God, World and Man in the work of John Scotus Eriugena

Abstract

This essay is written with the aim to inquire into the purely philosophical matrix that conformed the Carolingian mentality. In pursuit of this purpose we will dive into the way Scotus Eriugena understands nature and its inner dynamics. We will follow the path that leads him into the flow of the divinity upon whose will, the author argues, the totality of existence is developed and created. The investigation takes place in the study of his magnum opus, the Periphyseon, and tries to grasp the notions of ‘God’, ‘world’ and ‘man’, the main pieces that grant the access to the philosophical building raised by Eriugena through his work.

Keywords: God, world, man, nature, dialectics, Periphyseon.