La «relatio transcendens» nel pensiero di Duns Scoto

Abstract

«Relatio transcendens» is a well-known topic among John Duns Scotus’ scholars. Indeed, Scotus was the very first thinker who made a quite extensive use of this notion throughout his works. However, research on this notion in Scotus’ thought has so far been fragmentary. The present work aims to offer a comprehensive view of «relatio transcendens» by providing a comparative analysis of the texts in which this phrase occurs over the entire production of the author. In order to provide a better understanding of the thought of Scotus on this topic, a historical survey of the evolution of the different theories of relation is offered in chap. 2. Then, chapter 3 presents Scotus’ general theory of relation. Three separate chapters offer an exegesis of the texts on «relatio transcendens» one for each of the following works: The Commentaries on Book I of the Sentences (chap. 4), The Commentaries on Book II of the Sentences (chap. 5), The Commentary on the Metaphysics (chap. 6). From this investigation, there emerges a univocal meaning of «relatio transcendens» throughout the various contexts in which it occurs. This notion denotes a relation whose foundation is being, and the terminus to which it proceeds is some being. Therefore, like other transcendental properties of being, this relation is called «transcendens» because of the transcendence of its foundation, that is, because it is outside any genus. Therefore, it would be preferable to place «relatio transcendens» alongside the other transcendental properties of being rather than considering it as a distinct class of relations opposed to the categorical ones. [abstract by Author]