Scotus

Scotus is the Latin form meaning "Scottish." In scholarly usage, the name most often refers to John Duns Scotus (c. 1265–1308), a Scottish Franciscan philosopher and theologian who became a leading figure of medieval scholasticism. He earned the epithet Doctor Subtilis, the Subtle Doctor, for his careful and intricate method of argumentation.

Born in Duns, Scotland, he joined the Franciscan order and studied at Oxford and Paris. He taught at Franciscan houses in the late 13th and early 14th centuries and produced numerous commentaries and disputations. He died around 1308 in Cologne while en route to a general chapter.

Scotus is known for defending a robust role for human freedom within scholastic reasoning. He advocated a univocal use of being in many contexts (in contrast to strict analogy), and he introduced haecceity or "thisness" to explain individual difference. He also stressed the formal distinction between related terms and the primacy of the will in ethics.

His principal scholastic writings include Quaestiones in metaphysicam and Ordinatio, a comprehensive treatment of Lombard's Sentences. Through these works, Scotus influenced late medieval scholasticism, the Franciscan intellectual tradition, and debates on universals, modality, and theology.

John Duns Scotus remains a central figure in the history of philosophy and theology. Known for subtle distinctions and pioneering analyses, his work helped shape debates on universals, knowledge, and the nature of God, influencing later scholastics and Catholic thought.