The Medieval Heritage in Early Modern Metaphysics and Modal Theory, 1400–1700

The thirteen articles brought together in this volume explore key aspects of the transmission of learning and the transformation of thought from the late Middle Ages to the early modern period. Focusing on important topics in early modern metaphysics, philosophical theology, and modal theory, the contributions gathered here view developments in the early modern period against the backdrop of late-medieval scholasticism. This approach not only reveals the continuity of Western intellectual life in a period of profound change, but also makes it possible to identify with precision what is original in early modern thought. The topics dealt with include metaphysics as a science, the rise of probabilistic modality, freedom of the human will, as well as the role and validity of logical reasoning in speculative theology. The volume will be of interest to scholars who work on medieval and early modern philosophy, theology, and intellectual history.