Once again: Gregory of Nyssa on universals

This essay takes up the contentious issue of Gregory of Nyssa's use of a theory of the universal. It is argued that Gregory, in his trinitarian theology and elsewhere in his thought, employs with remarkable coherence a kind of theory for which the universal is essentially the whole of its indiv...

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Main Author: Zachhuber, J
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: Oxford University Press (OUP) 2005
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author Zachhuber, J
author_facet Zachhuber, J
author_sort Zachhuber, J
collection OXFORD
description This essay takes up the contentious issue of Gregory of Nyssa's use of a theory of the universal. It is argued that Gregory, in his trinitarian theology and elsewhere in his thought, employs with remarkable coherence a kind of theory for which the universal is essentially the whole of its individuals (collection theory). For Gregory this is a realistic theory in which the concept of the whole is either entirely detached from that of the individuals (as ousia or hupostasis in his trinitarian theory) or related to them as actual to potential nature (for example in his cosmology). It is characteristic for him that he makes the whole collection the object of reference for the substance-sortal. This theory helps him avoid (to some extent) doctrinal ramifications within trinitarian theology as it explains the Trinity as a perfect unity-in-trinity which is both irreducibly one and irreducibly three.
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spelling oxford-uuid:ca941332-e333-477c-a79d-b90af2de28f72022-03-27T07:08:28ZOnce again: Gregory of Nyssa on universalsJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:ca941332-e333-477c-a79d-b90af2de28f7EnglishSymplectic ElementsOxford University Press (OUP)2005Zachhuber, JThis essay takes up the contentious issue of Gregory of Nyssa's use of a theory of the universal. It is argued that Gregory, in his trinitarian theology and elsewhere in his thought, employs with remarkable coherence a kind of theory for which the universal is essentially the whole of its individuals (collection theory). For Gregory this is a realistic theory in which the concept of the whole is either entirely detached from that of the individuals (as ousia or hupostasis in his trinitarian theory) or related to them as actual to potential nature (for example in his cosmology). It is characteristic for him that he makes the whole collection the object of reference for the substance-sortal. This theory helps him avoid (to some extent) doctrinal ramifications within trinitarian theology as it explains the Trinity as a perfect unity-in-trinity which is both irreducibly one and irreducibly three.
spellingShingle Zachhuber, J
Once again: Gregory of Nyssa on universals
title Once again: Gregory of Nyssa on universals
title_full Once again: Gregory of Nyssa on universals
title_fullStr Once again: Gregory of Nyssa on universals
title_full_unstemmed Once again: Gregory of Nyssa on universals
title_short Once again: Gregory of Nyssa on universals
title_sort once again gregory of nyssa on universals
work_keys_str_mv AT zachhuberj onceagaingregoryofnyssaonuniversals