John Duns Scotus (c. 1265-1308) was a prominent medieval philosopher and theologian. He was a member of the Franciscan Order and taught at Oxford, Cambridge, and the University of Paris. Scotus made significant contributions to various areas of philosophy, including metaphysics, epistemology, and ethics. In this essay, we will focus on Scotus’s view on ethics.
Scotus’s Ethics: Introduction
Scotus’s ethics is grounded in his metaphysical and theological views. According to Scotus, God’s will is the ultimate source of morality. God’s will is not arbitrary but is grounded in God’s own nature. Thus, for Scotus, moral obligations are objective and grounded in God’s nature.
Scotus’s view on Ethics: Voluntarism
Scotus’s ethics is often characterized as voluntarist. Voluntarism is the view that God’s will is the ultimate source of morality. For Scotus, God’s will is not constrained by any external standards of morality, but rather, morality is grounded in God’s nature. God’s nature is not known to us through reason but through divine revelation. Thus, for Scotus, the content of morality is not accessible to reason but is known through faith.
Scotus’s view on Ethics: Freedom
Scotus’s ethics is also characterized by his view on freedom. For Scotus, freedom is not the ability to choose between two or more alternatives. Rather, freedom is the ability to choose according to one’s own will. In other words, freedom is the ability to choose what one desires. This view is sometimes called libertarianism.
Scotus’s view on Ethics: Natural Law
Scotus also accepted the idea of natural law. Natural law is the view that there are moral principles that are inherent in human nature and can be discovered through reason. However, Scotus’s view of natural law is different from that of Aquinas. While Aquinas held that the moral principles of natural law are derived from the nature of things, Scotus held that the moral principles of natural law are grounded in God’s will. For Scotus, natural law is not the source of morality, but rather, it is a reflection of God’s will.
Scotus’s view on Ethics: Morality and God’s Commands
Scotus believed that God’s commands are the ultimate source of morality. However, he also believed that God’s commands are not arbitrary but are grounded in God’s nature. Scotus believed that God’s nature is the source of morality and that God’s commands are expressions of God’s nature. Thus, for Scotus, morality is not arbitrary but is grounded in God’s nature.
Scotus’s view on Ethics: Theological Ethics
Scotus’s ethics is a form of theological ethics. Theological ethics is the view that ethics is grounded in theology. According to theological ethics, the ultimate source of morality is God’s nature. Scotus believed that theology and ethics are inseparable. Thus, for Scotus, the study of ethics is a part of the study of theology.
Scotus’s view on Ethics: Love
Scotus believed that love is the ultimate motivation for moral action. For Scotus, love is not merely an emotion, but a commitment to the good of others. Scotus believed that love is the ultimate virtue, and all other virtues are derived from it. Scotus believed that love is the foundation of moral action, and without love, moral action is meaningless.