L'enjeu de la philosophie médiévale: Études thomistes, scotistes, occamiennes et grégoriennes(24 Studien und Texte zur Geistesgeschichte des Mittelalters)

Starting off with central issues in the philosophy of Duns Scotus, this group of studies forms a comprehensive and structured interpretation of later mediaeval philosophy and of its influence on modern and contemporary philosophy. The author explores the consequences of Scotus' distinctio formalis in mediaeval doctrines on causality. He analyzes the distinctio formalis and explains the crucial role it plays with regard to the esse objectivum in Scotus, the complexe significatum in Gregory of Rimini and the notitia intuitiva in Ockham. The distinctio formalis also plays an important role in the development of the "voluntarist" conception of finality, to be found in Ockham's theory of divine ideas and in the theories of Scotus, Ockham and Bradwardine on causality and the problem of human freedom and divine providence. The position of these philosophers are shown to stand in stark contrast with that of Aquinas. De Muralt argues that Scotus' distinctio formalis is a central methodological instrument in modern philosophy as well (in metaphysics, philosophy of action and critical philosophy). The various doctrines of the esse objectivum and the complexe significatum exert far-reaching influences which flow through Descartes, Leibniz, Kant, Bolzano and Brentano, and extend to the linguistics of de Saussure. Husserl's phenomenology, and the "analytical" philosophies of Frege and Wittgenstein. Scotus' doctrine of divine causation has implications to be found in Molina, Leibniz and Secretan, whereas the position of Aquinas is shown to be surprisingly close to that of biology and physics today.

Table of Contents:
Introduction I. L'enjeu de la philosophie medievale II. La doctrine medievale des distinctions III. La doctrine medievale de L'esse objectum IV. La metaphysique occamienne de l'idee V. La toute-puissnace divine, le possible et la non-contradiction VI. providence et liberte VII. La metaphysique thomiste de la causalite divine VIII. Les consquences de la doctrine occamienne de la toute-puissnace divine: la connaissance intuitive d'une chose qui n'existe pas Index analytique des matiers Index des noms Bibliographie Corrections et additions

About the Author :
André de Muralt is Professor of Medieval Philosophy at the University of Geneva.

Review :
'...zweifellos einer der originellsten Beiträge der letzten Jahre zur Deutung der Philosophie des Mittelalters.' Ruedi Imbach, Freib.Zeitschr.f.Philos.& Theol., 1994. 'Ce très riche ouvrage a en outre le mérite de dévoiler le caractère essentiellement théologique de la philosophie moderne et contemporaine, indice supplémentaire de sa parenté structurelle avec les courants scotistes et occamiens de la philosophie médiévale.' Stefan Merckelbach, Studia Philosophica, 1994. 'Les médiévistes découviront dans cette tentative originale, qui a pour elle le témoignage de nombreux textes, de quoi nourrir abondamment leur recherche philosophie...' François-Xavier Putallaz, Revue de Théologie et de Philosophie, 1994.