Scottish Blog

Duns Scotus was a Scottish philosopher in the High Middle Ages.

Thoughts of Scottish intellectual figures always lead to the Scottish Enlightenment. This is misleading as there have been many great Scottish thinkers before the Scottish Enlightenment, not to mention afterwards. Duns Scotus was one such thinker, who brought fame to Scotland with his thoughts.

Duns Scotus was born in 1266 in Duns, Scotland. Although some researchers have claimed that Duns Scotus was born in Ireland. In 1291 Duns Scotus was ordained as a priest. It is known that Duns Scotus traveled far across Europe before and after his ordination, as it is known that he was ordained in Northampton, England. After this Duns Scotus taught and studied in Paris, Cambridge and Oxford. His final place of residence was in Cologne, Germany where he lived from 1307 until his death in 1308.

During his academic career, Duns Scotus is credited with founding the Scotism school of thought. He also came to be called “Doctor Subtilis” as his skill and subtlety in joining differing views was said to be highly subtle. Unfortunately for him, in the sixteenth century the works of Duns Scotus came under great dispute and his name came to be a synonym for “one who cannot achieve academic scholarship”, a Dunce.

The plaque above the burial place of Duns Scotus is engraved with “Scotia me genuit. Anglia me suscepit. Gallia me docuit. Colonia me tenet”, which translates to ”Scotia brought me forth. England sustained me. France taught me. Cologne holds me".
It was also said that Duns Scotus was buried alive, after he lapsed into a coma and was mistakenly pronounced dead. It is also said that upon the opening of his tomb, Duns Scotus was discovered dead part way put of his coffin, which he managed to escape.

See also: Famous Scots.