Frontmatter

Titlepage

The Ordinatio of Blessed John Duns Scotus

Book 3. Distinctions 26 - 40

Translated by Peter L.P. Simpson

Translator's Preface

This translation of Book III Distinctions 26 to 40 of the Ordinatio (aka Opus Oxoniense) of Blessed John Duns Scotus is complete. These distinctions fill volume ten of the Vatican critical edition of the Latin text edited by the Scotus Commission in Rome and published by Quarrachi.

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 October, 2018

Contents

Book Three

Twenty Sixth Distinction

                 

Single Question: Whether Hope is a Theological Virtue distinct from Fai	h
and Charity	Num. 1
I. Various Possible Solutions
A. First Way
1. Exposition of it	Num. 8
2. What should be Said about this Sort of Way	Num. 12
B. Second Way and Consideration of it	Num. 24
C. Third Way, which is that of Henry of Ghent
1. Exposition of it	Num. 27
2. Rejection of it	Num. 33
3. What should be Said about the Rejection of the Third Way	Num. 41
II. Scotus’ own Response to the Question	Num. 89
III. Objections	Num. 112
IV. Reply to the Objections	Num. 116
V. To the Arguments for the First Way	Num. 123
VI. To the Principal Arguments	Num. 130
VII. To the Arguments for the Third Way	Num. 135

Twenty Seventh Distinction

                  

Single Question: Whether there is a Theological Virtue Inclining One to Love God above all Things	Num. 1
I. To the Question	Num. 13
A. Loving God above all Things is a Right Act B. On the Formal Object of this Act	Num. 14
1. Three Ways or Opinions held by Others	Num. 18
2. Rejection of the Opinions	Num. 21
3. Scotus’ own Response
C. Whether an Infused Habit is Necessary	Num. 29
1. Opinion of Henry of Ghent	Num. 35
2. Arguments of Others against Henry’s Opinion	Num. 37
3. Consideration of the Aforesaid Reasons	Num. 41
4. Scotus’ own Reasons against Henry	Num. 47
5. Scotus’ own Opinion	Num. 53
a. How ‘above all Things’ is to be understood	Num. 55
b. How the Rational Creature is bound to love God above All Things	Num. 62
c. What the Habit of Charity is Necessary for	Num. 63
II. To the Arguments for the Question	Num. 67
A. To the Principal Arguments	Num. 68
B. To the Two Arguments adduced in the Second Article	Num. 75

Twenty Eighth Distinction

      

Single Question: Whether Our Neighbor is to be Loved with the same Habit as God is Loved	Num. 1
I. To the Question	Num. 8
A. About the Habit of Charity for God and Neighbor	Num. 9
B. About the Habit one must have for one’s Neighbor	Num. 16
C. Who the Neighbor is who is to be Loved with Charity	Num. 21
II. To the Principal Arguments	Num. 25

Twenty Ninth Distinction

   

Single Question: Whether Everyone is Bound to Love himself most after God	Num. 1
I. To the Question	Num. 5
II. To the Principal Arguments	Num. 7

Thirtieth Distinction

          

Single Question: Whether One must Love one’s Enemy out of Charity	Num. 1
I. To the Question	Num. 11
A. On an Enemy per se	Num. 12
B. On an Enemy per accidens	Num. 13
1. On Warding off Acts Contrary to Love	Num. 14
a. As concerns Spiritual Goods	Num. 15
b. As concerns Indifferent Goods	Num. 16
c. A doubt about Bodily Goods	Num. 19
2. On Positive Acts of Love	Num. 29
II. To the Principal Arguments	Num. 35

Thirty First Distinction

      

Single Question: Whether Charity Remains in the Fatherland such as not to be Extinguished	Num. 1
I. To the Question
A. On Faith and Hope	Num. 8
B. On Charity	Num. 19
C. Conclusion	Num. 22
II. To the Principal Arguments	Num. 24

Thirty Second Distinction

      

Single Question: Whether God loves Everything out of Charity Equally Num. 1
I. To the Question	Num. 6
A. God loves Everything	Num. 7
B. This Sort of Love is not Proper to any one Divine Person	Num. 12
C. How there is Equality and Inequality in the One Act of God’s Love	Num. 19
II. To the Principal Argument of Both Parts	Num. 23

Thirty Third Distinction

           

Single Question: Whether the Moral Virtues are in the Will as in their Subject	Num. 1
I. To the Question
A. Opinion of Aquinas	Num. 10
B. Henry of Ghent’s Opposite Opinion, which Rejects the Opinion of Aquinas
1. Henry’s Opinion in Itself	Num. 15
2. Against the Reasons for Aquinas’ Opinion	Num. 21
3. Against the Conclusion of Aquinas’ Opinion	Num. 38
C. Scotus’ own Opinion	Num. 43
D. Objections against Scotus’ own Solution	Num. 46
E. Response to the Objections	Num. 49
II. To the Principal Arguments	Num. 61

Thirty Fourth Distinction

                    

Single Question: Whether Virtues, Gifts, Beatitudes, and Fruits are the Same Habit as Each Other	Num. 1
I. To the Question
A. Opinion of Henry of Ghent
1. Exposition of the Opinion	Num. 6
2. Rejection of the Opinion	Num. 12
B. Opinion of Bonaventure	Num. 20
C. Opinion of Aquinas	Num. 22
D. Scotus’ own Opinion
1. Beside the Theological and Cardinal Virtues there is no Need for any Other Habit in this Life	Num. 24
a. Proof of the Opinion	Num. 25
b. About the Connection of the Intellectual, Irascible, and Concupiscible Habits with these Seven Virtues	Num. 31
c. The Seven Cardinal Virtues Perfect the Wayfarer simply	Num. 52
2. About the Moral Virtues, the Beatitudes, the Gifts, and the Fruits, which are Reducible to the Aforesaid Seven Virtues
a. About the Three Moral Virtues	Num. 54
b. About the Beatitudes	Num. 61
c. About the Gifts	Num. 70
d. About the Fruits	Num. 73
3. Conclusion	Num. 81
II. To the Principal Argument for the Opposite	Num. 83
III. To the Argument on behalf of the Philosopher in the First Opinion	Num. 84

Thirty Fifth Distinction

 

Single Question: Whether Wisdom, Science, Intellect, and Counsel are Intellectual Habits

Num. 1

Thirty Sixth Distinction

                    

Single Question: Whether the Moral Virtues are Connected	Num. 1
I. To the Question	Num. 10
A. About the Connection of the Moral Virtues with Each Other
1. The Opinion of Henry of Ghent
a. Exposition of the Opinion	Num. 11
b. Rejection of the Opinion	Num. 22
2. Scotus’ own Opinion	Num. 32
3. To the Arguments for Henry’s Opinion	Num. 34
B. About the Connection of the Moral Virtues with Prudence	Num. 42
1. About the Connection of any Virtue with its own Prudence
a. Opinion of Henry of Ghent
α. Exposition of the Opinion	Num. 43
β. Rejection of the Opinion	Num. 60
b. Scotus’ own Opinion	Num. 72
2. About the Connection of all the Virtues in a Single Prudence	Num. 94
a. Opinion of Henry of Ghent	Num. 95
b. Scotus’ own Opinion	Num. 96
C. About the Connection of the Moral Virtues with the Theological	Num. 101
D. About the Connection of the Theological Virtues with Each Other	Num. 114
II. To the Principal Arguments	Num. 119

Thirty Seventh Distinction

           

Single Question: Whether All the Precepts of the Decalogue belong to the Law of Nature	Num. 1
I. To the Question
A. Opinions of Others that Converge in the Same Conclusion
1. Exposition of the Opinion	Num. 8
2. Rejection of the Opinion	Num. 13
B. Scotus’ own Opinion
1. Double Way of Understanding how Certain Things Belong to the Law of Nature	Num. 16
2. Summary of Theses Stated	Num. 29
3. Objection to the First Thesis	Num. 30
4. Response to the Objection	Num. 32
II. To the Principal Arguments of Both Parts	Num. 40

Thirty Eighth Distinction

          

Single Question: Whether Every Lie is a Sin	Num. 1
I. To the Question
A. A Lie is a Sin	Num. 12
B. What Sort of Sin a Lie is
1. About the Three Kinds of Lies	Num. 22
2. Opinions of Others	Num. 26
3. Scotus’ own Opinion	Num. 29
a. About Persons in the State of Exercising Perfection	Num. 30
b. About Persons in the State of Acquiring Perfection	Num. 33
II. To the Principal Arguments	Num. 36

Thirty Ninth Distinction

           

Single Question: Whether all Perjury is a Mortal Sin	Num. 1
I. To the Question	Num. 10
A. About the Idea of an Oath	Num. 11
B. Perjury is a Mortal Sin
1. Solution	Num. 12
2. Two Doubts against the Aforesaid	Num. 13
a. About the First Doubt	Num. 14.
b. About the Second Doubt	Num. 22
3. Third Doubt against the Aforesaid	Num. 30
C. On the Distinction of Oaths and How Specific Oaths are Sins	Num. 33
II. To the Arguments	Num. 43

Fortieth Distinction

     

Single Question: Whether the New Law is Graver than the Old Law Num. 1
I. To the Question	Num. 5
A. About the Burdens Imposed	Num. 6
B. About the Remedies and Helps Conferred on Us	Num. 18
II. To the Principal Arguments	Num. 23