Intuition, Abstraction And The Possibility Of A Science Of God: Durandus Of St. - Pourçain, Gerard Of Bologna And William Of Ockham

Abstract

In order to come to a better assessment of the historical significance of Ockham's doctrine of the duplex notitia incomplexa , it may be useful to compare it with similar doctrines which have been developed by authors who have possibly or actually influenced Ockham. This chapter presents a comparison between Ockham and two thinkers who have written slightly before him about the topic of intuitive and abstractive cognition: namely, Durandus of St.-Pourcain, in the first redaction of his Commentary on the first book of the Sentences , and Gerard of Bologna, in his Summa . The distinction between intuitive and abstractive cognition is the main conceptual means by which these authors answer the question of the possibility of having evident knowledge-or true science-about the truths of sacred doctrine. Durandus and Gerard give a negative answer to this question, while Ockham gives a positive one, not without formulating important qualifications though. Keywords: abstractive cognition; duplex notitia incomplexa ; Durandus of St.-Pourcain; Gerard of Bologna; intuitive cognition; sacred doctrine; science of God; William of Ockham