J. Scotus Eriugena commemorated on a Irish banknote, issued 1976-1993

Johannes Scotus Eriugena (ca. 815-877) (also Johannes Scotus Erigena, Johannes Scottus Eriugena, John the Scot), was an Irish theologian, Neoplatonist philosopher, and poet. He is known for having translated and made commentaries upon the work of Pseudo-Dionysius. Image File history File links Johannes Scotus Eriugena commemorated on an Irish five-pound banknote, issued from 1976 to 1993. ... Image File history File links Johannes Scotus Eriugena commemorated on an Irish five-pound banknote, issued from 1976 to 1993. ... Events An iconoclastic synod is held. ... Events The Danes take Exeter Indravarman II succeeds Jayavarman III as ruler of the Khmer Empire. ... Theology is literally rational discourse concerning God (Greek θεος, theos, God, + λογος, logos, rational discourse). By extension, it also refers to the study of other religious topics. ... Jump to: navigation, search // Headline text Headline text Headline text Neoplatonism (also Neo-Platonism) was a school of philosophy that took shape in the 3rd century A.D. Though based on the teachings of Plato and Platonists, it interpreted Plato in many new ways, so that Neoplatonism was quite different... Jump to: navigation, search A philosopher is a person devoted to studying and producing results in philosophy. ... Poets are authors of poems, or of other forms of poetry such as dramatic verse. ... Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite is the name scholars have given to an anonymous theologian and philosopher of the 5th century, who wrote a collection of books (Corpus Areopagiticum) falsely ascribed to the Dionysius mentioned in Acts 17:34. ...

Name

'Eriugena' is perhaps the most suitable surname form as he himself uses it in one manuscript. 'Scottus' in the Middle Ages meant "Gael" - Irish (in this case) or Scottish (in others). The spelling 'Scottus' has the authority of the early manuscripts until perhaps the eleventh century. Occasionally he is also named 'Scottigena' ("Gaelicborn") in the manuscripts. The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... (10th century - 11th century - 12th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 11th century was that century which lasted from 1001 to 1100. ...

Life

Eriugena was highly proficient in Greek, which was rare at that time in mainland Europe, and was thus well-placed for translation work. Although he was born in Ireland, he later moved to France (about 845) and took over the Palatine Academy at the invitation of King Charles the Bald. The reputation of this school seems to have increased greatly under Eriugena's leadership, and the philosopher himself was treated with indulgence by the king. William of Malmesbury's amusing story illustrates both the character of Eriugena and the position he occupied at the French court. The king having asked, Quid distat inter sottum et Scottum? (What separates a sot from a Scot?) Eriugena replied, Mensa tantum (Only a table). World map showing Europe (geographically) When considered a continent, Europe is the worlds second-smallest continent in terms of area, with an area of 10,600,000 km² (4,140,625 square miles), making it larger than Australia only. ... Jump to: navigation, search Events March 28 - Paris is sacked by Viking raiders, probably under Ragnar Lodbrok, who collect a huge ransom in exchange for leaving. ... Charles the Bald - Detail from a painting in the First Bible of Charles the Bald, painted ca. ... William of Malmesbury (c. ...

He remained in France for at least thirty years. At the request of the Byzantine emperor Michael III (ca. 858), John undertook some translation into Latin of the works of Pseudo-Dionysius and added his own commentary. He was thus the first to introduce the ideas of Neoplatonism from the Greek into the Western European intellectual tradition, where they were to have a strong influence on Christian theology. The Byzantine Empire is the term conventionally used to describe the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages, centered at its capital in Constantinople. ... Jump to: navigation, search This coin struck during the regency of Theodora shows how Michael was less prominent than his mother, who is represented as ruler alone on the obverse, and even than his sister Thecla, who is depicted together with the young Michael on the reverse of this coin. ... Jump to: navigation, search Events Patriarch Ignatius is imprisoned and (December 25) deposed to be succeeded by patriarch Photius I. Louis the German invades West Francia, hoping to secure Aquitaine from his brother Charles the Bald, but fails. ... Latin was the language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ... Jump to: navigation, search Western Europe is distinguished from Eastern Europe by differences of history and culture rather than by geography. ... Jump to: navigation, search As a noun, Christian is an appellation and moniker deriving from the appellation Christ, which many people associate exclusively with Jesus of Nazareth. ...

The latter part of his life is involved in total obscurity. The story that in 882 he was invited to Oxford by Alfred the Great, that he labored there for many years, became abbot at Malmesbury, and was stabbed to death by his pupils with their styli, is apparently without any satisfactory foundation, and doubtless refers to some other Johannes. Eriugena in all probability never left France, and Haurau has advanced some reasons for fixing the date of his death about 877. From the evidence available it is impossible to determine whether he was a cleric or a layman, although it is difficult to deny that the general conditions of the time make it more than probable that he was a cleric and perhaps a monk. Events Carloman, King of the West Franks becomes sole king upon the death of his brother. ... Jump to: navigation, search Oxford is a city and local government district in Oxfordshire, England, with a population of 134,248 (2001 census). ... Statue of Alfred the Great at Winchester Alfred (849? – 26 October 899) or Ælfred was king of the southern Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Wessex from 871 to 899. ... Malmesbury is an old-established south Cotswold town in south west England in the county of Wiltshire. ... Styli used in writing in the Fourteenth Century. ... Events The Danes take Exeter Indravarman II succeeds Jayavarman III as ruler of the Khmer Empire. ... A cleric is: A member of the clergy of a religion, especially one that has trained or ordained priests, preachers, or other religious professionals; or A member of a character class in Dungeons & Dragons and similar fantasy role-playing games. ... In religious organizations , the laity comprises all lay persons, i. ... Jump to: navigation, search A Roman Catholic monk A monk is a person who practices monasticism, adopting a strict religious and ascetic lifestyle, usually in community with others following the same path. ...

Works

His work is largely based upon Saint Augustine, Pseudo-Dionysius and the Cappadocian Fathers, and is clearly Neoplatonist. He revived the transcendentalist standpoint of Neoplatonism with its "graded hierarchy" approach. By going back to Plato, he revived the nominalist-realist debate, which was eventually to translate into the fundamental struggle between entrenched dogma and scientific rationalism, and which came ultimately to undermine the power and authority of the Church in more recent centuries. Jump to: navigation, search St. ... The Cappadocian Fathers are the 4th century church fathers Basil the Great, Gregory Nazianzen, and Basils brother Gregory of Nyssa, who made major contributions to the definition of the Trinity finalized at the First Council of Constantinople in 381 and the Nicene Creed. ... In philosophy, transcendental/transcendence, has three different but related primary meanings, all of them derived from the words literal meaning (from Latin), of climbing or going beyond: one that originated in Ancient philosophy, one in Medieval philosophy and one in modern philosophy. ... Jump to: navigation, search Statue of a philosopher, presumably Plato, in Delphi. ... Nominalism is the position in metaphysics that there exist no universals outside of the mind. ... Realism is commonly defined as a concern for fact or reality and rejection of the impractical and visionary. ... Dogma (the plural is either dogmata or dogmas) is belief or doctrine held by a religion or any kind of organization to be authoritative. ... Jump to: navigation, search Rationalism, also known as the rationalist movement, is a philosophical doctrine that asserts that the truth can best be discovered by reason and factual analysis, rather than faith, dogma or religious teaching. ...

The first of the works known to have been written by Eriugena during this period was a treatise on the Eucharist, which has not come down to us. In it he seems to have advanced the doctrine that the Eucharist was merely symbolical or commemorative, an opinion for which Berengar of Tours was at a later date censured and condemned. As a part of his penance, Berengarius is said to have been compelled to burn publicly Eriugena's treatise. So far as we can learn, however, Eriugena's orthodoxy was not at the time suspected, and a few years later he was selected by Hincmar, archbishop of Reims, to defend the doctrine of liberty of will against the extreme predestinarianism of the monk Gottschalk(Gotteschalchus). The treatise De divina praedestinatione, composed on this occasion, has been preserved, and from its general tenor one cannot be surprised that the author's orthodoxy was at once and vehemently suspected. Eriugena argues the question entirely on speculative grounds, and starts with the bold affirmation that philosophy and religion are fundamentally one and the same. Even more significant is his handling of authority and reason. The work was warmly assailed by Drepanius Florus, canon of Lyons, and Prudentius, and was condemned by two councils: that of Valence in 855, and that of Langres in 859. By the former council his arguments were described as Pultes Scotorum ("Scots porridge") and commentum diaboli, ("an invention of the devil"). Jump to: navigation, search This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Berengar of Tours (born c. ... Hincmar (c. ... The Archdiocese of Reims was founded (as a diocese) around 250 by St. ... Jump to: navigation, search Free will is the philosophical doctrine that holds that our choices are ultimately up to ourselves. ... Predestination is a religious idea, under which the relationship between the beginning of things and the destiny of things is discussed. ... Gottschalk (Gotteschalchus) (c. ... Aurelius Prudentius Clemens was an Roman Christian poet, born in the Roman province of Tarraconensis (in Northern Spain) in 348. ... Valence is a scientific term in chemistry to describe electrons in the outermost orbital. ... Jump to: navigation, search Events Louis II succeeds Lothar as western emperor. ... Categories: France geography stubs | Communes of Haute-Marne ... Jump to: navigation, search Events Battle of Abelda: Asturias beats the Muslims. ...

Translation of Ps. Dionysius

Eriugena's next work was a Latin translation of Dionysius the Areopagite undertaken at the request of Charles the Bald. This also has been preserved, and fragments of a commentary by Eriugena on Dionysius have been discovered in manuscript. A translation of the Areopagite's pantheistical writings was not likely to alter the opinion already formed as to Eriugena's orthodoxy. Pope Nicholas I was offended that the work had not been submitted for approval before being given to the world, and ordered Charles to send Eriugena to Rome, or at least to dismiss him from his court. There is no evidence, however, that this order was attended to. Pantheism (Greek: pan = all and Theos = God) literally means God is All and All is God. It is the view that everything is of an all-encompassing immanent God; or that the universe, or nature, and God are equivalent. ... Nicholas I,(Rome c. ... Jump to: navigation, search City motto: Senatus Populusque Romanus – SPQR (The Senate and the People of Rome) Founded 21 April 753 BC mythical, 1st millennium BC Region Latium Mayor Walter Veltroni (Left-Wing Democrats) Area  - City Proper  1290 km² Population  - City (2004)  - Metropolitan  - Density (city proper) 2,546,807 almost...

Periphyseon

Eriugena's great work, De divisione naturae (Periphyseon), which was condemned by a council at Sens by Honorius III (1225), who described it as "swarming with worms of heretical perversity," and by Gregory XIII in 1585, is arranged in five books. The form of exposition is that of dialogue; the method of reasoning is the syllogism. Natura is the name for the universal, the totality of all things, containing in itself being and non-being. It is the unity of which all special phenomena are manifestations. But of this nature there are four distinct classes (1) that which creates and is not created; (2) that which is created and creates; (3) that which is created and does not create; (4) that which neither is created nor creates. The first is God as the ground or origin of all things, the last is God as the final end or goal of all things, that into which the world of created things ultimately returns. The second and third together compose the created universe, which is the manifestation of God, God in process, Theophania. Thus we distinguish in the divine system beginning, middle and end; but these three are in essence one; the difference is only the consequence of our finite comprehension. We are compelled to envisage this eternal process under the form of time, to apply temporal distinctions to that which is extra- or supra-temporal. Inside the cathedral of Sens, Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot, c. ... Honorius III, né Cencio Savelli (b. ... Events Births Thomas Aquinas, Christian philosopher and theologian (d. ... Heresy, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is a theological or religious opinion or doctrine maintained in opposition, or held to be contrary, to the ‘catholic’ or orthodox doctrine of the Christian Church, or, by extension, to that of any church, creed, or religious system, considered as orthodox. ... Pope Gregory XIII (1502-1585) Gregory XIII, né Ugo Buoncampagno (January 7, 1502 – April 10, 1585) was pope (1572 – 1585). ... 1585 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. ... The term dialogue (or dialog) expresses basically reciprocal conversation between two or more persons. ... In traditional logic, a syllogism is an inference in which one proposition (the conclusion) follows of necessity from two others (known as premises). ... Jump to: navigation, search A being, in the most general sense, is anything that is alive. ... Jump to: navigation, search The term God is capitalized in the English language as a proper noun when used to refer to a specific monotheistic concept of a supernatural Supreme Being in accordance with Christian, Jewish (sometimes as G-d - cf. ... Jump to: navigation, search The deepest visible-light image of the cosmos. ...

Influence

Eriugena's work is distinguished by the freedom of his speculation, and the boldness with which he works out his logical or dialectical system of the universe. He marks, indeed, a stage of transition from the older Platonizing philosophy to the later scholasticism. For him philosophy is not in the service of theology. The above-quoted assertion as to the substantial identity between philosophy and religion is repeated almost word for word by many of the later scholastic writers, but its significance depends upon the selection of one or other term of the identity as fundamental or primary. For Eriugena, philosophy or reason is first, primitive; authority or religion is secondary, derived. Jump to: navigation, search Logic (from Classical Greek λόγος (logos), originally meaning the word, or what is spoken, (but coming to mean thought or reason) is most often said to be the study of arguments, although the exact definition of logic is a matter of controversy amongst philosophers (see below). ... Jump to: navigation, search Broadly defined, Dialectic (Greek: διαλεκτική) is an exchange of propositions (theses) and counter-propositions (antitheses) resulting in a synthesis of the opposing assertions, or at least a qualitative transformation in the direction of the dialogue. ... Jump to: navigation, search Statue of a philosopher, presumably Plato, in Delphi. ... Theology is reasoned discourse concerning God (Greek θεος, theos, God, + λογος, logos, word or reason). It also refers to the study of other religious topics. ... // Computer programming In object-oriented programming, object identity is a mechanism for distinguishing different objects from each other. ...

His influence was greater with mystics than with logicians, but he was responsible for a revival of philosophical thought which had remained dormant in western Europe after the death of Boethius. Mysticism (ancient Greek mysticon = secret) is meditation, prayer, or theology focused on the direct experience of union with divinity, God, or Ultimate Reality, or the belief that such experience is a genuine and important source of knowledge. ... There are several persons called Bo thius: Philosophers: Anicius Manlius Severinus thius - to many scholars this is the Bo thius, a late-Roman writer best known for his works in philosophy and theology. ...

References

• Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy entry

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