John Duns Scotus : selected writings on ethics /

Williams (philosophy, Univ. of South Florida) has brought together and translated a significant selection of the writings of John Duns Scotus, OFM (1265/66-1308), unquestionably one of the greatest thinkers of the high Middle Ages. The writings deal with a wide range of ethical questions concerning God's relationship to human free will, the natural and theological virtues, the contingency of the world, and many other intellectual and practical topics. Most of the selections are from Duns Scotus's Ordinatio, a revised version of his lectures at Oxford. William's uses the critical edition of this text (finished in 2014), although he gives a lengthy critical account of its flaws--which required his investigation of the manuscripts themselves. Williams's translation is remarkable for its accuracy and clarity, attributes that serve to make understandable in English the subtlety and complexity of Duns Scotus's thought. In this regard the volume is a welcome addition to the few other English translations that are available of these texts. Although this book will likely appeal to a limited readership of true Duns Scotus scholars, it is a valuable contribution to the intellectual history of the high Middle Ages. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Graduate students, researchers, faculty. --Paul A. Streveler, West Chester University of Pennsylvania