Duns Scotus

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

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Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/duns-scotus

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. When was Duns Scotus born?Circa 1265/66
2. When did Duns Scotus die?November 8, 1308
3. Where was Duns Scotus born?Duns, Berwickshire, Scotland
4. What is the academic title?Doctor Subtilis (The Subtle Doctor)
5. Who was John Duns Scotus?He was a smart Scottish friar who lived around 1265 and taught at universities. He was known for thinking deeply about philosophy and theology.
6. Why was he called the "Doctor Subtilis"?People called him the Subtle Doctor because he could see very small differences in ideas that others missed. His careful thinking made him famous.

Univocity of Being: The philosophical principle that the term 'being' has a single, uniform meaning when applied to all existing entities.
Formal Distinction: A metaphysical distinction between different properties or aspects within a single, undivided entity.
Haecceity: The individualizing essence or 'thisness' that makes a particular thing unique and distinct from all others.