The Doctrine of Place in a Commentary On the Physics Attributed To Antonius Andreae

Abstract

The Quaestiones in libros Physicorum contained in the Cambridge Ms Gonville & Caius 368 (590) is an interesting piece of early Scotist philosophy of nature. The doctrine of place, contained in three questions on the fourth book of Aristotle's Physics, is based mostly on the solutions given by Duns Scotus. The question on bilocation offers a combined summary of the opinions given in Scotus' Ordinatio and Reportata parisiensia or of a text that combines the two, for example the Abbreviatio Operis oxoniensis Scoti attributed to Antonius Andreae. In his question about the nature of place, our anonymous author presents a more original assemblage of Scotist views, adding arguments from Scotus' Quodlibel XI and from Francis of Marchia. The latter thinker appears to be the most important source for the question concerning the place of the ultimate sphere. In all questions, the author argues against the views of Peter Auriol, his main opponent throughout the commentary.