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
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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Ad primum argumentum principale concedo quod quaelibet essentia creata in quantum 'haec essentia', producta secundum talem ideam, non repraesentat Deum sub ratione trini, quia non causatur nec ideatur a Deo sub ratione trini, sed sub ratione unius. Sed tamen aliqua essentia creata, ratione essentiae suae et multorum concurrentium in ea - tamquam unum totum aggregatum potest esse repraesentativum Trinitatis, et eorum quae apprehenduntur in Trinitate: tale quid est mens, accepta in se et cum operationibus suis, quia ibi est unitas et distinctio et ordo originis, tale etiam, quantum ad talem concursum, nihil est quod sit inferius mente, sicut patuit 'in parte sensitiva'.
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Sed cum arguis quod 'si esset imago, posset Trinitas cognosci per cognitionem mentis', - respondeo: illa concurrentia in mente valent credenti Trinitatem ad persuadendum quomodo possit esse, non autem non credenti concludunt eam esse, quia tota illa congregatio plurium in mente, in quibus consistit imago, posset esse et est ab una persona; et ideo ex ipsa, demonstratione 'quia', non potest ostendi ipsam esse imaginem Trinitatis. De hoc Augustinus XV De Trinitate cap. 24: ((Qui vident suam mentem et in ea trinitatem illam, nec tamen credunt esse imaginem Dei, speculum quidem vident, sed non vident per speculum, cum nec ipsum quod vident sciant esse speculum)).
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Qualiter autem valeat deductio ad ostendendum tres personas ex ratione intellectus et voluntatis in divinis, dictum fuit distinctione 2 quaestione 'de duabus productionibus'.
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Ad secundum dico quod illud argumentum videtur efficax si poneretur Patrem gignere in quantum 'intelligentia', sicut posuit una opinio - superius posita et improbata distinctione 2 quaestione praedicta, - quae ponit actualem notitiam Patris habere aliquo modo rationem producentis respectu gignitionis Filii, et rationem principii formalis productivi. Sed secundum aliam viam, quam ibi tenui, quod Pater in quantum habens essentiam divinam praesentem sibi sub ratione actu intelligibilis - quod competit Patri in quantum est 'memoria' - hoc modo Pater gignit, non autem in quantum intelligens, sicut ibi fuit declaratum, - tunc falsum est antecedens, quia memoria mea magis repraesentat Patrem quam Filium: non quoad hoc quod sola memoria sit in Patre et sola intelligentia sit in Filio, sed quoad hoc quod Pater gignit Filium in quantum Pater habet rationem memoriae, non ut habet rationem intelligentiae vel voluntatis.
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Ad tertium dico quod actus secundi sunt producti.
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Cum probas per Philosophum V Physicorum, argumentum est pro me. Cum enim actio non sit terminus actionis, et ista vere terminant actionem - sicut Augustinus dicit IX De Trinitate cap. ultimo, quod notitia vere gignitur, et volitio procedit, ut dicit XV De Trinitate cap. 27 - ergo non sunt actiones de genere actionis, sed sunt formae absolutae de genere qualitatis.
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Cum probas quod sunt 'actiones proprie', quia sunt actus secundi, - dico quod quaedam formae habent 'esse' fixum, non dependens continue a sua causa - quasi in 'fieri' - sicut calor in ligno; quaedam habent quasi continuam dependentiam ad suam causam, sicut lumen in medio ad solem, - et de hoc dicit Augustinus VIII Super Genesim ad litteram, dicens quod ((aer non est factus lucidus, sed fit lucidus)). Primae formae, propter suam independentiam in 'esse', non habent rationem actionis nec motus, - secundae, propter suam continuam dependentiam, videntur magis habere 'esse' in 'fieri' quam in 'facto esse': et ita habent, quia semper dum sunt, aeque causantur sicut in primo instanti quando incipiunt esse, et ideo cessante causa causare, istae formae cessant esse; non tamen ex hoc sequitur quod sunt actiones de genere actionis, sed oppositum, quia sunt termini talium actionuma.
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Hoc secundo modo se habet intellectio, quia ipsa est in continua dependentia ad praesentiam suae causae, quia aliter non haberet 'esse', sicut patet per Augustinum XI De Trinitate cap. 10 vel 3: ((Cum autem cogitantis acies aversa inde fuerit)), ((nihil formae quae in ea praecessit, remanebit)); non manet enim actus intelligentiae absque tali praesentia causae, scilicet continue influentis. Sed istud solum non concludit ipsam esse actum secundum (ita enim ponitur lumen in medio esse actus secundus), et ideo cum ista est alia condicio ulterior, videlicet quod istae formae de ratione sui transeant in aliquid ut in terminuma, et hoc sive illud aliud sit intra operans sive extra, non curo: non est enim intelligibile quod sit intellectio vel volitio, et quod non sit alicuius termini; hoc autem competit actioni proprie dictae, ut transeat in aliquid ut in terminum. Propter illas ergo duas condiciones concurrentes in istis formis, dicuntur istae formae esse 'actus secundi', cum vere sint formae manentes.
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Ad aliam probationem, cum dicitur quod actus talis 'est generativus habitus', - respondeo quod argumentum est in oppositum, quia actio de genere actionis non potest esse eiusdem rationis nisi habeat eundem terminum, sicut calefactio non est eiusdem rationis nisi calor sit eiusdem rationis, ergo si actus generaret habitum ut actio de genere actionis, terminata ad habitum ut ad terminum, non posset esse actus eiusdem rationis nisi per se esset generativus habitus, immo contradictio videretur quod esset actio eiusdem rationis et non alicuius termini, quia non potest esse actio de genere actionis nisi alicuius termini sit. Nunc autem aliquis actus intellectionis vel volitionis potest esse eiusdem rationis licet non sit alicuius termini producti: ergo actus ille non est generativus habitus ut generatio, sed ut forma, qua formaliter generatur ille habitus. Tunc dico breviter quod actus est generativus habitus sicut forma aliqua, quae est causa vel ratio causandi aliam formam, sicut lumen solis in medio est ratio gignendi ibi calorem; non autem est talis actus gignitivus ut actio, sed tali actione gignitur tam actus quam habitus, ut proprius terminus talis actionis, - et ad significandum gignitionem talem, quae est actio de genere actionis, dicimus 'potentiam elicere actum intelligendi'.