James of Viterbo (ca. 1255–1307), Augustinian friar, master of theology at the University of Paris, and archbishop of Naples, was one of the leading philosophers and theologians of the later thirteenth century. This volume completes the critical edition of his academic works and presents his last two questions De divinis praedicamentis and his three annexed questions on the will (De potentia et actu volendi). These questions, deriving from disputations James held as Augustinian regent maste...

Epicureanism is not only a defence of pleasure: it is also a philosophy of science and knowledge. This edited collection explores new pathways for the study of Epicurean scientific thought, a hitherto still understudied domain, and engages systematically and critically with existing theories. It shows that the philosophy of Epicurus and his heirs, from antiquity to the classical age, founded a rigorous and coherent conception of knowledge. This first part of a two-volume set examines more spe...

In medieval and early modern natural philosophy, very few issues were as controversial as the nature of the elements. From the thirteenth up until the sixteenth century, European thinkers discussed this problem with growing interest. Defining the nature of the elements was key to deciphering the very structure of the universe and the essence of things. Along with five primary texts, here edited for the first time, this book discusses one of the most original contributions to this debate, that...

Epicurean philosophy is a philosophy of knowledge, nature and pleasure. The second part of a two-volume set, this edited collection examines the core areas of Epicureanism : physiology, epistemology and ethics. The study is carried out from multiple perspectives: the reconstruction and analysis of primary sources, an examination of the debates and controversies surrounding the school of Epicurus, and a review of the reception of Epicurean philosophy. By challenging the widespread stereotype o...

No other Neoplatonic text has sparked as much debate as Ennead V. 7 [18] of Plotinus, ‘On the question of whether there are also Forms of individuals’. In this text, Plotinus is believed to postulate the existence of Forms of individuals alongside the traditional Platonic Forms of genera and species. If so, Plotinus stands as the sole figure in Platonism to advocate this problematic theory. Regrettably, most research on V. 7 [18] has focused solely on the Forms of individuals, overlooking...

Peter de Rivo (c.1420–1499), a renowned philosopher active at the University of Leuven, is today mostly remembered for his controversial role in the quarrel over future contingents (1465–1475). Much less known are his contributions to historical chronology, in particular his attempts to determine the dates of Christ’s birth and death. In 1471, Peter made an original contribution to this long-standing discussion with his Dyalogus de temporibus Christi, which reconciles conflicting views ...

Long considered one of late scholasticism’s most important thinkers, Francisco Suárez has, paradoxically enough, often been treated only in relation to other medieval authors or as a transitional figure in the shift from medieval to Early Modern philosophy. As such, his thought has often been obscured and framed in terms of an alien paradigm. This book seeks to correct such approaches and examines Suárez's metaphysical thinking as it stands on its own. Suárez is shown to be much more in ...

Philosophy is essentially historical. The element of wonder that drives philosophical inquiry, as well as the timeless nature of questions about humanity and the world, are both intertwined with their specific contexts of origin. The answers to these questions are historically situated interpretations of reality.Moreover, historicity itself is part of philosophical reflection. Any engagement with history (including this book) is inherently situated within a historical framework. A comprehensi...