Petrus Thomae — an Early Follower of Duns Scotus, Minorite from Barcelona and Author of Metaphysical Treatises

The article serves as a historical-philosophical introduction to the Russian translation of the Latin text of the 11th question of the metaphysical treatise of Peter Thomae, OFM “De modis distinctionum” (written around 1325). We present therein the biography of this Franciscan theologian and philosopher from Barcelona, list and briefly characterize all his works that have come down to us (together with their respective editions). The article also shows why the metaphysical legacy of this early follower of John Duns Scotus is of particular importance. Then we outline and characterize the general structure of the whole treatise and of the quaestio to which the text we publish belongs. In conclusion, we describe the type of the Latin original that served as the basis for our translation, namely the collated text of three manuscripts from the 14th century and of one from the 15th century.

Interpreting Duns Scotus

John Duns Scotus is commonly recognized as one of the most original thinkers of medieval philosophy. His influence on subsequent philosophers and theologians is enormous and extends well beyond the limits of the Middle Ages. His thought, however, might be intimidating for the non-initiated, because of the sheer number of topics he touched on and the difficulty of his style. The eleven essays collected here, especially written for this volume by some of the leading scholars in the field, take the reader through various topics, including Duns Scotus's intellectual environment, his argument for the existence of God, and his conceptions of modality, order, causality, freedom, and human nature. This volume provides a reliable point of entrance to the thought of Duns Scotus while giving a snapshot of some of the best research that is now being done on this difficult but intellectually rewarding thinker.