Duns Scotus’ Life and Works – of 1

Chapter 1 Duns Scotus’ Life and Works – Ideas of Theology

1.1 Introduction

John Duns Scotus’ life seems to have been rather simple and uneventful. In fact, despite brief, it was full of tensions and drama. Likewise, seems to have had an inconspicuous standing within the development of Western , but if we were to interview important Christian intellectual leaders at the beginning of the fourteenth century, we would discover that his thought was seen as the summit of mainstream thirteenth-century thought. It is also a tradition constitutive throughout the vicissitudes of the history of Western thoug­ht until the end of the eighteenth century. Even as late as the seventeenth century, Scotus’ influence was remarkably powerful.1 However, the picture of nineteenth-century thought is quite a different one, for nine- teenth- and twentieth-century theology and created alternative ways of thinking than before 1800, which were diametrically opposed to Scotism in , , and the doctrine of God. After 1800, the classic tradition of Christian scholastic thought collapsed. What had been essential became marginal. Duns Scotus’ enormous influence for five centuries is all the more remarkable because of his short life. He died sudddenly in () on 8 November 1308, at only 42 years of age. This chapter presents an overview of Duns’ life and works. First, I tell about the back­ground of his life and work (§ 1.2).

Of all the great philosophers, John Duns Scotus is the one whose life is least known and whose biography rests almost entirely on conjecture.2

But now the true story can be told. §§ 1.3-1.6 survey John Duns’ periods of resi- dence, both in Britain and on the continent: § 1.3: , § 1.4: Paris I, § 1.5: Oxford and Cambridge and § 1.6: Paris II and Cologne. The drive behind the creativity of his systematic thought is to be located in his theology. § 1.7

1 See Vos, ‘Duns Scotus at Paris,’ in Boulnois, Karger, Solère and Sondag (eds.), Duns Scot à Paris, 17-19, and Beck, Gisbertus Voetius (1589-1676), 383-90, 412 and 417-26. 2 Sir , , 82. Compare a remark by Kenny, Medieval Philosophy, 83 note 6: ‘My account of Scotus’ life owes much to a detailed study, sadly still unpublished, by Antoon Vos,’ referring to DPhil, which was published in 2006.

© Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2018 | doi 10.1163/9789004360235_002 2 Chapter 1 expounds the sense in which theology is biblical theology for Duns Scotus, and the sense in which it is scientific (§ 1.8).­ Final considerations and reflections are to be found in § 1.9: ‘Perspectives.­’

1.2 Historical Background

The phenomenon of critical academic activity rests on methodological revolu­ tions, for scientific work is co-operative. Critical and scientific thought cannot be an individual affair. It needs institutions, not just talented scholars and indi- viduals of genius. Such scientific institutions – to encompass scholarship as well as strict sciences – are complex and the outcome of long and extraordi- narily innovative processes. The decisive new institutions for European higher teaching and education only developed during the eleventh and twelfth centu- ries. At the same , they enjoyed an enormous growth and some centers of academic activity became very influential. This achievement was made possible by two impressive innovations: monastic education created the monastery school and the phenomenon of diocesan theological education created the cathedral school or church school. Famous examples of the first type of schools were the monastery schoo­ls of Cluny and Le Bec (Lanfranc and Anselm) and famous examples of the second type were the cathedral schools of Chartres and Paris.3 Moreover, it is true even of the early that

revealed , so far from being an obstacle to philosophical specula- tion, encouraged some of its most profitable developments.4

Being dependent on the process of mission and Christianization and on the ongoing renewal of the Church, these monastery and cathedral schools are unique from the viewpoint of the history of culture. The best schools of both types developed special dynamics of their own and became centers of higher learning, unique in their social structure and capacity for theoretical forma- tion. The academic of team formation and specialization were forged. The foundations of the internal structures of modern university life lie in this world of learning. Before the twelfth century, scientific knowledge was the

3 The cathedral school of Paris was the school of the Notre Dame, the nucleus of the future university. For the crucial roles of the papacy in this formative process, see Robinson, The Papacy 1073-1198. 4 Marenbon, Early Medieval Philosophy (480-1150), vii-viii.