Vitaliy Ivanov. Duns Scotus and the Scotists about identity and difference: On the history of two metaphysical concepts in Scholastic-Aristotelian philosophy. Vol. 3. No. 2. 2018

Publication Details

Abstract

The article deals with the history of two metaphysical concepts, namely identity and difference, in the philosophical tradition of peripatetic scholasticism. Our research therein concerns one specific tradition within scholasticism, which arose at the beginning of the 14th century and is associated with the name of the Franciscan theologian and metaphysician John Duns Scotus — that is the formalist or Scotist tradition. Through the analysis of the text of Aristotle’s Metaphysics, we preliminarily explicate a number of the most important Aristotle’s propositions, conceptual connections and problems concerning the discussion of the concepts of identity and difference, on which all future scholastic discourse on idem et diversum will later be based. Next, we highlight the main metaphysical themes or contexts in which these concepts are discussed in the writings of Scotus. These themes show a rather radical change in the place and significance of identity and difference in metaphysics transformed by Scotus in comparison with Aristotle or Scotus’ scholastic predecessors. These themes are: 1) understanding of the “identical and diverse” as the transcendental disjunctive properties of being as such, and “identity and diversity” as transcendental relations in being as being; 2) understanding of “distinction” as concept universal in application and transcendental in content, allowing Scotus to introduce formal distinction into scholastic use, and his followers subsequently extend the gradation of distinctions and identities even more. Next, we briefly present the theory of “the identity and difference” of Scotus, and also analyze the problems associated with it and with the modifications of this theory by his early followers. As a result: the article shows the emergence of a special formalist “metaphysics of distinctions”, in which, in turn, some epistemological issues that are essential for philosophy and theology were raised and resolved, namely: the question of the objectivity of our conceptual knowledge, as well as the question of the verifiability of contradictory predicates with respect to an identical or simple thing.

Keywords

Peripatetic Scholasticism, the doctrine on identical and diverse, John Duns Scotus, formalist tradition, metaphysics of distinctions.

References 

Primary source editions

Albertus Magnus OP (1890) “B. Alberti Magni Metaphysicorum Libri XIII”. B. Alberti Magni Opera Omnia (cura ac labore A. Borgnet). Tomus VI. Parisiis: Apud Ludovicum Vives.

Antonius Andreae OFM (1523) Antonii Andree Quaestiones subtilissimae super XII libros Metaphysicae Aristotelis. Venetiis: Mandato et impensis Octaviani Scoti.

Aristoteles (1957) Aristotelis Metaphysica (recognovit brevique adnotatione critica instruxit W. Jaeger). Oxonii: E Typographeo Clarendoniano (Scriptorum classicorum bibliotheca Oxoniensis).

Bonaventura OFM (1891) “S. Bonaventurae Quaestiones disputatae de Mysterio Ss. Trinitatis”. Doctoris seraphici S. Bonaventurae opera omnia. Tomus V. Opuscula varia theologica. Ad claras Aquas (Quaracchi): Ex typographia Collegii S. Bonaventurae: 45–115.

Bonetus OFM (1505) “Nicolai Boneti OFM Metaphysica”. Nicolai Boneti Quattuor volumina: Metaphysica, Physica, Liber predicamentorum, Theologia naturalis. Venetiis: Mandato et impensis heredum Octaviani Scoti: 1–45.

Duns Scotus OFM (1960–2004) “Ioannis Duns Scoti OFM Lectura I–III”. Ioannis Duns Scoti Opera omnia. Vol. XVI–XXI. Studio et cura Commissionis Scotisticae ad fidem codicum edita, praeside Carolo Balić. Civitas Vaticana: Typis Polyglottis Vaticanis.

Duns Scotus OFM (1950–2013) “Ioannis Duns Scoti OFM Ordinatio I–IV”. Ioannis Duns Scoti Opera omnia. Vol. I–XIV. Studio et cura Commissionis Scotisticae ad fidem codicum edita, praeside Carolo Balić. Civitas Vaticana: Typis Polyglottis Vaticanis.

Duns Scotus OFM (1997a) “Quaestiones super libros Metaphysicorum Aristotelis. Libri I–V” (ed. a G. Etzkorn, R. Andrews, G. Gál, R. Green, F. Kelly, G. Marcil, T. Noone, R. Wood). B. Ioannis Duns Scoti OFM Opera Philosophica. Vol. III. St. Bonaventure, New York: The Franciscan Institute.

Duns Scotus OFM (1997b) “Quaestiones super libros Metaphysicorum Aristotelis. Libri VI–IX” (ed. a G. Etzkorn, R. Andrews, G. Gál, R. Green, F. Kelly, G. Marcil, T. Noone, R. Wood). B. Ioannis Duns Scoti OFM Opera Philosophica. Vol. IV. St. Bonaventure, New York: The Franciscan Institute.

Duns Scotus OFM (1999) “Quaestiones in Librum Porphyrii Isagoge; Quaestiones super Praedicamenta Aristotelis” (ed. a R. Andrews, G. Etzkorn, G. Gál, R. Green, T. Noone, R. Wood). B. Ioannis Duns Scoti OFM Opera Philosophica. Vol. I. St. Bonaventure, New York: The Franciscan Institute.

Duns Scotus OFM (2004) The Examined Report of the Paris Lecture: Reportatio I–A. Latin Text and English Translation (tr., ed. by A. B. Wolter, O. V. Bychkov). Vol. 1. St. Bonaventure, New York: Franciscan Institute.

Duns Scotus OFM (2008) The Examined Report of the Paris Lecture: Reportatio I–A. Latin Text and English Translation (tr., ed. by A. B. Wolter, O. V. Bychkov). Vol. 2. St. Bonaventure, New York: Franciscan Institute.

Fonseca SJ (1613) Petri Fonsecae SJ Commentariorum in Metaphysicorum Aristotelis Stagiritae Libros. Tomus IV. Continet hic tomus X, XI et XII Lib. Explicationem cum sequentium duorum Interpretatione. Coloniae: Sumptibus Lazari Zetzneri.

Franciscus de Mayronis OFM (1520) “Francisci de Mayronis OFM Scriptum in I librum Sententiarum”. Francisci de Mayronis OFM Scripta in IV libros Sententiarum. Venetiis: Mandato et impensis Octaviani Scoti: 12–136.

Franciscus de Mayronis (2013) Conflatus. Kommentar zum ersten Buch der Sentenzen (übers., eingeleitet v. H. Möhle, R. H. Pich). Freiburg; Basel; Wien: Herder (Herders Bibliothek der Philosophie des Mittelalters. 2. Serie. Bd. 29).

Lorchard (1613) Jacobus Lorchardus. Theatrum philosophicum. Basileae: Typis Conradi Waldkirch.

Petrus Thomae OFM (1957) Petrus Thomae. Quodlibet. Ed. M. R. Hooper, E. M. Buytaert. St. Bonaventure, New York: Franciscan Institute; Leuven: E. Nauwelaerts; Paderborn: F. Schöningh.

Petrus Thomae OFM (2000) “Petrus Thomae’s De Distinctione Predicamentorum (With A Working Edition)” (ed. E. P. Bos). The Winged Chariot: Collected Essays on Plato and Platonism in Honor of L. M. de Rijk (ed. by M. Kardaun, J. Spruyt). Leiden; Boston; Köln: Brill (Brill’s Studies in Intellectual History. Vol. 100): 277–312.

Petrus Thomae OFM (2018) Petri Thomae Quaestiones De Ente (ed. G. R. Smith). Leuven: Leuven University Press (Ancient and Medieval Philosophy).

Plato (1961) “Sophysta”. Platonis Opera (ed. by J. Burnet). Vol. I. Tetralogias I–II Continens. Oxford: Clarendon Press (Oxford Classical Texts).

Pseudo-Francisci de Mayronis (2017) “Tractatus Formalitatum. Art. II–III” (tr., comment. by V. L. Ivanov). ESSE: Filosofskie i teologicheskie issledovaniya. T. 2. № 1/2 [ESSE: Studies in Philosophy and Theology. Vol. 2. No. 1/2]: 167–255. (in Russian).

Sirectus OFM (1588) “Tractatus formalitatum moderniorum de mente Doctoris Subtilis Scoti per Excell. Magistrum Antonium Sirecti collectarum”. Quinque illustrium auctorum formalitatum libelli. Venetiis: Apud Franciscum de Franciscis Senensem: 1–92.

Suárez SJ (1597) Metaphysicarum disputationum, in quibus et universa naturalis theologia ordinatè traditur, & quaestiones omnes ad duodecim Aristotelis libros pertinentes accuratè disputantur. Tomus Prior. Autore R. P. Francisco Suarez è Societate JESU. Salmanticae: Apud Ioannem et Andream Renaut, fratres.

Thomas Aquinas OP (1888) “Sancti Thomae de Aquino OP Summae Theologiae Pars I, a quaestione I ad quaestionem XLIX”. Thomas Aquinas OP. Opera omnia (editio Leonina). Tomus IV. Romae: Ex Typographia Polyglotta S. C. de Propaganda Fide.

Thomas Aquinas OP (1970) “Sancti Thomae de Aquino OP Quaestiones disputatae de veritate. Q. 1–7”. Thomas Aquinas OP. Opera omnia (editio Leonina). Tomus XXII. Fasc. 1.2. Romae: Editori di San Tommaso.

Studies and reference literature

Aertsen J. A. (1998) “Being and the One: The Doctrine of the Convertible Transcendentals in Duns Scotus”. Franciscan Studies. Vol. 56: 47–64.

Aertsen J. A. (2010) “Scotus’s Conception of Transcendentality: Tradition and Innovation”. Johannes Duns Scotus 1308–2008: Die philosophischen Perspektiven seines Werkes / Investigations into His Philosophy. Proceedings of “The Quadruple Congress” on John Duns Scotus. Part 3 (ed. by L. Honnefelder et al.). St. Bonaventure, New York: Franciscan Institute Publications; Münster: Aschendorff Verlag: 107–23.

Aertsen J. A. (2012) Medieval Philosophy as Transcendental Thought. From Philip the Chancellor (ca. 1225) to Francisco Suárez. Leiden; Boston: Brill (Studien und Texte zur Geistesgeschichte des Mittelalters. Bd. 107).

Beckmann J. P. (1967) Die Relationen der Identität und Gleichheit nach Johannes Duns Scotus. Untersuchungen zur Ontologie der Beziehungen. Bonn: H. Bouvier und Co Verlag.

Boulnois O. (1999) Être et représentation: Une généalogie de la métaphysique moderne à l’époque de Duns Scot (XIIIe–XIVe siècle). Paris: Presses Universitaires de France (Épiméthée).

Brucker J. J. (1766) Historia critica philosophiae a mundi incunabulis ad nostram aetatem deducta. Editio secunda. Tomi I–VI. Tomus IV. Pars 1. Lipsiae: Impensis haered. Weidemanni et Reichii.

Castelli L. M. (2010) Problems and Paradigms of Unity. Aristotle’s Accounts of the One. Sankt Augustin: Academia Verlag (International Aristotle Studies. Bd. 6).

Castelli L. M. (2011) “Greek, Arab and Latin Commentators on Per Se Accidents of Being qua Being and the Place of Aristotle, Metaphysics, Book Iota”. Documenti e studi sulla tradizione filosofica medievale. Vol. XXII: 153–208.

Dumont S. D. (1987) “The Univocity of the Concept of Being in the Fourteenth Century: John Duns Scotus and William of Alnwick”. Mediaeval Studies. Vol. 49: 1–75.

Dumont S. D. (1998) “Henry of Ghent and Duns Scotus”. Routledge History of Philosophy. Vol. III: Medieval philosophy (ed. by J. Marenbon). London; New York: Routledge: 291–328.

Goris W. (2008) “After Scotus: Dispersions of Metaphysics, of the Scope of Intelligibility, and of the Transcendental in the Early 14th Century”. Quaestio. Vol. 8: 139–158.

Goris W. (2015) Transzendentale Einheit. Leiden; Boston: Brill (Studien und Texte zur Geistesgeschichte des Mittelalters. Bd. 119).

Halper E. (2005) One and Many in Aristotle’s Metaphysics: The Central Books. Las Vegas: Parmenides Publishing.

Halper E. (2009) One and Many in Aristotle’s Metaphysics: Books Alpha–Delta. Las Vegas: Parmenides Publishing.

Henninger M. G. (1989) Relations: Medieval Theories 1250–1325. Oxford: Clarendon Press.

Hoeres W. (2012) Gradatio entis: Sein als Teilhabe bei Duns Scotus und Franz Suárez. Heusenstamm (Frankfurt am Main): Ontos Verlag (Editiones scholasticae. Bd. 14).

Honnefelder L. (1987) “Der zweite Anfang der Metaphysik: Voraussetzungen, Ansätze und Folgen der Wiederbegründung der Metaphysik im 13. / 14. Jahrhundert”. Philosophie im Mittelalter. Entwicklungslinien und Paradigmen (hg. v. J. P. Beckmann, L. Honnefelder, G. Schrimpf, G. Wieland). Hamburg: Felix Meiner Verlag: 155–186.

Honnefelder L. (1990) Scientia transcendens: Die formale Bestimmung der Seiendheit und Realität in der Metaphysik des Mittelalters und der Neuzeit (Duns Scotus — Suárez — Wolff — Kant — Peirce). Hamburg: Felix Meiner Verlag (Paradeigmata. Bd. 9).

Hübener W. (1987) “Robertus Anglicus OFM und die formalistische Tradition”. Philosophie im Mittelalter. Entwicklungslinien und Paradigmen (hg. v. J. P. Beckmann, L. Honnefelder, G. Schrimpf, G. Wieland). Hamburg: Felix Meiner Verlag: 329–353.

Ivanov V. L. (2010) “Intensivnaya velichina sovershenstva: Beskonechnost’ kak sushchestvennoe ponyatie v teologii i filosofii Ioanna Dunsa Skota” [The intensive magnitude of perfection: The Infinity as the essential concept in the theology and philosophy of John Duns Scotus, OFM]. Kosmos i Dusha. Vyp. 2. Ucheniya o prirode i myshlenii v Antichnosti, Srednie veka i Novoe vremya (stat’i i perevody) [Cosmos and Soul. Issue 2. Teachings on Nature and Mind in Antiquity, the Middle Ages and Modern time (articles and translations)] (ed. by A. V. Seryogin). Moscow: Progress–Tradition: 379–431. (in Russian).

Ivanov V. L. (2016) “U istokov formalistskoi metafiziki distinktsii: Teologicheskie tseli vvedeniya formal’noi distinktsii v trudakh Ioanna Dunsa Skota, OMB” [At the origin of the Formalist Metaphysics of distinctions: the theological purpose of introduction of distinctio formalis in the work of John Duns Scotus, OFM]. Esse: Filosofskie i teologicheskie issledovaniya. Т. 1. № 2 [ESSE: Studies in Philosophy and Theology. Vol. 1. No. 2]: 185–204. (in Russian).

Knebel S. K. (2007) “Intrinsic and Extrinsic Denomination. The 14th Century Connection of 17th Century Aristotelianism”. Der Aristotelismus in der Frühen Neuzeit — Kontinuität oder Wiederaneignung (hg. v. G. Frank, A. Speer). Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz: 97–115.

Kobusch Th. (1996) “Das Seiende als transzendentaler oder supertranszendentaler Begriff: Deutungen der Univozität des Begriffs bei Scotus und den Scotisten”. John Duns Scotus: Metaphysics and Ethics (ed. by L. Honnefelder, R. Wood, M. Dreyer). Leiden; New York; Cologne: Brill (Studien und Texte zur Geistesgeschichte des Mittelalters. Bd. 53): 345–366.

Marrone S. P. (2001) The Light of Thy Countenance: Science and Knowledge of God in the Thirteenth Century. Vol. 1: A Doctrine of Divine Illumination. Vol. 2: God at the Core of Cognition. Leiden, Boston, Köln: Brill (Studies in the History of Christian Thought. Vol. 98).

Varlamova M. N. (2016) “Edinoe i tozhdestvennoe kak svoistva sushchego v ‘Metafizike’ Aristotelya” [The One and the Same as the Properties of Being in Aristotle’s Metaphysics]. ESSE: Filosofskie i teologicheskie issledovaniya. T. 1. № 2 [ESSE: Studies in Philosophy and Theology. Vol. 1. No. 2]: 305–328. (in Russian).

Vdovina G. V. (2017) “Laboratoriya ontologicheskikh ponyatii: Antonii Sirekt i Antonio Trombetta — skotisty XV v.” [Laboratory of Ontological Concepts. Antonius Syrectus and Antonio Trombetta: 15th century Scotists] Istoriko-filosofskii ezhegodnik ‘2017 [History of Philosophy Yearbook ‘2017]. Moscow: Akvilon: 21‒50. (in Russian).

Vos A. (2006) The Philosophy of John Duns Scotus. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

Wolter A. B. (1946) The Transcendentals and Their Function in the Metaphysics of Duns Scotus. St. Bonaventure, New York: Franciscan Institute.

Zimmermann A. (1998) Ontologie oder Metaphysik? Die Diskussion über den Gegenstand der Metaphysik im 13. und 14. Jahrhundert. Texte und Untersuchungen. 2. verb. und ergänzte Aufl. Leuven: Peeters Publishers (Recherches de Théologie et Phiosophie médiévales. Bibliotheca 1).

© Vitaly Ivanov, 2018