LUIZ FERNANDO PEREIRA DE AGUIAR

Siger of Brabant attempts to reconcile two seemingly contradictory theses regarding the ontological status of the universal: 1) the universal is created by the intellect; 2) the universal is instantiated in the individuals present in the world. Our thesis aims to elucidate the conditions of possibility of Siger’s position by examining central texts in which he discusses this problem. In the first chapter, we provide an overview of the contemporary literature on the subject. There is a consensus among scholars in favor of considering Siger as a moderate realist. In the second chapter, we analyze Question 3 of Questiones Metaphysice tres (ed. Vennebusch, 1966). Here, Siger presents his most concise and immediate inquiry into the status of the universal. In the third chapter, we will present Siger of Brabant's position on the meaning of the name "man" in book IV, q. 20-21, of Quaestiones in Metaphysicam (ms. Munich, ed. Dunphy, 1981). In the fourth chapter, we illustrate how Siger constructs individuation with the moderate realist position in mind, drawing upon Question 20, Book V. This path aims to clarify Siger’s stance on the subject and highlight his singularity.