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Why did John Duns Scotus place the human will above the intellect?
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John Duns Scotus adopted the traditional Franciscan position of voluntarism, which emphasizes the primacy of the will over the intellect in human beings.12
He argued that the universe is contingent and exists in total dependence on God’s infinite creative will, rather than being governed by necessary causes. Consistent with this view of divine freedom, he maintained that the human will is superior to the intellect and that love is superior to knowledge. Consequently, he posited that the essence of heaven consists in beatific love rather than the intellectual vision of God.123