Even amongst those with only a cursory knowledge of the moral philosophy of John Duns Scotus, the association of Scotus's thought with voluntarism is well known. Next to his much-discussed, highly controversial theory of the univocity of being, Scotus's ethical thought, particularly his interpretation of the role of God's will in dictating moral norms, remains one of the most disputed – and arguably most misunderstood – areas of his philosophical synthesis. As Efrem Bettoni noted many years ago, Scotus's understanding of (...) the relationship between the divine will and the created moral order is one of the 'most badly treated' areas of his thought. Not surprisingly, therefore, no general consensus has emerged... (shrink)

In providing us with these 'notes' of Duns Scotus on Aristotle's De Metaphysica, Giorgio Pini renders a highly significant service to Scotus scholarship. Perhaps just as complicated and difficult to grasp as Scotus' thought – and certainly just as prone to misinterpretation – is the complex history behind his vast literary corpus. Not surprisingly, given the intricate, often muddled manuscript tradition surrounding Scotus' works, the production of a complete critical edition of his writings has proved both a challenging and, at (...) times, seemingly herculean task. Whilst a critical edition of Bonaventure's Opera Omnia, and several critical or 'safe' editions of Aquinas' numerous theological and philosophical opuscula... (shrink)

The question of whether there exist other quaestiones disputatae attributable to St. Bonaventure, beyond those contained within the definitive Quaracchi critical edition of his Opera Omnia, is a subject which has divided scholarly opinion for nearly a century. During the mid-twentieth-century, several newly discovered sets of quaestiones disputatae were claimed as authentic Bonaventurian works. Most notably, the Quaestiones de theologia transcribed by George Tavard and the Quaestiones de cari-tate et de novissimis edited by Palémon Glorieux. This is to say nothing, (...) of the extensive and much discussed collection of draft quaestiones identified by François-Marie Henquinet in Assisi Bibl. Com. 186, which include the... (shrink)

As even a cursory glance at the available secondary literature on John Duns Scotus reveals, when compared to the thought of other scholastics such as Aquinas and Bonaventure, there exists a notable dearth of introductory and advanced literature on the thought of the Subtle Doctor. Apart from the early studies of C. R. S. Harris and Efrem Bettoni published during the 1920's and 50's, up until the last few decades the English-speaking student has had little material to choose from when (...) seeking to gain a foothold within the Scotist tradition. Coupled with the notable lack of any substantial English translations of Scotus's own works – most notably his Ordinatio, Lectura, and Reportatio Parisiensis –, this dearth of an... (shrink)