Ancient and Medieval Philosophy, Series 2, No. 20The sixteen questions in Henry of Ghent's Quodlibet XV treat a range of issues the immaculate conception, the omnipotence of God, the nature of an "instance," the absolute and ordained powers of the pope, and the nature of a just war. The text found in this book was reconstructed based on manuscripts copied from a first Parisian university exemplar, manuscripts whose model was probably a second Parisian university exemplar, and a manuscript that was in the possession of Godfrey of Fontaines."

Ancient and Medieval Philosophy Series 2, No. 37The Stadsbibliotheek of Brugge houses a manuscript (ms. 510, f. 227ra-237vb) that holds a short logical text on the Syncategoremata. In this manuscript the text is ascribed to Henry of Ghent, who was a leading thinker of the second half of the thirteenth century. If Henry wrote the text, he had much more technical knowledge of logic and semantics than is often imagined. The text was influenced by the logical works of Peter of Spain."

In English and Latin

In the questions contained in this volume, Francis of Marchia explores subjects that earned him his fame in the Middle Ages and in the history of ideas: physics and philosophical psychology. He confronts the key issues in celestial physics, concluding with his well-known proofs for terrestrial and celestial beings having the same type of matter. Marchia's discussion of how elemental qualities persist in mixtures leads to a spirited and unique defense of a mind-body dualism: not even the sensory faculties are coextensive with the body. Moreover, each living being has two forms: the soul and the form of the body (q. 38). Marchia rejects the Averroistic doctrine of the unicity of the intellect, as well as acts of understanding being entirely the result of external stimuli. Those positions in turn inform his investigation of the mechanics of thinking and willing, and his establishment of the will s priority over the intellect. Finally, Marchia balances human free will with God s absolute power and cooperation in all matters.

Throughout these questions, Marchia shows his originality and sharp intellect. Although at times his solutions look similar to those of John Duns Scotus, they are in fact very different, reflecting Marchia s awareness of the problems and limitations involved in not only Scotus views, but also those of Aristotle and Averroes, Thomas Aquinas, and Henry of Ghent, among many others."