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The Ordinatio of John Duns Scotus
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Ordinatio. Book 1. Distinctions 4 to 10.
Frontmatter

ISBN Number: 978-1-57085-289-3

Charlottesville, Virginia, USA: InteLex Corporation, 2022


Frontmatter

Translator's Preface

This translation of Book 1 Distinctions 4 to 10 of the Ordinatio (aka Opus Oxoniense) of Blessed John Duns Scotus is complete. It is based on volume four of the Vatican critical edition of the text edited by the Scotus Commission in Rome and published by Quarrachi.

I decided not to translate volume three, containing distinction 3, because a translation of that volume has been completed by Professor John van den Bercken and published by Fordham University Press, 2015. However distinction 3 in the Commentary on the Sentences by Antonius Andreas, one of Scotus’ most faithful students, is contained at the end in an appendix.

Scotus’ Latin is tight and not seldom elliptical, exploiting to the full the grammatical resources of the language to make his meaning clear (especially the backward references of his pronouns). In English this ellipsis must, for the sake of intelligibility, often be translated with a fuller repetition of words and phrases than Scotus himself gives. The possibility of mistake thus arises if the wrong word or phrase is chosen for repetition. The only check to remove error is to ensure that the resulting English makes the sense intended by Scotus. Whether this sense has always been captured in the translation that follows must be judged by the reader. In addition there are passages where not only the argumentation but the grammar too is obscure, and I cannot vouch for the success of my attempts to penetrate the obscurity. So, for these and the like reasons, comments and notice of errors from readers are most welcome.

Peter L.P. Simpson
March, 2016

Titlepage

THE ORDINATIO OF BLESSED JOHN DUNS SCOTUS
Book One

Distinctions 4 to 10

Translated by Peter L.P. Simpson

Contents

Book One
[Third Distinction. See Appendix

Fourth Distinction

First Part

On the Predication of Otherness in Divine Generation

 
Single Question: Whether this proposition is true ‘God generates another God’ Num. 1 

Second Part

On the Predication of the Name of God in the Divine Persons

   
Single Question: Whether this proposition is true ‘God is Father and Son and Holy Spirit’ Num. 7 
   I. To the Question Num. 9 
   II. To the Principal Argument Num. 14 

Appendix
[From the Cambridge Reportatio]

Fifth Distinction

First Part

On the Generation of the Divine Essence

      
Single Question: Whether the divine essence generates is or generated Num. 1 
   I. To the Question 
      A. Opinion of Abbot Joachim against Peter Lombard Num. 8 
      B. Against the Opinion of Abbott Joachim  Num. 10 
      C. For the Opinion of Peter Lombard  Num. 12 
   II. To the Principal Arguments  Num. 25 

Second Part

On the Generation of the Son

        
Single Question: Whether the Son is generated from the substance of the Father Num. 46 
   I. The Opinion of Others Num. 52 
   II. Scotus’ own Response to the Question 
      A. The Son is not Generated from the Substance of the Father as from Matter or Quasi-matter Num. 93 
      B. The Son is truly from the Substance of the Father  Num. 98 
      C. How Relation and Essence can exist in the Same Person Num. 106 
   III. To the Arguments of the Opinion of Others Num. 142 
   IV. To the Arguments Num. 150 

Sixth Distinction

     
Single Question: Whether God the Father generated God the Son by Will  Num. 1 
   I. To the Question  Num. 7 
      A. How the Father generates the Son willingly  Num. 8 
      B. How the Father does not Generate the Son by Will as by Productive Principle  Num. 16 
   II. To the Principal Arguments  Num. 30 

Seventh Distinction

              
Question 1: Whether the Power of Generating in the Father is something Absolute or a Property of the Father  Num. 1 
   I. The Opinions of Others 
      A. First Opinion  Num. 9 
      B. Second Opinion  Num. 18 
   II. To the Question 
      A. On the Distinction of Powers  Num. 27 
      B. The Father’s Power of Generating is Something Absolute  Num. 35 
      C. To the Form of the Question  Num. 65 
   III. To the Arguments 
      A. To the Principal Arguments  Num. 66 
      B. To the Arguments against the First Opinion  Num. 74 
Question 2: Whether there can be several Sons in Divine Reality  Num. 92 
   I. The Opinions of Others  Num. 93 
   II. To the Question  Num. 101 

Eighth Distinction

First Part

On the Simplicity of God

                              
Question 1: Whether God is supremely Simple Num. 1 
   I. To the Question Num. 5 
      A. Proof of the Simplicity of God through Particular Middle Terms Num. 6 
      B. Proof of the Simplicity of God through Common Middle Terms Num. 16 
   II. To the Principal Arguments Num. 20 
Question 2: Whether any Creature is Simple Num. 27 
   I. To the Question 
      A. The Opinion of Others Num. 29 
      B. Scotus’ own Opinion Num. 32 
   II. To the Arguments Num. 35 
Question 3: Whether along with the Divine Simplicity stands the fact that God, or anything formally said of God, is in a Genus  Num. 39 
   I. First Opinion 
      A. Exposition of the Opinion Num. 44 
      B. Reasons against the Opinion Num. 51 
      C. To the Arguments for the Opinion Num. 80 
   II. Second Opinion Num. 90 
   III. Scotus’ own Opinion Num. 95 
      A. Proof of the First Part of the Opinion Num. 96 
      B. Proof of the Second Part of the Opinion 
         1. By the Reasons of Augustine and Avicenna Num. 97 
         2. By what is Proper to God Num. 100 
         3. Statement and Refutation of Some People’s Proof Num. 116 
   IV. To the Arguments for the Second Opinion Num. 128 
   V. To the Principal Arguments Num. 136 
Question 4: Whether along with the Divine Simplicity can stand a Distinction of Essential Perfections preceding the Act of the Intellect Num. 157 
   I. The Opinions of Others Num. 159 
      A. First Opinion Num. 160 
      B. Second Opinion Num. 174 
   II. To the Question Num. 191 
   III. To the Principal Argument Num. 218 

Appendix
[From the Cambridge Reportatio]

Second Part

On the Immutability of God

             
Single Question: Whether only God is Immutable  Num. 223 
   I. God is Simply Immutable  Num. 226 
   II. Nothing else besides God has Immutability  Num. 230 
      A. Of the Intention of the Philosophers 
         1. The Opinion of Henry of Ghent  Num. 232 
         2. Scotus’ own Opinion  Num. 250 
      B. Reasons for and against the True Intention of the Philosophers 
         1. Reasons on behalf of this Intention  Num. 259 
         2. Reasons against this Intention  Num. 263 
      C. Scotus’ own Opinion  Num. 292 
   III. To the Principal Arguments 
      A. To the Principal Argument  Num. 294 
      B. To the Reasons for the Intention of the Philosophers Num. 302 

Ninth Distinction

   
Single Question: Whether the Generation of the Son in Divine Reality is Eternal  Num. 1 
   I. Solution of the Question  Num. 6 
   II. To the Principal Arguments  Num. 12 

Tenth Distinction

       
Single Question: Whether the Holy Spirit is produced through the Act and Mode of the Will  Num. 1 
   I. Solution of the Question  Num. 6 
   II. Doubts  Num. 10 
      A. Response of Henry to the Two first Doubts  Num. 13 
      B. Against the Response of Henry  Num. 25 
      C. Scotus’ own Response  Num. 30 
   III. To the Principal Arguments  Num. 59 

Appendix
[Scotus’ extended annotation to n.41 and from the Cambridge Reportatio]