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

  1. Ista opinio ponit quattuor articulos, quos non credo esse veros. Primus est quod Verbum divinum generatur per impressionem; secundus est quod per impressionem in intellectum ut conversus est super se; tertius est quod notitia essentialis est ratio formalis gignendi notitiam declarativam; quartus est quod generatur per impressionem in intellectum ut nudum.

  2. Improbationem primi articuli dimitto usque ad distinctionem 5, ubi proprie habet locum.

  3. Contra secundum articulum arguo tripliciter: primo quod in intellectum sic conversum non imprimatur Verbum, secundo quod non sit necessaria talis conversio ad gignitionem Verbi, tertio quod nulla sit talis conversio.

  4. Primum arguo sic, scilicet, intellectus non convertitur nisi ut est in aliquo supposito, quia conversio ponitur actio, et actiones sunt suppositorum. Tunc quaero, cuius suppositi vel cuius personae est ut convertitur super intellectum formatum? Si ut convertitur est personae Filii, et praecedit per te ista conversio generationem Verbi, ergo ante generationem Verbi sunt duae personae, quod est haereticum. Si autem ut convertitur super intellectum formatum est ipsius Patris, et cuius est ut convertitur eius est ut a notitia genita formatur, ut probabo, ergo intellectus ut est Patris formatur a notitia genita; igitur notitia genita est formaliter personae ipsius Patris, quia cuius personae est intellectus ut formatus, eiusdem est notitia qua formatur. Assumptum probandum probo sic: cuius est ut convertitur super intellectum formatum, eius est ut habet intellectum formatum pro obiecto actu praesente; igitur eius est ut ab illo obiecto formatur. Probatio huius consequentiae: passivum proportionatum, dispositum et approximatum activo sufficienti proportionato natum est immediate perfici ab illo activo, per Philosophum IX Metaphysicae cap. illo Quando autem potentia est unumquodque; tunc enim est aliquid in potentia proxima, secundum ipsum, quando nihil oportet addi, subtrahi aut minui ad hoc quod actus insit. Intellectus autem nudus, ut conversus et habens intellectum formatum ut obiectum praesens, est passivum dispositum, proportionatum et approximatum intellectui informato ut obiecto sufficienter activo; ergo intellectus nudus ut con versus - nulla facta variatione circa ipsum, subsistentiae vel cuiuscumque entitatis ut sic - formatur notitia genita. Et sic probatur prima consequentia.

  5. Hic posset poni una responsio, quod intellectus nudus per hoc quod de ipso actualiter formatur illa notitia, sive ex hoc quod est quasi materia informata notitia genita, habet 'esse' in persona genita. Sed contra istam responsionem sunt duo prima argumenta quae ponuntur distinctione 5 quaestione ultima, contra illam opinionem de quasi materia, quae ibi specialiter improbatur.

  6. Secundum arguo sic, quia intellectus Patris habens obiectum sibi praesens est naturale principium, non solum operativum respectu intellectionis Patris, sed etiam productivum respectu notitiae genitae; adhuc ergo circumscripta illa reflexione esset principium productivum.

  7. Item tertium probo sic: si per conversionem nihil intelligitur esse in intellectu quod non intelligeretur ibi esse non intellecta conversione, ergo conversio nihil est ibi; si aliquid intelligitur esse in intellectu quod sine ipsa non intelligeretur, quaero, quid? non praesentia obiecti, non perfectio potentiae, non tandem determinatio potentiae ad actum vel exercitium actus . Sicut aliqui ponunt voluntatem in nobis convertere intelligentiam ad memoriam, patet quod voluntas non convertit ad gignitionem Verbi divini.

  8. Item, conversio ista non est actio quae est operatio, quia non intellectio nec volitio, nec est actio productiva cuius.

  9. Tertius articulus est quod intellectus informatus notitia actuali essentiali est principium activum et elicitivum notitiae genitae.

  10. Hoc improbo sic: Verbum non gignitur ab intelligentia sed a memoria, secundum Augustinum XV De Trinitate cap. 14; igitur licet in Patre concurrant memoria, intelligentia et voluntas, Pater non gignet Verbum formaliter intelligentia ut 'quo', sed ut est memoria. Ut autem habet notitiam actualem quasi elicitam et ut actum secundum, est in actu intelligentiae, cuius est omne intelligere actuale; igitur ut sic, non gignet Verbum, sed ut est in actu memoriae, hoc est, ut habet obiectum intelligibile praesens intellectui suo; in hoc enim intelligitur actus primus quasi praecedens actum secundum, qui est actu intelligere.

  11. Secundo sic: productio magis convenit actui primo ut principio productivo quam actui secundo, quia operationes perfectae de ratione sui sunt fines, et ideo non sunt gratia aliorum finium; ergo intellectio ut est operatio Patris non est ratio formalis productiva alicuius termini, sed tantum actus primus - cuius virtute elicitur illa operatio - erit principium productivum.

  12. Tertio sic: si intellectio Patris actualis est ratio formalis producendi Verbum, adhuc obiectum ut praesens intellectui Patris ut habenti rationem memoriae erit principium prius productivum notitiae genitae, quia in nobis apparet quod illud est natum immediatius gignere quam actus intelligendi; ergo aliquod Verbum prius erit genitum a Patre ut ipsa memoria quam ut ipsa intelligentia noscente.

  13. Praeterea, omnis intellectio, cum eius esse sit in fieri, habet principium vel quasi principium cuius esse non sit in fieri, quia alias erit processus in infinitum; alicuius ergo intellectionis a obiecti, puta primae, necesse est principium vel quasi esse tantum memoriam ita quod non hoc totum 'intellectus intelligens', alias ista non esset prima intellectio. Sed omnes intellectiones a, et in intellectu eiusdem rationis, sunt eiusdem rationis. Sed quidquid est perfectum principium primi in specie, potest esse principium cuiuscumque et immediate; ergo memoria perfecta a potest esse immediatum principium vel quasi principium omnis intellectionis a. Ergo memoria Patris potest esse principium immediatum Verbi; ergo necessario est. Contra: ergo non sic memoria Filii ad intelligentiam Filii sicut memoria Patris ad intelligentiam Patris.

  14. Praeterea, Verbum est illius immediatissime declarativum a quo immediatissime exprimitur; ergo si ratio elicitiva Verbi sit actualis notitia in intellectu Patris formato, sequitur quod Verbum sit immediatius Verbum seu declarativum intellectionis Patris quam essentiae Patris, quod videtur inconveniens, quia tunc esset aliud prius Verbum quod esset declarativum essentiae Patris immediate, vel oporteret dicere quod illa essentia non posset immediate declarari per aliquod Verbum, quod videtur inconveniens, cum secundum Augustinum XV Trinitatis ((notitia formata ab ea re quam memoria continemus)) est verbum; primum obiectum memoriae divinae est essentia ut essentia.

  15. Praeterea, si actualis intellectio Patris esset genita vel producta, produceretur virtute essentiae non ut iam cognita sed ut prior omni cognitione; hoc patet etiam secundum veritatem, quia alias esset processus in infinitum in actibus intelligendi, scilicet actus ante actum; tum secundum istos, quia supra dixit quod in Patre actum intelligendi essentiam operatur ipsa essentia in intellectu ipsius. Ex hoc arguo sic: actualis notitia essentiae non potest esse formaliter alterius rationis in personis per hoc quod est ab alio communicata vel non ab alio communicata, quia tunc deitas esset formaliter alterius rationis in personis; ergo actualis notitia essentiae est eiusdem rationis in Patre et Filio. Quod ergo natum est esse principium 'quo' respectu unius si illud esset principale, idem erit principium respectu alterius si principiatur.

  16. De quarto articulo transeo, nisi quod in hoc videtur sibi ipsi contradicere sic opinans, sicut arguitur ante apud 'vacat'.

  17. Secundus etiam articulus falsus est in nobis, quia verbum perfectissimum erit in patria, secundum Augustinum XV De Trinitate, et tamen non erit illud verbum genitum per conversionem super actum primum, ut propter hoc illud verbum sit actus reflexus, sicut iste dicit quod notitia secunda quae est in verbo scit intellectus se scire vel intelligere. Quod autem non sit notitia reflexa, probatur, quia verbum perfectissimum creatum non habet pro obiecto suo primo aliquid creatum, sed increatum.

  18. Tertius etiam articulus falsus est in nobis: tum quia notitia confusa non potest esse principium elicitivum notitiae distinctae, sicut nec imperfectum potest esse principium elicitivum productionis alicuius perfecti; tum quia illa notitia actualis confusa esset simul cum notitia actuali distincta, et ita duo actus eliciti simul, vel actus confusus quando non esset generaret actum distinctum; tum quia omnis actus intelligendi secundus est genitus a memoria ut memoria est in actu primo proportionali sibi, puta perfectus a perfecto, imperfectus ab imperfecto, sicut patebit distinctione 3.

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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