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

  1. Ad argumenta pro opinione. Ad primum dico quod illud simile concluderet multa falsa, quia concluderet quod sicut assentimus conclusionibus propter principia necessario, sic necessario assentiremus illis quae sunt ad finem propter finem, quod est falsum. Ideo dico quod simile est quoad duo, videlicet quoad ordinem istorum et illorum comparando inter se, et quoad ordinem illorum comparando ad potentias ordinate tendentes in illa: intelligo sic, quod sicut est ordo inter illa vera in se, sic et inter ista bona, et sicut illa vera ordinate sunt sic cognita, sic et ista bona essent sic ordinate volenda. Sed non est simile quantum ad ordinem necessitatis in uno et in alio, comparando ad potentias absolute. Non enim oportet quod voluntas servet illum ordinem in actibus suis qualem volibilia nata sunt habere ex natura sua; neque est assensus similis hinc inde, quia necessitas est in intellectu propter evidentiam obiecti necessario causantis assensum in intellectu: non autem bonitas aliqua obiecti causat necessario assensum voluntatis, sed voluntas libere assentit cuilibet bono, et ita libere assentit maiori bono sicut minori.

  2. Ad secundum, cum arguitur de participatione, dico quod maior est falsa, quia voluntas nihil necessario vult; et ideo non oportet quod necessario velit illud ratione cuius omnia alia vult, si aliquid esset tale. Minor est falsa etiam, quod virtute et participatione ultimi finis vult quidquid vult, quia participatione vel virtute alicuius voluntatem velle aliqua potest intelligi dupliciter: vel virtute eius sive participatione ut efficientis sive ut continentis virtualiter, vel virtute eius ut primi obiecti, propter quod volitum vult alia. Si primo modo intelligatur, non est ad propositum minor assumpta cum maiore, quia illud virtute cuius ut efficientis est aliquid volitum, non oportet esse volitum, sicut illud quod est efficiens alicuius visi non oportet esse visum; non enim oportet quod primo videam Deum oculo corporali si videam colorem, qui est quaedam participatio Dei ut causae efficientis. Si intelligatur secundo modo, scilicet de participatione eius ut primi obiecti voliti, tunc minor est falsa; non enim virtute Dei voliti volo quodcumque volitum, quia tunc omnis actus voluntatis esset actualis usus, referendo illud ad obiectum primum volitum.

  3. Ad tertium dicitur uno modo quod licet non sit ibi defectus alicuius boni nec aliqua malitia et ideo forte non posset voluntas illud nolle, quia obiectum actus nolendi est malum vel defectivum, potest tamen illud bonum perfectum non velle, quia in potestate voluntatis est non tantum sic et sic velle, sed etiam velle et non velle, quia libertas eius est ad agendum vel non agendum. Si enim potest alias potentias imperando movere ad agendum, non tantum sic et sic sed ad determinate agendum et non agendum, non videtur quod minus sit libertas sui respectu sui quantum ad actus determinationem. Et istud videtur posse ostendi per Augustinum I Retractationum cap. 9 et 22 f, g, ubi vult quod ((nihil est tam in potestate voluntatis quam ipsa voluntas)), quod non intelligitur nisi quantum ad actum elicitum.

  4. Posset tamen dici quod ipsa voluntas per aliquod velle elicitum imperat actionem potentiae inferioris vel prohibet. Non autem potest sic suspendere omne velle, quia tunc simul nihil vellet et aliquid vellet. Sed quidquid sit de suspensione omnis velle, saltem potest suspendere omnem actum circa istud obiectum per aliquod velle elicitum, et hoc modo nolo nunc aliquid elicere circa istud obiectum quousque distinctius ostendatur mihi. Et istud nolle est quidam actus elicitus, quasi reflexus super velle obiecti, non quod inest vel infuit, sed quod posset inesse; quod etsi in se non ostendatur, ostenditur tamen in sua causa, scilicet in obiecto ostenso, quod natum est esse principium actus in aliquo genere principii.

  5. Aliter dicitur ad tertiam rationem praecedentem quod non est probatum quin voluntas possit bonum illud nolle in quo nulla invenitur ratio mali vel defectus boni, sicut non est probatum quin possit velle illud in quo non reperitur aliqua ratio boni, et hoc vel prius in re vel in apprehensione quam illud terminet actum volendi. De hoc forte alias erit sermo.

  6. Ad auctoritatem Augustini XIII De Trinitate cap. 3, omnes volunt esse beati, ergo necessario volunt ultimum finem, in quo est beatitudo, dico quod non intelligit de volitione actuali. Vult enim quod mimus ille, de quo loquitur, verum dixisset quid omnes concurrentes voluerunt si dixisset omnibus: ((Omnes vultis beati esse)). Non autem omnes tunc concurrentes ad illud spectaculum habuerunt tunc actualiter appetitum beatitudinis, quia nec actualem cogitationem de hoc. Loquitur ergo de volitione habituali vel aptitudinali, qua videlicet ipsa voluntas prompta est ut statim inclinetur ad actum volendi beatitudinem si actualiter sibi offeratur ab intellectu.

  7. Similiter, auctoritas non est ad propositum. Quia si certum est omnes velle beatitudinem, hoc non est actu amicitiae, volendo bono beatifico sibi bene esse, sed actu concupiscentiae, volendo illud bonum sibi ut sufficiens bonum, quia non est certum voluntates inordinatas habere delectationem ordinatam primi boni in se, sed omnes voluntates, sive ordinatae sive inordinatae, habent concupiscentiam volendi seu voluntatem concupiscendi sibi bonum. Actus autem concupiscentiae non potest esse actus fruitionis, quia omnis concupiscens concupiscit alii quod amat amore amicitiae, et ita actus concupiscentiae non est actus fruitionis, sed solus actus amicitiae. Etsi ergo Augustinus loquitur de actu volendi beatitudinem, non tamen de actu amicitiae, sed de actu concupiscentiae, et ita non de fruitione, et sic non est ad propositum.

  8. Ad argumentum pro quarto articulo eorum, cum arguunt de agere et esse, dico quod ille actus non esset supernaturalis sed naturalis, quia actum aliquem potest voluntas naturaliter elicere circa obiectum qualitercumque ab intellectu ostensum; et quia ille actus non excedit facultatem potentiae, ideo nec obiectum ut terminat actum illius potentiae.

  9. Cum dicitur secundo quod tunc voluntas talis posset esse beata, dico quod non, secundum Augustinum XIII De Trinitate cap. 5 g: ((Beatus habet quidquid vult et nihil mali vult)). Ita intelligenda est haec definitio, quod beatus est qui habet quidquid ordinate potest velle, non tantum quidquid nunc actu vult; tunc enim aliquis viator posset esse beatus pro tunc quando de uno tantum ordinate habito cogitat. Potest autem voluntas ordinate velle habere caritatem, quia potest velle non tantum habere substantiam actus fruendi, sed potest velle habere fruitionem acceptam Deo; si ergo non habet illud, non habet quidquid ordinate potest velle. Qualiter etiam caritas requiratur, non tantum propter gratificationem actus sed propter aliquem gradum perfectionis intrinsecum actui, de hoc inferius distinctione 17.

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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