Este estudo tem como objeto a recepção da teoria scotista da vontade no início do século 14. Interesse precípuo é o modo como autores, sobretudo franciscanos, a partir das Universidades de Paris e de Oxford, discutiram sobre a possibilidade de uma escolha livre ou de um ato da própria vontade, por parte dos bemaventurados, quando da visão de Deus. Para tanto, pressuposições gerais da teoria scotista da vontade são apresentadas, bem como as inovações dos filósofos influenciados por Scotus. PALAVRAS-CHAVE – (...) Teoria scotista da vontade. Visão beatífica. Liberdade. Influência do pensamento scotista no século 14. ABSTRACT This study aims to analyse the reception of Scotus’s theory of will in the beginning of the 14th Century. The main interest is the way some authors, specially Franciscan thinkers, departing from the Universities of Paris and Oxford, discussed about the possibility for the blessed of a free choice or an act of the will itself concerning the vision of God. For this purpose, general pressupositions of Scotus’s theory of will shall be presented, as well as the innovations of those philosophers influenced by Scotus. KEY WORDS – Scotus’s theory of will. Beatific vision. Freedom. Influence os Scotistic thought in the 14th Century. (shrink)

Este estudo tem como objeto a recepção da teoria scotista da vontade no início do século 14. Interesse precípuo é o modo como autores, sobretudo franciscanos, a partir das Universidades de Paris e de Oxford, discutiram sobre a possibilidade de uma escolha livre ou de um ato da própria vontade, por parte dos bemaventurados, quando da visão de Deus. Para tanto, pressuposições gerais da teoria scotista da vontade são apresentadas, bem como as inovações dos filósofos influenciados por Scotus. PALAVRAS-CHAVE – (...) Teoria scotista da vontade. Visão beatífica. Liberdade. Influência do pensamento scotista no século 14. ABSTRACT This study aims to analyse the reception of Scotus’s theory of will in the beginning of the 14th Century. The main interest is the way some authors, specially Franciscan thinkers, departing from the Universities of Paris and Oxford, discussed about the possibility for the blessed of a free choice or an act of the will itself concerning the vision of God. For this purpose, general pressupositions of Scotus’s theory of will shall be presented, as well as the innovations of those philosophers influenced by Scotus. KEY WORDS – Scotus’s theory of will. Beatific vision. Freedom. Influence os Scotistic thought in the 14th Century. (shrink)

This paper aims at exploring Duns Scotus’ view on the limits of freedom in creatures by focusing on the issue of demons’ obstinacy, which plays an important role in Scotus’ thought: in fact, the finitude of creatures’ freedom must imply contingency, even when it comes to beatitude, which must be made permanent through God’s causation. Why, then, should the will of fallen angels lose its capability to direct itself towards what it prefers and thus be able of good actions? Scotus’s (...) Lectura, Ordinatio and Reportatio parisiensis provide partially different versions of his difficult attempt to conciliate the traditional solution to the obstinacy to evil and the metaphysical thesis that states the will’s contingency: in Lectura and Ordinatio, divine interference merely consists in God’s not conceding grace, which alone can make whatever act a good act; Reportatio parisiensis, on the other hand, provides a different solution, according to which the demons’ will receives the capability to accomplish single objectively good acts, but, because of the will’s perpetual disorder, coming from its dependence on an external causation - namely, God’s will -, such acts are never worth. (shrink)

Il cinquantennio a cavallo tra '200 e '300 rappresenta il periodo più stimolante e creativo per la riflessione sul rapporto tra necessità e contingenza e tra intelletto e volontà. L'A. analizza la difesa compiuta da Giovanni della tesi scotista sulla contingenza della fruizione beatifica, ossia sulla possibilità che il beato, in presenza della stessa essenza divina, possa mantenere la propria capacità di scelta, al punto tale da poter essere in grado di non abbandonarsi all'amore verso di Dio. Prima di analizzare (...) in modo più dettagliato il pensiero del Reading, l'A. passa in rassegna le posizioni di Duns Scoto, Roberto Cowton, Riccardo di Conington, Guglielmo d'Occam, Pietro Aureolo che, in terra francese, diversamente da Francesco di Meyronnes e Giovanni di Bassoles, non aderì alla tesi scotista della contingenza della fruizione. All'interno di questo programma teorico Reading si oppone innanzitutto ai teologi inglesi che, legati a posizioni tradizionali, sostenevano la necessità in via come in patria della fruizione del sommo bene colto come concetto o contemplato come essenza. In appendice vien pubblicata l'ed. della sesta quaestio della prima distinctio del Commento alle Sentenze di Giovanni Reading basata sul ms. Firenze, B.N.C., Conv. Soppr. D IV 95. (shrink)

A long philosophical tradition has regarded the use of metaphorical utterances as a stylistic figuration without any cognitive aspect. Metaphors are categorial mistakes diverting the ordinary usage of concepts, and therefore are in logical opposition to standard meaning. However, a metaphor can be regarded not only as a vague linguistic enunciation, but also as a significant process of thought. In other words, metaphor is a figure of the mind, a necessary way of thinking, because the language-world relation is not bijective. (...) Metaphorical truth implies meanings not initially perceived as rational, yet full of possible features which have to be historically and socially determined. This successive interpretation yields new concepts and produces a growth of knowledge. In addition, the metaphorical usage of language allows us to name what is outside the range of logically formalizable language: interior experiences, God and so forth. The metaphorical mind is capable of moulding different views of the world, including those selected in accordance with the current social needs of the human community. This essay suggests that the use of metaphors is already present in medieval philosophical thought, and it tries to ground this statement through the analysis of late-scholastic metaphorical reasonings in ontology, biology and theology. (shrink)

Scholars from all over Europe have focused on various aspects of philosophical and theological theories on time that characterized late medieval thought. The essays within this volume of the Acts of the international Colloquium held at Trieste, Italy, are a major contribution to the most current research in this field of study.