OTA PAVLÍČEK, Jan Hus as a Philosopher: The Topic of Universals in Two Theological Contexts of His „Sentences” Commentary („Super IV Sententiarum” I, dist. 19 and 33)

SUMMARY

After a brief summary of the literature on the topic of universals in Hus’s writings, the present study continues with a summation of our knowledge of Hus’s commentaries on Aristotle, and a presentation of those of Hus’s other treatises which are the most relevant to the topic of universals. Although the topic of universals is fundamentally philosophical, a significant source for our understanding of Hus’s position is his theological works, particularly his Sentences commentary. Based on an analysis of Hus’s Super IV Sententiarum I, distinctions 19 and 33, the study shows (in the theological contexts of the divine properties and a comparison between God and a universal) that Hus was persuaded about the reality of universals understood as formal components of the essence of individual substances, which are different from these substances by means of a formal distinction. Besides providing further details on Hus’s philosophical realism, the study demonstrates that similarly to his position concerning the divine properties, which is based on Thomas Aquinas, Hus understood his realist position as the opinio media. Hus also agreed that there are many similarities between God and a universal, although, as Hus puts it, it would be devious and false if someone would want to see this likeness in all the aspects.