Signification and Logic: Scotus on Universals from a Logical Point of View

Abstract

The is traditional often two-pronged. nominalist By attack means on of the the philosophy so-called Ockham's of Duns Scotus razor is often two-pronged. By mea s of the so-called O ham's razor (one of Aristotle's objections to Platonic forms and found with disarming frequency in Scotus' own works),1 Duns Scotus has been accused of confusing linguistic signs and the various modes of signification, thereby ontologizing the latter into a realist's world of common natures and real relations.2 In keeping with traditional reputations Scotus has been pictured as a metaphysician defending realism from the nominalism or terminism of logicians such as Ockham was to become.3 Though responsible scholars qualify such charges of realism and nominalism, research into the writings of Duns Scotus, even for such qualifications, has centered around Scotus' metaphysically-oriented works.4