Scotus for Dunces: An Introduction to the Subtle Doctor

GLOSSARY

GLOSSARY Abstractive cognition – The act by which the mind knows reality via sense perception. Abstraction is a mediated cognitive act that does not admit of certainty. It considers the object independently of its existence or non-existence. Based upon Aristotle’s discussion of knowing in De Anima III, 5, such cognition was understood to involve various stages of sense perception , imaginary phantasms and, finally, abstract concepts that reveal the extra-mental world to the knower. Acceptatio – The divine act of delight or acceptance, by which the morally good act, when informed by charity, is rewarded by God. Accidentally ordered causes – Distinct from causes that are essentially ordered, a series or concatenation of causes, such as a sequence of events or a series of generative causes (grandparents , parents, child), which produce a final effect. No member of the series depends upon an earlier member for its causal activity. These were the sorts of causes analyzed by Hume. Affection for justice (affectio iustitiae) – Originally from Anselm, this represents the highest moral disposition in the will. It is that disposition whereby the will is drawn to love the good because of its intrinsic value (see goods of value), and not because of any personal gain. For Scotus, this affection consti- 226 SCOTUS FOR DUNCES tutes the will’s native freedom or innate liberty; it was not lost after the Fall. This disposition is perfected by charity. Affection for possession/happiness (affectio commodi) – Also from Anselm, this represents the natural disposition toward self-protection and perfection in every living being. In the will, this is the disposition whereby the will is drawn to love goods that bring pleasure and enjoyment to the self. It is a selfdirected disposition that is perfected by hope. Agent intellect (intellectus agens) – Based upon the difficult passage of Aristotle’s De Anima III, 5, this term refers to the active role of the intellect in understanding reality based upon sense perception. In the Augustinian tradition, the agent intellect was identified with God.Arab thinkers identified it with an intelligence or angel located at the level of the moon.Aquinas located it within the soul, but considered it really distinct from the possible intellect. Both active (agent) and passive (possible) intellects work to give birth to the conceptual order. This order is distinct from, but dependent upon, sense knowledge. Scotus understands the agent intellect to be a faculty of the soul, identical to but formally distinct from the possible intellect.The agent intellect renders intelligible what is potentially knowable in the sense image (or phantasm). Book of Sentences – Foundational textbook used for scholastic education. Authored by Peter Lombard, a student of logician Peter Abelard (1079-1142), the Book of Sentences contains a doctrinal compendium of the truths of Catholic faith, organized in question/answer format. Each bachelor was required to lecture on the Book of Sentences as part of his educational training. Causality, free – The order of free causality refers to the action of the cause that is rational, or capable of self-movement and self-restraint. The will alone belongs to the order of free causality. Causality, necessary or natural – The order of necessary causality refers to the action of those causes that are determined to produce an effect, unless prevented or hindered by someone 227 GLOSSARY or something external to them. The intellect belongs to the order of necessary causality. Contingency – The order of contingency refers to those beings that can exist but do not need to exist. In the case of an actually existing being or state of affairs, contingency refers to the fact that it might not have existed or not in this particular way. Divine action ad extra – Action external to the Trinity of persons. Everything here is contingent. Divine action ad intra – Action internal to the Trinity of persons. Everything here is necessary (or natural). Divine foreknowledge – God’s knowledge of future events. Scotus holds that God knows future events through the divine will. Ens, ens commune – Literally being, common being, the first object of the intellect. Essentially ordered causes – In an essentially ordered series of causes, all causes must coexist to produce and conserve the effect. Such causes can be of different types (formal, final, material, efficient) or within a chain of the same type (efficient causes). In the case of an essential order, no infinite regress is possible. The chain as a whole must be essentially ordered to some coexisting...