Júlia Sant' Anna Horn

Medieval philosophy is often characterised by its strong theological orientation; nevertheless, political thought also played an important role, particularly through the reception of Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics, especially Book V. Aristotle's conception of justice inspired medieval philosophers to reflect on its practical consequences, most notably in the form of commutative or reparative justice. These ideas were applied in concrete discussions on restitution, addressing themes such as war, commerce, servitude, honour, and other social relations.

Within the Second Scholastic, two figures stand out for their distinct approaches to restitution. Thomas Aquinas treated the subject primarily within the framework of the theory of justice, as presented in the Summa Theologiae IIaIIae q. 62, while John Duns Scotus integrated it into the doctrine of penance in his Ordinatio IV d. 15. Despite their importance, these perspectives on the application of justice remain comparatively underexplored in contemporary scholarship.

This project aims to analyse restitution in Aquinas and Scotus, highlighting the conceptual and systematic differences between their approaches. By doing so, it seeks to illuminate the normative structure of reparative justice and its enduring relevance for political philosophy and human rights today.

since 2024
Lato Sensu Postgraduete degree (specialisation) in Human Rights, Social Responsibility and Global Citizenship, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS) Porto Alegre, Brazil
Source of funding: Center of German and European Studies (CDEA)

since 2023
Ph.D. Student in Medieval Philosophy, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
Title: Slavery in the 17th. Century: Restitution Claims and the Medieval Background
Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Roberto Hofmeister Pich
Source of funding: Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES)

2021–2023
Master's degree in Philosophy, University of Vale do Rio dos Sinos (UNISINOS), São Leopoldo, Brazil
Title: About the concept of property in Scotus
Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Denis Coitinho Silveira
Source of funding: Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES)

2017–2020
Bachelor's degree in Philosophy, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS) Porto Alegre, Brazil
Title: On the Slavery of Aristotle to Aquinas: from a natural condition to a custom of peoples
Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Roberto Hofmeister Pich

• 2024. "The Problem of Servitude in Duns Scotus: An Analysis of the Concept of Private Property inRelation to the Establishment of Servitude." In Mediaevum I: Studies of Medieval Philosophy (Dissertatio), edited by A. C. Storck. Pelotas: UFPEL.
• 2024. "The Concept of Dominion (dominum) and the Attribution of Dignity to the Aboriginal Peoples of the New World in Francisco de Vitória." Porto Alegre: Fundação Fênix. 
• 2023. "A Possible Convergence between Self-Help Literature, Paratactic Discourse, and Psychoanalytic Suggestion." In Intuitio 16: 1–12.
• 2023. "Corrective Justice in Saint Thomas Aquinas: On the Issues of Restitution. Porto Alegre: Fundação Fênix.
• 2023. "Interdisciplinary Critique of the Marital Structure." In Till Reason to Us Part - Críticas filosóficas ao casamento. Pelotas: Editora UFPel.
• 2022. "Philosophy and Pedagogy in Dialogue: Hermeneutic Practice beyond the School Walls." In Filosofia em Rede – Educação como prática de liberdade. Goiânia: Phillos Academy.