John Scotus Eriugena | |
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Born | c. 815 Ireland |
Died | c. 877 (age c. 62) probably West Francia or Kingdom of Wessex |
Other names | Johannes Scottus Eriugena, Johannes Scotus Erigena, Johannes Scottigena |
Era | Medieval philosophy |
Region | Western philosophy |
School | Neoplatonism |
Main interests
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Free will, logic, metaphysics |
John Scotus Eriugena, or Johannes Scotus Erigena (/dʒoʊˈhæniːz, -ˈhænɪs/ /ˈskoʊtəsˌ ˈskɒtəs/ /ɪˈrɪdʒənə/; c. 815 – c. 877) was an Irish theologian, neoplatonist philosopher, and poet. He wrote a number of works, but is best known today for having written The Division of Nature which has been called the final achievement of ancient philosophy, a work which "synthesizes the philosophical accomplishments of fifteen centuries." Erigena argued on behalf of something like a pantheistic definition of nature. He translated and made commentaries upon the work of Pseudo-Dionysius, and was one of the few European philosophers of his day that knew Greek; he studied in Athens. Famously, he is said to have been stabbed to death by his students at Malmesbury with their pens.