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Single Idea 22129

[filed under theme 11. Knowledge Aims / B. Certain Knowledge / 1. Certainty ]

Full Idea

Duns Scotus grounded certitude in the knowledge of self-evident propositions, induction, and awareness of our own state.

Gist of Idea

Certainty comes from the self-evident, from induction, and from self-awareness

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

Induction looks like the weak link here.


The 24 ideas from John Duns Scotus

Substance is only grasped under the general heading of 'being' [Duns Scotus]
Are things distinct if they are both separate, or if only one of them can be separate? [Duns Scotus, by Pasnau]
Substance is an intrinsic thing, so parts of substances can't also be intrinsic things [Duns Scotus]
'Unity' is a particularly difficult word, because things can have hidden unity [Duns Scotus]
If only the singular exists, science is impossible, as that relies on true generalities [Duns Scotus, by Panaccio]
If things were singular they would only differ numerically, but horse and tulip differ more than that [Duns Scotus, by Panaccio]
The haecceity is the featureless thing which gives ultimate individuality to a substance [Duns Scotus, by Cover/O'Leary-Hawthorne]
What prevents a stone from being divided into parts which are still the stone? [Duns Scotus]
It is absurd that there is no difference between a genuinely unified thing, and a mere aggregate [Duns Scotus]
Two things are different if something is true of one and not of the other [Duns Scotus]
We distinguish one thing from another by contradiction, because this is, and that is not [Duns Scotus]
Accidents must have formal being, if they are principles of real action, and of mental action and thought [Duns Scotus]
Matter and form give true unity; subject and accident is just unity 'per accidens' [Duns Scotus]
Augustine's 'illumination' theory of knowledge leads to nothing but scepticism [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]
Duns Scotus was a realist about universals [Duns Scotus, by Dumont]
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]
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]