  On the basis of the survey of Dietrich of Freiberg just given one might surmise that his philosophy in general is consummated in his doctrine of intellect. Such a conclusion, however, would not be strictly correct. Although Krebs in his study of Dietrich concludes that the theory of the intellect was the culmination of his entire philosophical project, William Wallace has shown that Dietrich’s qualitative methodology, especially as applied in his optical studies, is a valuable contribution to scientific methodology, a fact that can be appreciated independently of his theory of the intellect. It is also possible to argue that his contribution to the discussion concerning the metaphysical status of essence and existence in creatures can be understood without reference to his analysis of intellect. And yet one would not wish to undervalue the importance of Dietrich’s doctrine of mind not only in terms of his own philosophical enterprise but also in terms of its influence on the later course of medieval German philosophy, beginning with Meister Eckhart and ending with Nicholas Cusanus.