c. 1265–1308

John Duns Scotus – the 'Subtle Doctor'

The Scottish Franciscan John Duns Scotus studied and taught at Oxford and Paris and commented on Peter Lombard's "Sentences". In 1307 he moved to Cologne, where he died the following year. Unlike Thomas Aquinas, he placed will above reason; he was also the first to systematically defend the Immaculate Conception of Mary.

For some historians Scotus is the destroyer of the medieval theological synthesis and a herald of the split between faith and reason. For others, he is the peak of the Franciscan tradition.