Paul Operach
PHTH 618: British Franciscans: Bacon, Scotus, Ockham and the
Oxford Cradle of Modernity
Introduction
The purpose of this presentation is to present an
overview of the philosophical-theological notions
of nominalism, conceptualism and realism. The
emphasis will be on nominalism.
11th Century
Roscellinus of Compiegne was a 11th Century French
philosopher-theologian who questioned the views of Anselm of Aosta
(Saint Anselm) and Peter Abelard. Arguments between these parties
centered on what later would be called nominalism. Present day
scholars dispute some earlier understandings of Roscellinus of
Compiegne because of the lack of availability of his writings. These are
the common disputed issues regarding Roscellinus:
1. That the Son of God could not take on human nature alone.
2. That Roscellinus advocated Tritheism.
3. That the doctrine of Three Gods might be asserted by truth.
4. That universals are mere verbal expressions.
5. That the theology of the Blessed Trinity is not to be mixed with
philosophy.
6. That Roscellinus is unable, or ill equipped, to understand the
unity of a human being.
Basil Studer, O.S.B., History of Theology, pp. 140-144.
Conceptualism
Peter of Abelard was a 12th
Century French theologianphilosopher. He advocated a
discussion methodology using
reason know as dialectics. He
was concerned about the
traditional philosophical idea of
universals propounded by Plato.
Peter of Abelard was one of the
first medieval philosopherstheologians to recognize an
Aristotelian viewpoint. His
approach was logic. Peter of
Abelard is sometimes referred to
as the father of nominalism; yet,
most scholars would describe him
as a conceptualist. Indeed, Peter
of Abelard is known primarily for
his methodology of logic but his
moral exemplar theory should not
be forgotten. Lastly, it is his
relationship to Heloise which has
overshadowed his brilliance as a
theologian-philosopher.
Peter Abelard (1079-1142)
ENGLISH FRANSICANS
EXPRESSING FRANSICAN TRADITION
(Office of Friars Minor, O.F.M.)
English
Roger Bacon
Saint Bonaventure
Robert Grossatesta*
Haymo of Haversham
Alexander of Hales
Richard of Middleton
William of Ockham
John Peckham
John Duns Scotus
William of Ware
Thomas of York
*Founded Franciscan School at
Oxford.
Definitions
Nominalism: A theory of philosophical thought ... that there are no
universal essences in reality and that the mind can form no single
concept or image corresponding to a universal or general term.
(http://www.merrianwebster.com/dictionary/nominalism)
Conceptualism: A theory of philosophical thought ...between
realism and nominalism that universals exist in the mind as
"concepts" of discourse or as predicates which may be properly
affirmed by reality.
(http://www.merrianwebster.com/dictionary/conceptualism)
Realism: A theory of philosophical thought ...that objects of sense
perception or cognition exist independently of the mind..
(http://www.merrianwebster.com/dictionary/realism)
CHANGED PERSPECTIVES
13th Century
(Emergence of philosopher-theologians)
↓
Creative and
↔
Thomas Aquinas
↔
Primarily Metaphysical
Critical Thinker
(Christian-Aristotelianism)
Questions
↓
14th Century
(Emergence of schools/movements)
↓
Six Identified
↔
Logical Questions
and Terms Emphasized
↓
______________________________________________________________________
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
↓
Thomism Scotism Nominalism Illuminationism
Augustinianism
Mysticism
Aquinas
John Duns
Scotus
William of Ockham
aka: Ockhamism
Modernism
Terminism
Henry of Ghent
Giles of Rome
Meisler Eckert
William is
considered one of the
greatest, if not the
greatest, medieval
scholastic. He
developed insightful
interpretations of
philosophy and theology
based on analytical
methodology called
nominalism. He
challenged ideas of
metaphysics in both
philosophy and
theology. He is well
known for his Theory of
Parsimony (simplicity).
This is commonly called
Ockham's Razor.
William of Ockham (c. 1287-1347)
William Of Ockham, O.F.M.
It is believed that William was born in Ockham,
Surrey, England in the mid 1280's. Little is known of
his early life. He entered the Franciscan Order and
was ordained in 1306. He was educated at Oxford
University and taught there on Sacred Scripture and
philosophy. He rose to the level of Regent Master.
He had been accused of teaching heretical
doctrine. He was called to Avignon where Pope
John XXII was sitting. William challenged the
primacy of the Pope. Initially, William was not
condemned but after fleeing to Bavaria , he was
excommunicated. Later, William recanted. It is
reported that he died in 1349 from the Black Death.
Generally, Nominalist:
1. Use logical analysis and synthesis.
2. Use criticism not speculation.
3. Challenge traditional metaphysical
ideas and proofs. Little, if any, use of
apologetic discourse.
4. Rejected realism and spiritual skepticism.
Theologically, Nominalist:
1. Diminish views on natural theology
and natural psychology.
2. Propound spirituality and morality
of soul based on non-self evident
truths.
Metaphysical Nature Of God
Thomist
Scotist
Nominalist
Essence of God
is in total of God’s
perfections.
Essence of God
is in God’s quality
in which God
possesses all
perfections
absolutely.
Essence of God
is in God’s absolute
intellectuality.
In Tradition and Scripture: God is pure act without anything else.
Exodus 3:14 (Divine Essence)
Two Views :: Attributes of God
Scotism
Difference is
between attributes is
found in formal
distinctions.
Nominalism
Distinguishing
qualities; no role in
His Essence only
operations of God.
Knowledge As Viewed By
Speculative Theologians-Philosophers
1. Sought mix of natural and dogmatic theology.
2. Mind can attain objective knowledge of
essences.
3. Saint Thomas O.P, Saint Bonaventure O.F.M.,
John Duns Scotus O.F.M., Henry of Ghent
O.E.S.A. and Giles of Rome O.E.S.A.
Famous Ockham Maxims
1. All things are possible for God, save such as involve a
contradiction.
2. Whatever God produces by means of secondary (i.e.
created) causes, God can produce and conserve
immediately without their aid.
3. God can cause, produce and conserve every reality, be it
a substance or an accident, apart from any reality.
4.
Plurality is not to be posited without necessity.
5. Everything that is real, and different from God, is
contingent to the core of its being.
Philotheus Boehner, O.F.M . (Rev. Stephen F. Brown) Ockham: Philosophical Writings, xix-xxi.
FOCUS QUESTION
What is the role of faith and Aristotelianism in the
late 13th Century Church?
FOCUS QUESTION
To what extent, if any, did nominalism influence
the emergence of mathematical and
scientific learning in the 13th and 14th
Century?
FOCUS QUESTION
Was Martin Luther a nominalist?
FOCUS QUESTION
Would Ockham's assertions regarding
intuitive knowledge be relevant to
the development of Lutheranism?
FOCUS QUESTION
What is meant by:
...the form of corporeity must be postulated in
order to explain the numerical identity of
Christ's dead body with His living body.
Frederick Copleston, S.J. A History of Philosophy, Volume III, p. 98.
OVERVIEW
Nominalism
Conceptualism
Realism
Key Persons:
Roselin of Compiegne
Porphyry's view
Petrus Aureloi
William of Ockham
Martin Luther
Durandus
Aristotle (Peripatetic
School)
Averroes
Avicenna
Thomas Aquinas
Saint Bonaventure
John Duns Scotus
Universals are:
Merely verbal
expressions.
Only individuals exists.
Only in mind.
No substantial reality.
Only are “names” for
things and events.
Opposed Spiritual
Philosophy.
Scholasticism per se.
Opposed Platonic view
of monistic conception of
Universe.
Abstract Concepts:
No independent
existence in nature.
Exist in own right
independent of physical
world.
Nominalism
Conceptualism Realism
Knowledge is:
Subjective
All real knowledge
based on intuitive
knowledge of
individual being
Objective.
Natural Law:
Cannot be believed.
Is believable.
Immorality:
Disputed Thomism.
Stressed natural
certainty of man’s
immorality.
Unity:Form:Man
Rationalism.
Corporeity
AquinasAristotelianism.
Potential of matter,
real or actual.
Form: actualizing
agent.
Reality:
Soul:
Intellectual soul,
sensitive soul.
Sensitive soul and
form of corporeity are
distinct.
Olivi: rational soul or
intellectual soul is
not per se an
essential form of
body.
Soul is spiritual
substance effected
by matter. Related
to forms vegatative
and sensitive.
Aristotle’s soul
“Perfection of Body”.
Nominalism
Conceptualism Realism
Bonaventure:
discoverable only
with faith. Grace gift
from God as quality
of soul (CCC);
perfects soul
substance.
Truth:
Grace:
Permanent goodwill
of God. Man’s sin
remitted due to
merits of Jesus of
which actual grace
helps man towards
salvation.
Good Works:
Man’s good works lie
in God’s acceptance
of it, or them (see
Scotus)
Thomism further
defines
meritoriousness
values with grace
itself.
Moral Laws:
Depend on Divine
will and choice.
Moral perfection of
man (Bonaventure)
Annotated Bibliography
Boehner, Philotheus, O.F.M. Ockham: Philosophical Writings. (Revised by Stephen
Brown). Indianapolis, IN.: Hackett Publishing, 1990, xix-xxi. This section
provides a understanding and background views on metaphysics and logic.
Copleston, Fredrick, S.J. “Late Medieval and Renaissance Philosophy”. A History of
Philosophy. Volume III. New York: Doubleday, 1992 (Paperback), 24-181.
Copleston provides an extensive analysis of theological-philosophical
thought in the 13th and 14th Century. He contrasts Ockham’s theologyphilosophy with others on logic, universals, the soul, natural rights and
plurality of forms in man.
De Wulf. M. “Nominalism, Realism, Conceptualism.” The Catholic Encyclopedia.
Volume 11. Kevin Knight Editor. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1911.
Found at…http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11090c.htm. This is a history
and brief examination of the philosophical notions of nominalism, realism
and conceptualism. The article covers a period from Greek times through
modern times. Considerable attention is given to the Middle Ages.
Hughes, James. “Were the Humanist Right to Dismiss so much of Medieval
Theology”. The Theologian::Internet Journal of Medieval Theology,
2005 (at Oxford?). Found at…http://www.theologian.org.uk. The tone
of this article expresses “neoplatonic philosophy with an Aristotelian
dialect”. Major theories of 13th Century Franciscan
philosophers/theologians are expressed.
Kaye, Sharon. “William of Ockham c. 1280-c.1349.” (Metaphysical
Libertarianism::Section 7) Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. John
Carroll University, 2007. Found at…http://www.iep.utm.edu/ockham.
This article discusses aspects of 13th century Franciscan Peter Olivi’s
Sentences Commentary. How we deal with experience, Divine
foreknowledge and issues of free will are highlighted. “God is the
standard of goodness” articulated throughout this article.
Kilcullen, John. “Natural Law and Will in Ockham.” History of Philosophy
Yearbook. Volume 1. Canberra, Australia: Austrian Society of
Philosophy, 1993. Found at…
http://www.humanities.mq.edu.au/ockham/wwill.html. Discussed are
kinds of Natural Law. A polemic is presented regarding voluntarists
and moral theory. A strong emphasis appears to be on the Franciscan
viewpoint in the stages of human development.
McClusky, Colleen. “Medieval Theories of Free Will.” St. Louis: Saint Louis
University, 2007. Found at…http//www.iep.utm.edu/freewi-m. The notion of
free will and the influence of Aristotelian thought from the early Middle Ages
to the higher Middle Ages as expressed in Thomas Aquinas and John Duns
Scotus is evidenced.
Studer, Basil, O.S.B. “Moderns vs. Ancients”. History of Theology: Modern
Period. Collegeville, MN.: Liturgical Press, 2011, 140-163. This section
contains discussions on Platonic-panlogicism/Augustinian views concerning
faith, intellect and truth highlighting the notions of Roscellinus and Saint
Anselm of Aosta.