Daniel of Morley

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Daniel of Morley (c. 1140 c. 1210) was an English scholastic philosopher and astronomer.

England Country in north-west Europe, part of the United Kingdom

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to the west and Scotland to the north-northwest. The Irish Sea lies west of England and the Celtic Sea lies to the southwest. England is separated from continental Europe by the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south. The country covers five-eighths of the island of Great Britain, which lies in the North Atlantic, and includes over 100 smaller islands, such as the Isles of Scilly and the Isle of Wight.

Philosopher person with an extensive knowledge of philosophy

A philosopher is someone who practices philosophy, which involves rational inquiry into areas that are outside either theology or science. The term "philosopher" comes from the Ancient Greek, φιλόσοφος (philosophos), meaning "lover of wisdom". The coining of the term has been attributed to the Greek thinker Pythagoras.

Contents

Life

He apparently came from Morley, Norfolk, and is said to have been educated at Oxford. Thence he proceeded to the University of Paris, and applied himself especially to the study of mathematics, but dissatisfied with the teaching there he left for Toledo, then famous for its school of Arabian philosophy. At Toledo, he remained for some time. [1]

Morley, Norfolk civil parish in the English county of Norfolk

Morley is a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The name is first attested in 1086 as Morlea, which probably meant "open ground by a pasture/clearing", from Old English mōr "moor, clearing, pasture" + lẽah "open ground, clearing". It covers an area of 8.21 km2 (3.17 sq mi) and had a population of 973 in 182 households at the 2001 census, increasing to a population of 1.241 in 191 households at the 2011 census. For the purposes of local government, it falls within the district of South Norfolk.

Oxford City and non-metropolitan district in England

Oxford is a university city in south central England and the county town of Oxfordshire. With a population of approximately 155,000, it is the 52nd largest city in the United Kingdom, with one of the fastest growing populations in the UK, and it remains the most ethnically diverse area in Oxfordshire county. The city is 51 miles (82 km) from London, 61 miles (98 km) from Bristol, 59 miles (95 km) from Southampton, 57 miles (92 km) from Birmingham and 24 miles (39 km) from Reading.

University of Paris former university in Paris, France

The University of Paris, metonymically known as the Sorbonne, was a university in Paris, France, active 1150–1793, and 1806–1970.

Morley returned to England with a valuable collection of books. He was apparently disappointed at the neglect of science in England, and a passage in his book has been interpreted to mean that he was on the point of setting out again for foreign parts when he met John of Oxford, Bishop of Norwich, who persuaded him to remain. The date of Morley's death is unknown. [1]

John of Oxford was a medieval Bishop of Norwich.

Bishop of Norwich Diocesan bishop in the Church of England

The Bishop of Norwich is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Norwich in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese covers most of the county of Norfolk and part of Suffolk. The current Bishop of Norwich is Graham James, who signs as +Graham Norvic.

Works

Morley was author of a book called both Philosophia Magistri Danielis de Merlac, and Liber de Naturis inferiorum et superiorum, dedicated to John of Oxford. From the preface is derived all that is known of Morley's life. [1]

The Arundel MS. divides the work into two books, one, De superiori parte mundi, the other, De inferiori parte mundi; in it Morley quotes frequently from Arabian and Greek philosophers, and vaunts the superiority of the former. He is not free, however, from astrological superstitions. [1]

Another copy of the work is No. 95 in the Corpus Christi College, Oxford, MSS., and is erroneously catalogued under W. de Conchys. This copy lacks the preface, and mentions a third book of the work beginning 'Seneca loquens ad Lucilium,' which is not in the Arundel MS. [1]

Corpus Christi College, Oxford college of the University of Oxford

Corpus Christi College, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1517, it is the 12th oldest college in Oxford, with a financial endowment of £139 million as of 2017.

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References

Attribution

Wikisource-logo.svg  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain : Pollard, Albert Frederick (1894). "Morley, Daniel of". In Lee, Sidney. Dictionary of National Biography . 39. London: Smith, Elder & Co.