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Single Idea 22125

[filed under theme 8. Modes of Existence / D. Universals / 4. Uninstantiated Universals ]

Full Idea

Duns Scotus was a realist on the issue of universals and one of the main adversaries of Ockham's programme of nominalism.

Gist of Idea

Duns Scotus was a realist about universals

Source

report of John Duns Scotus (works [1301]) by Stephen D. Dumont - Duns Scotus p.206

Book Ref

'Shorter Routledge Encyclopaedia of Philosophy', ed/tr. Craig,Edward [Routledge 2005], p.206


A Reaction

The view of Scotus seems to be the minority view. It is hard to find thinkers who really believe that universals have an independent existence. My interest in Duns Scotus waned when I read this. How does he imagine universals?


The 11 ideas from 'works'

The concept of being has only one meaning, whether talking of universals or of God [Duns Scotus, by Dumont]
Being (not sensation or God) is the primary object of the intellect [Duns Scotus, by Dumont]
Augustine's 'illumination' theory of knowledge leads to nothing but scepticism [Duns Scotus, by Dumont]
Duns Scotus was a realist about universals [Duns Scotus, by Dumont]
Scotus said a substantial principle of individuation [haecceitas] was needed for an essence [Duns Scotus, by Dumont]
Avicenna and Duns Scotus say essences have independent and prior existence [Duns Scotus, by Dumont]
Certainty comes from the self-evident, from induction, and from self-awareness [Duns Scotus, by Dumont]
Scotus defended direct 'intuitive cognition', against the abstractive view [Duns Scotus, by Dumont]
The will retains its power for opposites, even when it is acting [Duns Scotus, by Dumont]
The concept of God is the unique first efficient cause, final cause, and most eminent being [Duns Scotus, by Dumont]
We can't infer the infinity of God from creation ex nihilo [Duns Scotus, by Dumont]