Thomas Wylton on Cognition by Trifogli, Cecilia; Nielsen, Lauge O.;

Long description:

In this volume we produce a critical edition of ten Questions on cognition discussed by Thomas Wylton, an important early fourteenth-century philosopher and theologian, in his theological works. The topics of the questions include divine ideas, our knowledge of the physical world, the notion of science, our cognition of truths about God, the epistemological status of faith, the controversial issue of the possibility of the simultaneous existence of many intellectual acts, the intellectual cognition of singulars. The edition of the Latin text of Wylton’s questions is prefaced by a lengthy Introduction that (i) explains the historical context of Wylton’s questions, (ii) offers a study of their manuscript tradition, and (iii) clarifies the criteria of our edition. The bulk of the Introduction consists (iv) in a detailed analysis of the contents of each of the edited questions with the aim of clarifying Wylton’s views, the arguments he formulates in support of them, his criticism of other contemporary views (for example, Thomas Aquinas, John Duns Scotus, Hervaeus Natalis, Durandus of St. Pourcain). This analysis will hopefully make Wylton’s discussion accessible to a wide philosophical audience. Various kinds of Indexes are produced to help the readers navigate through the Latin text.

Table of Contents:

Acknowledgements

Introduction 1. Life and writings of Thomas Wylton 2. Wylton’s questions on cognition edited in this volume 3. Overview of the questions 4. Manuscript tradition and editorial principles 4.1 Manuscripts 4.2 Quality of the manuscripts and editorial principles 5. Presentation of the text 6. Contents of the questions 6.1 Question 1: Whether because of God’s perfect and distinct cognition of creatures and their production it is necessary to posit in God distinct ideal rationes that correspond to the creatures cognized. 6.2 Question 2: Whether we can reach the genuine truth about material things in the natural light of our intellect by means of the species abstracted from such things or whether we need eternal rules or rationes in which we cognize such truth. 6.3 Question 3: Whether we can carry out a scientific investigation about some properties of God by our natural light starting from sensible things. 6.4 Question 4: Whether we can reach certain and evident cognition of any truths that can be known about God and creatures by the light of our own proper kind. 6.5 Question 5: Whether man can reach the certitude of science or wisdom of the theological truths that can be cognized about God in the light of faith together with the natural light. 6.6 Question 6: Whether in addition to the cognition of the theological truths by faith, which illiterate believers have, the doctors of theology also have science in the strict sense or wisdom of these truths by virtue of a superior supernatural light. 6.7 Question 7: Whether theology is one habit. 6.8 Question 8: Whether there can be many acts of understanding in the intellect simultaneously. 6.9 Question 9: Whether the intellect can form a word for a singular different from that for its universal or whether our intellect can form two words for two singulars. 6.10 Question 10: Whether the following claims are compatible: (i) that there is a per se and primary adequate object of a power, and (ii) that something that is not per se contained under its adequate object is per se cognized by that power.

Appendix: Missing questions Bibliography

QUAESTIONES DE COGNITIONE Tabula quaestionum Quaestio 1: An propter cognitionem Dei creaturarum perfectam et distinctam et productionem earum sit necesse ponere in Deo rationes distinctas ideales correspondentes creaturis. Appendix: De relatione reali Quaestio 2: An possimus sufficienter attingere ad sinceram veritatem in rebus materialibus in lumine naturali intellectus nostri mediantibus speciebus abstractis ab huiusmodi rebus, vel egeamus regulis vel rationibus aeternis in quibus cognoscamus huiusmodi veritatem. Quaestio 3: An in lumine naturali ex rebus sensibilibus possimus scientifice aliqua investigare de Deo. Quaestio 4: Utrum in lumine proprii generis possimus attingere ad cognitionem certam et evidentem cuiuslibet veritatis scibilis et cognoscibilis de Deo et creaturis. Quaestio 5: Utrum in lumine fidei una cum lumine naturali possit homo attingere ad certitudinem scientiae vel sapientiae quantum ad veritates theologicas de Deo cognoscibiles. Quaestio 6: Utrum theologiae doctores ultra notitiam de veritatibus theologicis per fidem, quam habent fideles illitterati, habeant in aliquo lumine superiore supernaturali scientiam proprie dictam vel sapientiam de eisdem veritatibus. Quaestio 7: Utrum theologia sit unus habitus. Quaestio 8: Utrum possint esse simul plures intellectiones in intellectu. Appendix 1: Reportatio Appendix 2: John Baconthorpe, Utrum homo vel angelus possit simul intelligere plura ut plura (In Sent. II, dist. 10, q. unica). Quaestio 9: Utrum intellectus possit formare aliud verbum de singulari a verbo sui universalis vel utrum intellectus noster possit de duobus singularibus formare duo verba. Quaestio 10: An ista simul stent, quod aliquid sit obiectum adaequatum per se et primum alicui potentiae, et tamen quod aliquid cognoscatur per se ab illa potentia quod non continetur per se sub obiecto adaequato.

Index Auctorum Index Sacrae Scripturae Index Nominum Index Verborum Potiorum