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
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Ad argumenta. Ad illud primae quaestionis dico sicut dictum est quaestione prima huius distinctionis articulo quarto, quod ratio finis non est propria ratio fruibilis, sed ratio illius boni absoluti, cui competit ratio finis. Licet igitur Deus non sit finis sui, tamen respectu suae voluntatis est obiectum illud absolutum, cui nata est competere ratio finis, quia est summum bonum; non tamen potest sibi competere ratio finis respectu sui (sicut nec respectu sui est finis), sed respectu omnium fruibilium, qualia sunt omnia bona ordinabilia ad aliud. Si obiciatur, quomodo igitur Deus dicitur agere propter finem, et etiam quod superioris agentis est superior finis, respondeo: respectu nullius est causa finalis aliqua nisi respectu eius sit causa efficiens, quia causalitas causae finalis est movere efficiens ad agendum; Dei igitur ineffectibilis nihil est causa finalis. Sed illud primum dictum vulgariter debet intelligi, quod agit propter finem effectus; non autem propter finem sui, quia non est agens sui. Similiter secundum dictum debet intelligi de fine effectus, quia agens superius ordinat non se sed effectum suum ad finem universaliorem; et ita ille finis superior est agentis, non ut finis eius, sed ad quem ordinat illud quod agit.
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Ad argumentum secundae quaestionis dico quod praeter actum desiderii qui est respectu non habiti, quo viator iustus appetit Deum sibi actu concupiscentiae, habet iustus alium actum amicitiae, volendo Deo in se bene esse, et hic actus amicitiae est fruitio, non autem ille qui est desiderii; et iste secundus proprie est caritatis, non autem primus, qui est actus desiderandi, sicut dicetur in tertio libro distinctione 26. Maior igitur est falsa.
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Ad primum argumentum tertiae quaestionis potest exponi maior, quia inhaerens mobili non quiescit simpliciter, licet quantum est ex parte sui se quietet in illo, et ita concedenda est conclusio, quia peccans mortaliter non simpliciter quietatur, licet quantum est ex parte sui, actu suo quietare ultimate, se quietet in mobili. Si addatur quod nihil fruitur aliquo nisi simpliciter quietetur in illo, negandum est, sed oportet addi: 'nisi quietetur quantum est ex parte actus ipsius', quo scilicet inhaeret obiecto; et etiam: 'quantum est ex parte obiecti', in fruitione ordinata. Neque debet hic intelligi quietatio summa, quia omni quietatione viae sequitur maior patriae, sed propter actum irreferibilem acceptantem obiectum.
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Ad secundum potest maior negari, quia licet amore ordinato nullus fruatur aliquo nisi quo non vult aliquem uti sed frui, tamen amore inordinato potest bene aliquis frui quo non vult alium frui sed tantum uti, vel illud nullo modo amare, sicut apparet de zelotypia inordinata.- Ad probationem maioris potest dici quod licet fruens appretietur fruibile sicut summum bonum, non tamen vult illud ab omnibus sic appretiari quando inordinate fruitur; non ergo sequitur: 'vult illud esse summum bonum vel amat illud quasi summum bonum, ergo vult alios sic amare illud'. Aliter potest responderi negando minorem. - Ad probationem, cum dicitur 'vult fruibile esse, ergo vult illud esse a Deo', non sequitur. Nec etiam sequitur: 'vult illud esse a Deo, ergo vult Deum uti actu illo'. Et causa defectus utriusque consequentiae est, quia non oportet volentem antecedens velle consequens quando consequens non includitur per se in antecedente sed tantum sequitur per locum extrinsecum. Ita est in proposito.
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Ad auctoritatem Augustini pro quarta quaestione patet quod exponenda est eius auctoritas de fruitione abusiva, sive extendendo nomen fruitionis, quia appetitus sensitivus non refert intelligendo negative, non contrarie, quia non inhaeret obiecto tamquam irreferibili, quia, licet irreferibili a se, hoc est impotentiae naturalis in ipso, non bonitatis obiective vel in acceptatione potentiae. De differentia istorum, scilicet non referri negative, contrarie et privative, dicetur libro secundo distinctione 41.
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Ad argumentum quaestionis ultimae patet quod licet appetitus naturalis alicui inhaereat propter se negative, non tamen contrarie ut in pluribus, et si quandoque contrarie, non tamen amore inhaeret; nec etiam proprie inhaeret, sed ab ipso dante naturam quasi infigitur ipsi obiecto, non quidem per actum elicitum alium a natura, sicut est in appetitu etiam sensitivo, sed per inclinationem habitualem naturae. Unde sicut dictum est, minus sibi convenit frui quam appetitui sensitivo, qui per actum elicitum quasi obiecto iam cognito inhaeret, sed non libere; appetitus autem naturalis sine omni cognitione perpetuo inclinatur. Ex dictis de frui, et specialiter in quaestione tertia huius distinctionis (scilicet 'utrum frui sit actus elicitus a voluntate, vel passio recepta in voluntate, puta delectatio'), patere potest de uti, qui est actus voluntatis imperfectior, ad frui sicut ad actum perfectiorem eiusdem potentiae ordinatus.