasi obliquato aspectu illustrat, et ideo est intellectui nostro ratio videndi non 'visa'.
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Ponitur autem qualiter habeat triplicem rationem respectu actus videndi, scilicet: lucis acuentis, speciei immutantis et characteris sive exemplaris configurantis; et ex hoc concluditur ultra quod requiritur specialis influentia, quia sicut illa essentia non videtur naturaliter a nobis in se, ita, ut illa essentia est exemplar respectu alicuius creaturae, naturaliter non videtur, secundum Augustinum De videndo Deum - in eius enim potestate est videri: ((si vult, videtur, si non vult, non videtur)).
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Ultimo additur quod perfecta notitia veritatis est quando ƿduae species exemplares concurrunt in mente: una inhaerens, scilicet creata, alia illapsa, scilicet ncn creata - et sic contingimus verbum perfectae veritatis.