The Ontology, Psychology and Axiology of Habits (Habitus) in Medieval Philosophy (eBook)

Magali Roques currently holds a postdoctoral fellowship from Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) at the University of Hamburg and is an associate researcher at the Centre d'Etudes Supérieures de la Renaissance. She received her PhD in December 2012 from the Université François-Rabelais de Tours, and held several postdoctoral positions in Canada, Switzerland, and Germany. Her research interests focus on fourteenth-century philosophy, especially Ockham and his contemporaries. Her work deals with connections between philosophy of language and metaphysics.Nicolas Faucher is a postdoctoral researcher in medieval philosophy at the Academy of Finland's Centre of Excellence in Reason and Religious Recognition, and an associate member of the Laboratoire d’Etudes sur les Monothéismes (CNRS, France). He received his PhD in December 2015 from the Ecole pratique des hautes études (Paris) and the Università degli Studi di Bari - Aldo Moro. His research focuses on the psychological and epistemological aspects of the habitus and act of faith in the 13th and 14th centuries, as well as on voluntary belief in general and the links between rhetoric and belief.

Preface 6
Contents 8
Abbreviations 10
Chapter 1: The Many Virtues of Second Nature: Habitus in Latin Medieval Philosophy 11
1.1 Introduction 11
1.2 Why Do Medieval Philosophers Posit Habitus? 14
1.3 The Ontology of Habitus 17
1.4 How Habitus Cause 19
1.5 The Growth and Decay of Habitus 21
1.6 The Unity of Habitus 22
1.7 Intellectual Habitus 26
1.8 Moral Habitus 28
References 31
Chapter 2: The Habitus of Choice 34
2.1 Introduction 34
2.2 Habit and Habitus 36
2.2.1 A Possible Translation? 36
2.2.2 The Deterministic Interpretation of Habitus as a Habit 37
2.2.3 Habitus as Distinguished from Habit 38
2.3 The Essence of Habitus 40
2.4 Thomas Aquinas: Freedom in Habitus 44
2.5 Duns Scotus: Habitus of the Will 48
2.6 Conclusion 53
References 53
Primary Literature 53
Secondary Literature 54
Chapter 3: Habitus According to Augustine: Philosophical Tradition and Biblical Exegesis 55
3.1 Introduction 55
3.2 The Normal Usage of the Word Habitus 57
3.3 Virtue as a Habitus Animi? 60
3.3.1 The Ciceronian Definition of Virtue 60
3.3.2 Reticence About the Definition of Virtue as a Habitus Animi? 63
3.4 Habitus as an Accident: Diverse Questions 73 and De Trinitate 67
3.4.1 Diverse Questions 73 and Its Presuppositions 67
3.4.2 Augustine’s Argument in Diverse Questions 73 69
3.4.3 In Deo autem nihil quidem secundum accidens dicitur (De Trinitate 5.5.6) 71
3.5 Conclusion 72
References 73
Primary Literature 73
Secondary Literature 74
Chapter 4: Speaking Theologically: The Concept of habitus in Peter Lombard and His Followers 75
4.1 Introduction 75
4.2 Augustine: Equal Merit 78
4.3 Peter Lombard: Virtue Itself and the Work of Virtue 81
4.4 Peter of Poitiers: Virtuous Dispositions and Justification 86
4.5 Stephen Langton: Dispositions and Powers 88
4.6 Conclusion 91
References 92
Primary Literature 92
Secondary Literature 92
Chapter 5: Habitus or Affectio: The Will and Its Orientation in Augustine, Anselm, and Duns Scotus 94
5.1 Introduction 94
5.2 Augustine: Habitus and Accident 96
5.2.1 Categorial Having 97
5.2.2 Acquired Habitus and Virtue 98
5.2.3 In Habitu/in Opere 99
5.3 Anselm and the Affections of the Will 100
5.3.1 Power and Receptivity 101
5.3.2 The Will and Its Affections 102
5.4 Duns Scotus: Habitus and Will 105
5.4.1 Habitus and Indeterminacy 105
5.4.2 Habitus of the Free Will 106
5.4.3 Indeterminacy Revisited 109
5.5 Conclusion 110
References 111
Primary Literature 111
Secondary Literature 112
Chapter 6: What Does a Habitus of the Soul Do? The Case of the Habitus of Faith in Bonaventure, Peter John Olivi and John Duns Scotus 114
6.1 Introduction 114
6.2 Bonaventure’s View 117
6.3 Olivi’s View 122
6.4 Scotus’s View 127
6.5 Conclusion 131
References 132
Primary Literature 132
Secondary Literature 133
Chapter 7: Intellection in Aquinas: From Habit to Operation 134
7.1 Introduction 134
7.2 The Acquisition of Intellection and the Constitution of the Intellectual Habit 136
7.3 From Habitual Intellection to Intellectual Operation 137
7.4 The Later Account of Intellectual Operation 140
7.5 Habit of Words? 144
7.6 Conclusion 145
References 147
Primary Literature 147
Secondary Literature 147
Chapter 8: “As One Is Disposed, So the Goal Appears to Him”: On the Function of Moral Habits (habitus) According to Thomas Aquinas 149
8.1 Introduction 149
8.2 Habitus and Habit (consuetudo) 154
8.3 The Production of a Particular Action 156
8.4 Moral habitus and the Goal of Action 157
8.5 The Goal as a Particular Principle of Practical Deliberation 159
8.6 The Unity of Ontological and Intentional Finality in the Habitual Act 164
8.7 The Connatural–Inclinative Judgement About the End 167
8.8 Conclusion 169
References 170
Primary Literature 170
Secondary Literature 170
Chapter 9: Thomas Aquinas on Our Freedom to Use Our Habitus 172
9.1 Introduction 172
9.2 How Habitus Influence Our Actions 174
9.3 Libertarian Character Control and the Act of Contrition 179
9.4 Conclusion: Aquinas on Self-Forming Action 187
References 187
Primary Literature 187
Secondary Literature 188
Chapter 10: Cognitive Dispositions in the Psychology of Peter John Olivi 190
10.1 Introduction 190
10.2 What Are Dispositions? 192
10.3 Dispositions in Sensory Cognition 201
10.4 Conclusion 207
References 208
Primary Literature 208
Secondary Literature 208
Chapter 11: Thomas of Sutton on Intellectual habitus 210
11.1 Introduction 210
11.2 The Nature of Cognitive Processes 211
11.3 Habitus as Characteristic of the Mental 218
11.4 Habitus and Species 220
11.5 Do habitus Have a Causal Role in Cognition? 222
11.6 Habitus as “Natures” 227
11.7 Conclusion 230
References 231
Primary Literature 231
Secondary Literature 231
Chapter 12: Are Cognitive Habits in the Intellect? Durand of St.-Pourçain and Prosper de Reggio Emilia on Cognitive Habits 233
12.1 Introduction 233
12.1.1 The Location Thesis 235
12.1.2 The Arguments from the Anonymous Thomist 239
12.1.3 Habits and Acts: Ontology and Change 243
12.2 Conclusion 245
References 246
Manuscripts 246
Primary Literature 246
Secondary Literature 247
Chapter 13: Peter Auriol on Habits and Virtues 249
13.1 Introduction 249
13.2 The Ontological Status of Habits and Virtues 250
13.3 The Unity of Habits and Virtues 253
13.4 The Role of Habits and Virtues in the Causation of Action 257
13.5 Conclusion 264
References 264
Primary Texts 264
Secondary Literature 265
Chapter 14: Ockham on Habits 266
14.1 Introduction 266
14.2 The Dispositional Nature of Habit 267
14.2.1 Definition 267
14.2.2 The Metaphysics of the Soul 268
14.2.3 The Ontological Status of Habit 271
14.3 Habit and Inclination 273
14.3.1 Inclination as the Main Characteristic of Habit 273
14.3.2 Habit as an Active Causal Principle 275
14.3.3 Inclination as the Activation of a Habit 276
14.4 The Relation of Causation Between Act and Habit 277
14.4.1 Methodological Considerations 277
14.4.2 Habit as a Non-standard Disposition 280
14.4.3 A Strong Interpretation of the Causal Principle 281
14.5 Conclusion 284
References 285
Primary Literature 285
Secondary Literature 285
Chapter 15: William Ockham on the Mental Ontology of Scientific Knowledge 287
15.1 Introduction 287
15.2 The Ontology of Knowledge: Habits, Acts, and Their Objects 289
15.3 Aggregate Sciences: Unified Bodies of Scientific Knowledge 295
15.4 Unifying and Organizing Aggregate Sciences 297
15.5 Conclusion 299
References 300
Primary Literature 300
Secondary Literature 300
Chapter 16: Tot scibilia quot scientiae? Are There as Many Sciences as Objects of Science? The Format of Scientific Habits from Thomas Aquinas to Gregory of Rimini 302
16.1 Introduction 302
16.1.1 Thomas Aquinas, Summa theologiae I, Question 1, Article 3 (Rome, 1265–1268) 305
16.1.2 Henry of Ghent, Quodlibet IX, Question 4 (Lent 1286) 307
16.1.3 Duns Scotus: Questions on the Metaphysics, Book 6, Question 1 (ca. 1300?) 308
16.1.4 Peter Auriol, Scriptum, Prologue, Section 4 (Ante 1316) 310
16.1.5 William of Ockham, Sentences, Prologue, Question 8 (1318–1319) 312
16.1.6 Adam Wodeham, Lectura secunda I, Question 1, Article 2 (ca. 1330) 314
16.1.7 Gregory of Rimini, Lectura I, Prologue, Question 3, Article 1 (1343–1344) 316
16.2 Conclusion 318
References 319
Primary Literature 319
Secondary Literature 320
Chapter 17: The Metaphysics of Habits in Buridan 321
17.1 The Logic and Metaphysics of Habits in Aristotle and Aquinas 321
17.2 Aquinas’s vs. Buridan’s Logic and Metaphysics 325
17.3 The Differences Between Aquinas’s and Buridan’s Metaphysics of Habits 327
17.4 Conclusion 330
References 331
Primary Literature 331
Secondary Literature 331
Chapter 18: Acts and Dispositions in John Buridan’s Faculty Psychology 332
18.1 Introduction 332
References 344
Primary Literature 344
Secondary Literature 345
Chapter 19: The Concept of Habit in Richard Kilvington’s Ethics 346
19.1 Introduction 347
19.2 The Place of Habit in Questions on the Ethics 348
19.3 The Concept of Habit and Disposition 348
19.4 Habit and Will 353
19.5 The Nature of Virtue and Vice 356
19.6 Prudence, Right Reasoning, and Habit 359
19.7 Conclusion 360
References 361
Primary Literature 361
Secondary Literature 362
Chapter 20: Suárez on the Metaphysics of Habits 364
20.1 Introduction: Habits and Occult Qualities 364
20.2 The Definition and Function of Habits 366
20.3 The Generation of Habits 371
20.4 The Intension and Remission of Habits 374
20.5 Conclusion 378
References 382
Primary Literature 382
Secondary Literature 382
Chapter 21: Extrinsic Denomination and the Origins of Early Modern Metaphysics: The Scholastic Context of Descartes’s Regulae 384
21.1 Problems in Standard Interpretations of the Regulae 385
21.2 Descartes’s Real Argument in Regula 1 389
21.3 Habitual or Deductive Unity? 393
21.4 Method as Cognitive Technology, Simple Natures as Habitual Concepts 395
21.5 Conclusion: The “Skeptical” Consequences of Extrinsic Denomination and the Origins of Descartes’s Metaphysics 397
References 399
Primary Literature 399
Secondary Literature 399
Index 401