Western Philosophers Medieval Philosophy
John Duns Scotus
Name:	John Duns Scotus
Birth:	c.1265 (Duns, Lothian, Scotland)
Death:	8 November 1308 (Cologne, Germany)
School/tradition:	Scholasticism, Founder of Scotism
Main interests:	Metaphysics, Theology, Logic, Epistemology, Ethics
Notable ideas:	Univocity of being, Haecceity as a principle of individuation, Immaculate conception of Virgin Mary
Influences:	Aristotle, St. Augustine, Avicenna, Boethius, Anselm, Thomas Aquinas, Henry of Ghent
Influenced:	Popes Alexander VI, Sixtus IV, William of Ockham, Martin Luther, René Descartes, Leibniz

Blessed John Duns Scotus (c. 1266 – November 8, 1308) was a theologian, philosopher, and logician. Some argue that during his tenure at Oxford, the systematic examination of what differentiates theology from philosophy and science began in earnest. He was one of the most influential theologians and philosophers of the High Middle Ages, nicknamed "Doctor Subtilis" for his penetrating spirit. Image File history File links John Duns Scotus (c. ... Motto: (Latin for No one provokes me with impunity)1 Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow Official language(s) English, Gaelic, Scots 2 Government Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister of the UK Tony Blair MP  - First Minister Jack McConnell MSP Unification    - by Kenneth I... November 8 is the 312th day of the year (313th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 53 days remaining. ... Events Henry VII is elected as king of the Holy Roman Empire. ... Cologne (German:   ; Kölsch: Kölle /ˈkÅ“É«É™/) is Germanys fourth-largest city after Berlin, Hamburg and Munich, and is the largest city both in the German Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than... Scholasticism comes from the Latin word scholasticus, which means that [which] belongs to the school, and is the school of philosophy taught by the academics (or schoolmen) of medieval universities circa 1100–1500. ... Scotism is the name given to the philosophical and theological system or school named after John Duns Scotus. ... Plato and Aristotle (right), by Raphael (Stanza della Segnatura, Rome). ... Theology (Greek θεος, theos, God, + λογος, logos, word or reason) means reasoned discourse concerning religion, spirituality and God. ... Logic, from Classical Greek λόγος (logos), originally meaning the word, or what is spoken, (but coming to mean thought or reason) is the study of criteria for the evaluation of arguments, although the exact definition of logic is a matter of controversy among philosophers. ... According to Plato, Knowledge is what is both true and believed, though not all that is both true and believed counts as knowledge. ... Ethics (from the Ancient Greek ethikos, meaning arising from habit), a major branch of philosophy, is the study of value or quality. ... Mary, mother of Jesus as the Immaculate Conception. ... Aristotle (Greek: AristotélÄ“s) (384 BC – March 7, 322 BC) was an ancient Greek philosopher, a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. ... For the first Archbishop of Canterbury, see Saint Augustine of Canterbury. ... AbÅ« ‘AlÄ« al-Husayn ibn ‘Abd Allāh ibn SÄ«nā al-BalkhÄ« (Persian ابوعلى سينا/پورسينا Abu Ali Sina or arabisized: أبو علي الحسين بن عبد الله بن سينا; often referred to, simply as Ibn Sina, or by his latinized name Avicenna) was a Persian[2][3] (TājÄ«k) physician, philosopher, and scientist. ... Boethius teaching his students (initial from a 1385 Italian manuscript of the Consolation of Philosophy) Boethius redirects here. ... Saint Anselm of Canterbury (1033 or 1034 – April 21, 1109) was an Italian medieval philosopher and theologian, who held the office of Archbishop of Canterbury from 1093 to 1109. ... Saint Thomas Aquinas [Thomas of Aquin, or Aquino] (c. ... Henry of Ghent (c. ... Alexander VI, né Rodrigo Borgia (January 1, 1431 - August 18, 1503) pope (1492-1503), is the most memorable of the secular popes of the Renaissance. ... Sixtus IV, born Francesco della Rovere (July 21, 1414 - August 12, 1484) was Pope from 1471 to 1484, essentially a Renaissance prince, the Sixtus of the Sistine Chapel where the team of artists he brought together introduced the Early Renaissance to Rome with a masterpiece. ... William of Ockham William of Ockham (also Occam or any of several other spellings) (c. ... Martin Luther (November 10, 1483 – February 18, 1546) was a German monk,[1] priest, professor, theologian, and church reformer. ... René Descartes (March 31, 1596 – February 11, 1650), also known as Cartesius, was a highly influential French philosopher, mathematician, and scientist. ... Gottfried Leibniz Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz (July 1, 1646 in Leipzig - November 14, 1716 in Hannover) was a German philosopher, scientist, mathematician, diplomat, librarian, and lawyer of Sorb descent. ... In Catholicism, beatification (from Latin beatus, blessed, via Greek μακαριος, makarios) is a recognition accorded by the church of a dead persons accession to Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in their name (intercession of saints). ... For broader historical context, see 1260s and 13th century. ... November 8 is the 312th day of the year (313th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 53 days remaining. ... Events Henry VII is elected as king of the Holy Roman Empire. ... Theology (Greek θεος, theos, God, + λογος, logos, word or reason) means reasoned discourse concerning religion, spirituality and God. ... A philosopher is a person who thinks deeply regarding people, society, the world, and/or the universe. ... A logician is a philosopher, mathematician, or other whose topic of scholarly study is logic. ... The University of Oxford, located in the city of Oxford in England, is the oldest university in the English-speaking world. ... Theology (Greek θεος, theos, God, + λογος, logos, word or reason) means reasoned discourse concerning religion, spirituality and God. ... Socrates (central bare-chested figure) about to drink hemlock as mandated by the court. ... Part of a scientific laboratory at the University of Cologne. ... The cathedral Notre Dame de Paris, a significant architectural contribution of the High Middle Ages. ...

Life

It is not exactly certain as to where he was born. Some scholars claim that he was born in Duns, Borders, Scotland, whilst others claim Ireland. Ordained a priest in 1291 in Northampton, England, he studied and taught at Paris (1293-1297) and Oxford, and probably also at Cambridge. He was, however, expelled from the University of Paris for siding with Pope Boniface VIII against Philip the Fair of France. Finally, he came to Cologne, Germany, in 1307. Location within the British Isles Duns is a town in the Scottish Borders. ... Scottish Borders (often referred to locally as The Borders or The Borderland) is one of 35 local government unitary council areas of Scotland. ... Motto: (Latin for No one provokes me with impunity)1 Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow Official language(s) English, Gaelic, Scots 2 Government Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister of the UK Tony Blair MP  - First Minister Jack McConnell MSP Unification    - by Kenneth I... This article is about Northampton, England. ... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: God Save the King/Queen Capital London Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi  Population    - 2005 est. ... City flag City coat of arms Motto: Fluctuat nec mergitur (Latin: Tossed by the waves, she does not sink) Location Coordinates Time Zone CET (GMT +1) Administration Country France Région ÃŽle-de-France Département Paris (75) Subdivisions 20 arrondissements Mayor Bertrand Delanoë  (PS) (since 2001) City Statistics Land... Oxford is a city and local government district in Oxfordshire, England, with a population of 134,248 ( 2001 census). ... This article is about Cambridge, England; see also other places called Cambridge. ... Boniface VIII, né Benedetto Caetani (Anagni, c. ... Philippe IV, recumbent statue on his tomb, Royal Necropolis, Saint Denis Basilica Philip IV (French: Philippe IV; 1268–November 29, 1314) was King of France from 1285 until his death. ... Cologne (German:   ; Kölsch: Kölle /ˈkÅ“É«É™/) is Germanys fourth-largest city after Berlin, Hamburg and Munich, and is the largest city both in the German Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than... Events July - The Knights Hospitaller begin their conquest of Rhodes. ...

Duns Scotus was one of the most important Franciscan theologians and was the founder of Scotism, a special form of Scholasticism. He came out of the Old Franciscan School, to which Haymo of Faversham (d. 1244), Alexander of Hales (d. 1245), John of Rupella (d. 1245), William of Melitora (d. 1260), St. Bonaventure (d. 1274), Cardinal Matthew of Aquasparta (d. 1289), John Peckham, Archbishop of Canterbury (d. 1292), Richard of Middletown (d. about 1300), etc., belonged. He was known as "Doctor Subtilis" because of his subtle merging of differing views. Later philosophers were not so complimentary about his work, and the modern word dunce comes from the name "Dunse" given to his followers. The Order of Friars Minor and other Franciscan movements are disciples of Saint Francis of Assisi. ... Scotism is the name given to the philosophical and theological system or school named after John Duns Scotus. ... Scholasticism comes from the Latin word scholasticus, which means that [which] belongs to the school, and is the school of philosophy taught by the academics (or schoolmen) of medieval universities circa 1100–1500. ... Haymo of Faversham was an English Franciscan and schoolman, born at Faversham, Kent and died at Anagni, Italy, circa 1243. ... Alexander Hales (also Halensis, Alensis, Halesius, Alesius; called Doctor Irrefragabilis and Theologorum Monarcha) was a scholastic theologian. ... ... For other uses, see Bonaventure (disambiguation). ... The word cardinal comes from the Latin cardo for hinge and usually refers to things of fundamental importance, as in cardinal rule or cardinal sins. ... John Peckham or Pecham (died 1292), was Archbishop of Canterbury in the years 1279-1292. ...

He died in Cologne and is buried in the Church of the Minorites in Cologne. His sarcophagus bears the Latin inscription: Scotia me genuit. Anglia me suscepit. Gallia me docuit. Colonia me tenet. (Scotia brought me forth. England sustained me. France taught me. Cologne holds me.) He was beatified by Pope John Paul II on March 20, 1993. According to an old tradition, Scotus was buried alive after suffering from a coma and believed dead. Franciscans is the common name used to designate a variety of mendicant religious orders of men or women tracing their origin to Francis of Assisi and following the Rule of St. ... Scotia was originally the Latin name for Ireland (also known to the Romans as Hibernia). ... In Catholicism, beatification (from Latin beatus, blessed, via Greek μακαριος, makarios) is a recognition accorded by the church of a dead persons accession to Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in their name (intercession of saints). ... Coat of Arms of Pope John Paul II. The Letter M is for Mary, the mother of Jesus, to whom he held strong devotion Pope John Paul II (Latin: ), (Italian: Giovanni Paolo II), born   (May 18, 1920 – April 2, 2005) reigned as Pope of the Roman Catholic Church from October... March 20 is the 79th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (80th in Leap years). ... 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ...

Metaphysics

Duns Scotus is a realist (as opposed to nominalist), in that his metaphysics deals with things rather than with concepts. Following Aristotle's account, metaphysics concerns "being qua being" (ens inquantum ens). Being in general (ens in communi)is the first object of the intellect, as an univoque notion. Metaphysics includes the study of the transcendentals, so called because they transcend the division of being into finite and infinite, and the further division of finite being into the ten Aristotelian categories. Being itself is a transcendental, and so are the "attributes" of being -- one, true, and good -- which are coextensive with being, but each add something to it. The univocity of being implies denying any real distinction between essence and existence. Realism is commonly defined as a concern for fact or reality and rejection of the impractical and visionary. ... Nominalism is the position in metaphysics that there exist no universals outside of the mind. ... Aristotle (Greek: Aristotélēs) (384 BC – March 7, 322 BC) was an ancient Greek philosopher, a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. ...

The study of the Aristotelian categories belongs to metaphysics insofar as the categories, or the things falling under them, are studied as beings. (If they are studied as concepts, they belong instead to the logician.) There are exactly ten categories, Scotus argues. The first and most important is the category of substance. Substances are beings in the most robust sense, since they have an independent existence (entia per se). Beings in any of the other nine categories, called accidents, exist in substances. The nine categories of accidents are quantity, quality, relation, action, passion, place, time, position, and state (or habitus).

Duns elaborates a distinct view on hylemorphism, with three important strong theses that differentiate him. He holds 1) that there exists matter that has no form whatsoever, or prime matter, as the stuff underlying all change, against Aquinas (cf. his Quaestiones in Metaphysicam 7, q. 5; Lectura 2, d. 12, q. un.), 2) that not all created substances are composites of form and matter (cf. Lectura 2, d. 12, q. un., n. 55), that is, that purely spiritual substances do exist, and 3) that one and the same substance can have more than one substantial form -- for instance, humans have at least two substantial forms, the soul and the form of the body (forma corporeitas) (cf. Ordinatio 4, d. 11, q. 3, n. 54). He argues for an original principle of individuation (cf. Ordinatio 2, d. 3, pars 1, qq. 1-6), the "haecceity" as the ultimate unity of an unique individual (haecceitas, an entity's 'thisness'), as opposed to the common nature (natura communis), feature existing in any number of individuals. For Scotus, the axiom stating that only the individual exists is a dominating principle of the understanding of reality. For the apprehension of individuals, an intuitive cognition is required, which gives us the present existence or the non-existence of an individual, as opposed to abstract cognition. Thus the human soul, in its separeted state from the body, will be able of knowing intuitively the spiritual. In physics, matter is commonly defined as the substance of which physical objects are composed, not counting the contribution of various energy or force fields, which are not usually considered to be matter per se (though they may contribute to the mass of objects). ... Saint Thomas Aquinas (1225 - March 7, 1274) was a Catholic philosopher and theologian in the scholastic tradition, who gave birth to the Thomistic school of philosophy, which was long the primary philosophical approach of the Roman Catholic Church. ... Individuation comprises the processes whereby the undifferentiated becomes or develops individual characteristics, or the opposite process, by which components of an individual are integrated into a more indivisible whole. ...

The existence of God can be proven only a posteriori, through its effects. The Causal Argument he gives for the existence of God is particularly interesting and precise. It says that an infinity of things that are essentially ordered is impossible, as the totality of caused things that are essentially caused is itself caused, and so it is caused by some cause which is not a part of the totality, for then it would be the cause of itself; for the whole totality of dependent things is dependent, and not on anything belonging to that totality. The argument is relevant for Scotus' conception of metaphysical inquiry into being by searching the ways into which beings relate to eachother. This article discusses the term God in the context of monotheism and henotheism. ...

Theology

Duns is an Augustinian theologian. He is usually associated with voluntarism, the tendency to emphasize God's will and human freedom in all philosophical issues. The main difference between Aquinas' rational theology and that of Scotus' is that Scotus believes we can apply certain predicates univocally -- with exactly the same meaning -- to God and creatures, whereas Aquinas insists that this is impossible, and that we can only use analogical predication, in which a word as applied to God has a meaning different from, although related to, the meaning of that same word as applied to creatures. Duns struggled throughout his works with demonstrating his univocity theory against Aquinas' analogy doctrine. Voluntarism (lat. ... Saint Thomas Aquinas (1225 - March 7, 1274) was a Catholic philosopher and theologian in the scholastic tradition, who gave birth to the Thomistic school of philosophy, which was long the primary philosophical approach of the Roman Catholic Church. ...

Perhaps the most influential point of Duns Scotus' theology was his defense of the Immaculate Conception of Mary. At the time, there was a great deal of argument about the subject. The general opinion was that it was appropriate, but it could not be seen how to resolve the problem that only with Christ's death would the stain of original sin be removed. The great philosophers and theologians of the West were divided on the subject (indeed, it appears that even Thomas Aquinas sided with those who denied the doctrine, though some Thomists dispute this). The feast day had existed in the East since the seventh century and had been introduced in several dioceses in the West as well, even though the philosophical basis was lacking. Citing Anselm of Canterbury's principle, "potuit, decuit, ergo fecit" (God could do it, it was appropriate, therefore he did it), Duns Scotus devised the following argument: Mary was in need of redemption like all other human beings, but through the merits of Jesus' crucifixion, given in advance, she was conceived without the stain of original sin. Mary, mother of Jesus as the Immaculate Conception. ... A traditional Catholic image of the Blessed Virgin Mary, displaying her Immaculate Heart The Blessed Virgin Mary, sometimes shortened to The Blessed Virgin, is a traditional title specifically used by Roman and Eastern Catholics, Anglo-Catholics, Eastern Orthodox and others to describe Mary, the mother of Jesus. ... Jesus (8–2 BC/BCE to 29–36 AD/CE),[1] also known as Jesus of Nazareth, is the central figure of Christianity. ... Michelangelos painting of the sin of Adam and Eve (the Fall) According to Christian tradition, original sin is the general condition of sinfulness (lack of holiness) into which human beings are born (Psalm 51:5[1]). Original sin is also called hereditary sin, birth sin, or person sin. ... Saint Thomas Aquinas [Thomas of Aquin, or Aquino] (c. ... Thomism is the philosophical school that followed in the legacy of Thomas Aquinas. ... The feast of the Immaculate Conception is celebrated in some Christian churches on 8 December. ... Saint Anselm of Canterbury (1033 or 1034 – April 21, 1109) was an Italian medieval philosopher and theologian, who held the office of Archbishop of Canterbury from 1093 to 1109. ... This article discusses the term God in the context of monotheism and henotheism. ... Crucifixion of St. ...

This argument appears in Pope Pius IX's declaration of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. Pope John XXIII recommended the reading of Duns Scotus' theology to modern theology students. Blessed Pope Pius IX (May 13, 1792 – February 7, 1878), born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, reigned as Pope of the Roman Catholic Church from his election in June 16, 1846, until his death more than 31 years later in 1878, making him the longest-reigning Pope since the Apostle St. ... Dogma (the plural is either dogmata or dogmas) is belief or doctrine held by a religion, ideology or any kind of organization to be authoritative and not to be disputed or doubted. ... Blessed Pope John XXIII (Latin: ), (Italian: Giovanni XXIII), born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli (November 25, 1881 – June 3, 1963), was elected as the 261st Pope of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City on October 28, 1958. ...

Logic

Duns was perhaps one of the most influential medieval logicians, in the ranks of Peter Abelard and William of Ockham. He was the one of the first medieval logicians to break from the Aristotle's statistical model of possibility and necessity, and to consider instead the concept of logical possibility. His theory moves from considering modal notions with respect to different ways the actual world is arranged at certain times to one where modal notions are considered with respect to conceptual consistency. This interpretation of possiblity and necessity thus foreshadows Leibniz's possible worlds conception of modality. Abaelardus and Heloïse surprised by Master Fulbert, by Romanticist painter Jean Vignaud (1819) Pierre Abélard (in English, Peter Abelard) or Abailard (1079 – April 21, 1142) was a French scholastic philosopher and logician. ... William of Ockham William of Ockham (also Occam or any of several other spellings) (c. ... Aristotle (Greek: Aristotélēs) (384 BC – March 7, 322 BC) was an ancient Greek philosopher, a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. ... Gottfried Leibniz Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz (July 1, 1646 in Leipzig - November 14, 1716 in Hannover) was a German philosopher, scientist, mathematician, diplomat, librarian, and lawyer of Sorb descent. ... Possible Worlds is: Possible Worlds (play) a play by John Mighton Possible Worlds (poetry book) a book of poems by Peter Porter (poet) Possible Worlds (book) a book by J. B. S. Haldane This is a disambiguation page: a list of articles associated with the same title. ...

See also

• Scotism
• Oxford Franciscan school
• History of science in the Middle Ages

Scotism is the name given to the philosophical and theological system or school named after John Duns Scotus. ... The Oxford Franciscan school was the name given to a group of scholastic philosophers that, in the context of the Renaissance of the 12th century, gave special contribution to the development of science and scientific methodology during the High Middle Ages. ... The history of science in the Middle Ages refers to the discoveries in the field of natural philosophy throughout the Middle Ages - the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history. ...

Bibliography

• Lectura (Early Oxford Lectures)
• Opus Pariense or Reportata parisiensia (Paris Lectures)
• Opus Oxiense (Oxford Lectures)
• Tractatus de Primo Principio (Treatise on the First Principle) Latin Version English Translation
• Questions on the Metaphysics of Aristotle

Latin text

• Quaestiones Quodlibetales
• De Rerum Principio (Of the Beginning of Things) An inauthentic work once attributed to Scotus.

Latin primary editions:

• Cuestiones Cuodlibetales. In Obras del Doctor Sutil, Juan Duns Escoto. Ed. Felix Alluntis. Madrid: Biblioteca de Autores Cristianos, 1963.
• Opera Omnia. ("The Wadding edition") Lyon, 1639; reprinted Hildesheim: Georg Olms Verlagsbuchhandlung, 1968.
• Opera Omnia. ("The Vatican edition") Civitas Vaticana: Typis Polyglottis Vaticanis, 1950-.
• Opera Philosophica. St. Bonaventure, NY: The Franciscan Institute, 1997-.

• Mary Beth Ingham & Mechthild Dreyer, The Philosophical Vision of John Duns Scotus: An Introduction. Washington DC: Catholic University of America Press 2004
• Thomas Williams (ed.), The Cambridge Companion to Duns Scotus. Cambridge 2003
• John Duns Scotus, Contingency and Freedom. Lectura I 39, transl., comment. and intro. by A. Vos Jaczn, H. Veldhuis, A.H. Looman-Graaskamp, E. Dekker and N.W. den Bok. The New Synthese Historical Library 4. Dordrecht/Boston/London: Kluwer, 1994.
• A. Vos, H. Veldhuis, E. Dekker, N.W. den Bok and A.J. Beck (ed.). Duns Scotus on Divine Love: Texts and Commentary on Goodness and Freedom, God and Humans, Aldershot: Ashgate, 2003.
• A. Vos. The Philosophy of John Duns Scotus. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2006.
• E.P. Bos, (ed.). John Duns Scotus (1265-1308) Renewal of Philosophy. Acts of the Third Symposium organized by the Dutch Society for Medieval Philosophy Medium Aevum. Elementa, 72. Amsterdam: Rodopi, 1998.
• N. Kretzmann, A. Kenny, & J. Pinborg, Cambridge History of Later Medieval Philosophy Cambridge: 1982.

(1) - "The Death of Blessed Scotus" According to Canon Joseph Bonello and Eman Bonnici, both of Cospicua, Authors of historical articles.

External links

• Catholic Encyclopedia article on John Duns Scotus
• Site about Duns Scotus of the Research Group John Duns Scotus (Utrecht, NL)
• Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy entry
• Thomas Wiliams' pages on Scotus
• Article by Parthenius Minges on Scotists and Scotism at the Jacques Maritain Center

To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... For the first Archbishop of Canterbury, see Saint Augustine of Canterbury. ... There are several persons called Boëthius: Philosophers: Anicius Manlius Severinus Boëthius - to many scholars this is the Boëthius, a late-Roman writer best known for his works in philosophy and theology. ... Johannes Scotus Erigena, known as John the Scot (c. ... Rhazes-Treating a Patient (artist unknown) Abu Bakr Mohammad Ibn Zakariya al-Razi (born in Rayy, Iran, 864; died in Baghdad, Iraq, 930 AD) was a versatile Persian philosopher (hakim), who made fundamental and lasting contributions to the fields of medicine, chemistry (alchemy) and philosophy. ... Roscellinus, also called Roscelin or in latin Roscellinus Compendiensis and Rucelinus, (~1050 - ~1122) was a French philosopher and theologian, often regarded as the founder of Nominalism (see Scholasticism), born in Compiègne, France. ... AbÅ« ‘AlÄ« al-Husayn ibn ‘Abd Allāh ibn SÄ«nā al-BalkhÄ« (Persian ابوعلى سينا/پورسينا Abu Ali Sina or arabisized: أبو علي الحسين بن عبد الله بن سينا; often referred to, simply as Ibn Sina, or by his latinized name Avicenna) was a Persian[2][3] (TājÄ«k) physician, philosopher, and scientist. ... Abu Hamid Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Ghazali (born 1058 in Tus, Khorasan province of Iran, died 1111, Tus) was a Persian Muslim theologian and philosopher, known as Algazel to the western medieval world. ... Saint Anselm of Canterbury (1033 or 1034 – April 21, 1109) was an Italian medieval philosopher and theologian, who held the office of Archbishop of Canterbury from 1093 to 1109. ... Bernard of Chartres (Bernardus Carnotensis) was a twelfth-century French philosopher, scholar, and administrator. ... Abaelardus and Heloïse surprised by Master Fulbert, by Romanticist painter Jean Vignaud (1819) Pierre Abélard (in English, Peter Abelard) or Abailard (1079–April 21, 1142) was a French scholastic philosopher. ... Gilbert de la Porrée, frequently known as Gilbertus Porretanus or Pictavieiisis (1070 - September 4, 1154), scholastic logician and theologian, was born at Poitiers. ... Hugh of St. ... Richard of St. ... Commonly used image indicating one artists conception of Maimonidess appearance Maimonides (March 30, 1135 or 1138–December 13, 1204) was a Jewish rabbi, physician, and philosopher in Spain and Egypt during the Middle Ages. ... Alexander Hales (also Halensis, Alensis, Halesius, Alesius; called Doctor Irrefragabilis and Theologorum Monarcha) was a scholastic theologian. ... Averroes Averroes (Ibn Rushd) (1126 - December 10, 1198) was an Andalusian-Arab philosopher and physician, a master of philosophy and Islamic law, mathematics and medicine. ... Alain de Lille (Alanus de Insulis) (c. ... Robert Grosseteste (c. ... Albertus Magnus (1193? – November 15, 1280), also known as Saint Albert the Great and Albert of Cologne, was a Dominican friar who became famous for his comprehensive knowledge and advocacy for the peaceful coexistence of science and religion. ... Statue of Roger Bacon in the Oxford University Museum Roger Bacon (c. ... For other uses, see Bonaventure (disambiguation). ... Saint Thomas Aquinas [Thomas of Aquin, or Aquino] (c. ... Ramon Llull. ... Godfrey of Fontaines was a scholastic philosopher and theologian; born near Liège, within the first half of the thirteenth century, he became a canon of his native diocese, and also of Paris and Cologne, and was elected, in 1300, to the See of Tournai, which he declined. ... Henry of Ghent (c. ... Giles of Rome (Latin Ægidius Romanus) (circa 1243-1316), was an archbishop of Bourges who was famed for his logician commentary on the Organon by Aristotle. ... John Duns Scotus (c. ... William of Ockham William of Ockham (also Occam or any of several other spellings) (c. ... Jean Buridan, in Latin Joannes Buridanus (1300 - 1358) was a French priest who sowed the seeds of religious scepticism in Europe. ... Portrait of Nicole Oresme: Miniature of Nicole Oresmes Traité de l’espere, Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris, France, fonds français 565, fol. ... Georgius Gemistos ,or Plethon (or Pletho), (c. ... Johannes Bessarion, or Basilius (c. ... Francisco de Vitoria (1492-1546) was a Renaissance theologian, founder of the tradition in philosophy known as the School of Salamanca, noted especially for his contributions to the theory of Just War. ...