Aristotle and the Ontology of St. Bonaventure

Franziska van Buren is a post-doctoral researcher in ancient philosophy at KU Leuven.

• Acknowledgements Abbreviations for Editions and Translations of Primary TextsIntroduction Chapter 1. Historical Background 1. The Neoplatonic via Proclus: The One and the Many 2. The Problem of Neoplatonism in the Christian Tradition 3. Aristotle via Avicenna and the Early Franciscan Tradition, or What Exactly Is Aristotelianism? Chapter 2. The Theory of Forms in Thomas Aquinas 1. The Structure of Creation 2. Participation 3. Participation in the Fourth Way? 4. Participation in Exemplar Causes? 5. Conclusion Chapter 3. The Controversy: Bonaventure and Aristotle 1. History of Scholarship on Bonaventure 2. The “Anti-Aristotelianism” of the CollationesChapter 4. An Aristotelian Account of Universals 1. Form, Esse, Actuality, Goodness 2. Universal Forms and Seminal Reasons 3. Universals 4. Conclusion Chapter 5. Forms as Caused by God 1. God Beyond Being 2. Exemplar Causation 3. A Multiplicity of Ideas? 4. Conclusion Chapter 6. Forms in the Natural World 1. Individuation 2. Light and the Question of a Plurality of Substantial Forms 3. Causation 4. Evil 5. Conclusion Conclusion Bibliography Primary Sources Secondary Sources Index

Van Buren’s work makes an impressive contribution to Bonaventure scholarship, which could really reset the whole debate and narrative. It will challenge the historical norms for many a reader and interpreter of Bonaventure—perhaps, also of Aristotle! Indeed, this work will upend some deeply entrenched historical narratives that have proven a major obstacle for understanding Bonaventure as a philosopher. Christopher M. Cullen, Fordham University