Abstract:
The principal task of this research project is to make available a critical edition of two of Holcot's Quodlibetal Questions focusing on the problem of human freedom, particularly with respect to the relationship between the intellect and the will. The objective is to make Holcot's discussion of these questions accessible to a broader audience than just historians of philosophy, theology, and intellectual history. Medievalists working in the fields of literary or art criticism should find this material illuminating and useful; the subject matter and themes of medieval art and poetry are heavily influenced by a Christian ethics concerned with questions of human freedom and future contingency. In order to ensure that the Latin edition of Holcot's writing does not remain accessible only to a niche audience, I have provided a Modern English translation as well as a detailed commentary on Holcot's text. The commentary, I hope, will explain enough of the theoretical apparatus underlying medieval philosophy of mind to enable those whose research is outside the scope of philosophy or theology to understand and make use of the more technical material.
