Page:Illustrations of the history of medieval thought and learning.djvu/309

Rh visio sive contemplacio: unde theophania, id est ''visio dei. Simplicis'' apponitur ad differenciam composite contemplationis; quia quedam contemplacio est simplex, quedam composita. Composita contemplacio etiam in duas dividitur species, in contemplacionem secundum sensum, et contemplacionem secundum racionem. Secundum sensum fit contemplacio, quando contemplamur deum creatorem per ipsas creaturas; scilicet per solem et per lunam et per stellas, et huiusmodi. Secundum racionem fit contemplacio, quando nos contemplamur coherenciam inter materiam et formam; unde scimus quod abunivit materiam et formam: et hec etiam contemplacio est composita, quia quedam compositio est materiei ad formam et forme ad materiam. Simplex contemplacio est quo fit inter angelos, quia contemplantur deum prout est in maiestate sua, et non per aliquas creaturas. Non imaginarie apponitur, quia quedam contemplacio est imaginaria, quedam non. Imaginaria est illa contemplacio.

  Dr. von Prantl was the first to explain how John Scotus could be reckoned as the founder of nominalism, and to define the limits within which this ascription could be justly claimed. M. Hauréau had indeed previously interpreted the reference in du Boulay's chronicle already quoted, in the same sense as Dr. von Prantl; but he was led to this conclusion by the help of a passage in the De Divisione Naturae which he misread in an inexplicable manner. John Scotus omits grammar and rhetoric from the class of strict sciences, because non de rerum natura tractare videntur, sed vel de regulis humanae vocis, &c. M. Hauréau understood this of dialectic and rhetoric, and thus actually inverted the real significance of John's position in respect of the function of logic.

Some commentaries attributed to Rabanus Maurus discover so close an affinity to John Scotus's logical theory

a Gesch. der Logik im Abendlande 2. 24-37 [26-39]; cf. pp. 76 sq. [78].

b supra, p. 280.

c lib. v. 4 p. 229, ed. Gale.

d De la phil. scol. 1. 174 sq.; cf. pp. 118 sq.; Hist. de la phil. scol. 1. 246 sq.; cf. pp. 44 sq.