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INGHAM, Mary Beth and Mechthild DREYER. The Philosophical Vision of John Duns Scotus: An Introduction. Washington, B.C.: The Catholic University of America Press, 2004. 228 pp. Cloth, $39.95-John Duns Scotus (c. 1266-1308) is a name that many know but far fewer have studied. No doubt, many professors shy away from teaching Scotus for the very reasons that make the study of Scotus so daunting in general: an awkward writing style, a technical vocabulary, a subtle and seemingly obscure style of argumentation. Now there is help. Ingham and Dreyer have performed a valuable service to study of medieval thought with the publication of The Philosophical Vision of Jun Duns Scotus by providing a lucid and comprehensive introduction to Scotism. While they clearly wrote the book for the student beginning to study Scotus, they write with such clarity and insight about subtle points in scholastic disputes that even more advanced students and scholars will benefit from reading this book.
The book is divided into eight chapters, covering various branches of philosophy, beginning with epistemology and proceeding through metaphysics to psychology and ethics. The book's first chapter prepares the reader for this philosophical overview by sketching the historical and intellectual context in which Duns Scotus lived and worked. In...