 From the foregoing it is easy to see what position James would take in what was a commonly discussed topic in the thirteenth century, namely the problem whether or not the “essence” of the soul was really different from its powers. The position espoused by the scholastics whose teachings James studies most carefully, namely Thomas Aquinas, Giles of Rome, and Godfrey of Fontaines was the soul was indeed really distinct from its powers. There was, however, a commonly discussed minority position, one that eschewed both real distinction and strict identity (which had few followers): that of Henry of Ghent. Henry believed that the powers of the soul were “intentionally,” not really distinct from its essence. James, however, sided with Thomas, Giles, and Godfrey, against Henry (Quodl. II, q. 14, p. 160, 70–71; Quodl. III, q. 5, 56–84,63). His reasoning was as follows. Given that everyone agreed that there was a real distinction between the essence of the soul and one of its powers in act, that is, between the soul and, e.g., an occurrent act of willing, then if one denied that there was a real distinction between the soul and its powers, as Henry had, one would be committed to the existence of a real distinction between the power in act (the occurrent act of willing) and that same power in potency (the will qua capable of produce that act). But as we have already seen, James believed that something in potency is not really distinct from that same thing in act. Hence the soul’s essence must be distinct from its powers.