John of Mirecourt

Last updated

John of Mirecourt, [1] also known as Monachus Albus ('the White Monk'), [2] was a Cistercian scholastic philosopher of the fourteenth century, from Mirecourt, Lorraine. He was a follower of William of Ockham; he was censured by Pope Clement VI. [3]

Contents

Life and Writings

Very little is known of the life of John of Mirecourt, but it seems that he was born at Mirecourt in Lorraine between 1310 and 1315. [4] He lectured at the Cistercian College of St. Bernard in Paris, and rose to the height of his philosophical and theological fame around the year 1345. [5] He is credited with writing a commentary on Peter Lombard's Sentences, and two subsequent apologies which were responses to various criticisms of his commentary. [6] He wrote two versions of his commentary; the first of which was attacked by a Benedictine called Johannes Normanus. [7] Mirecourt replied by issuing a Declaratio in which he explained the meanings behind his propositions. [8] Nevertheless, acting upon the recommendation of the faculty of theology at the University of Paris, Robert of Bardis, the University chancellor, condemned 41 propositions that were drawn from Mirecourt's writings on the Sentences. [9] Mirecourt responded to this condemnation by writing a second apology to no avail: he was censured in Paris by Pope Clement VI in 1347. [10] After this censure, nothing further is known of him, including any approximation as to the date of his death. [11] There is some speculation that scholarly jealousy and academic politics made up a portion of the motivation behind Mirecourt's censure; and as Mirecourt was not radical in all of his philosophical views, it is not unsubstantiated that his censure was in part the result of some ill-will from various of the nominalist factions. [12]

Philosophical thought

Knowledge and Intuition


Mirecourt reasoned that there are two kinds of certain knowledge: (1) 'the principle of non-contradiction,' and (2) 'the immediate intuition of one's existence'. [13] The most undoubtedly of all things that can be known fall to this first kind of knowledge, as well as all analytic judgements that are reducible to it. [14] Mirecourt distinguishes between two kinds of evidence of these kinds of knowledge: (1) special and (2) natural. [15] Special evidence comes from the principle of non-contradiction, and natural evidence is that which is gained empirically. [16] Mirecourt thought natural evidence to be weaker than special evidence because he understood God to be both absolutely powerful and the producer of miracles (as taken to be some occurrence outside of what is otherwise empirically observable). [17]

It is speculated that Mirecourt was censured due to his rigid views regarding the reliance of everything upon the will of God. [18] Mirecourt held the view that anything physical or moral is wholly depended on the entirely free will of God. [19] This was a controversial view because it held God responsible for willing not only all that is good, but also all that is not good. This stood in rather severe contradistinction to the commonly accepted view of Mirecourt's contemporaries which were centered on the premise of an all-good God. [20] Mirecourt stated that some temptations cannot be overcome without a miracle from God. Such temptations included resisting the urge to have sexual relations with another man's wife. If this miracle is not given, Mirecourt argued that the action is then to be called neither adultery, nor a sin. [21]

Mirecourt is most well known for his theories on the infinite. [22] He was chiefly concerned with species and perfections. [23] God possessed the highest degree of perfection on his scale; and all creatures were infinitely distant from him. [24] Mirecourt held that it is impossible to measure perfections because of the infinite distance they have from God. Thus, all that can be known is that any species either exceeds, or is exceeded by, some other species in a scale of perfections. [25]

Nominalism

Mirecourt is generally thought to be a nominalist, and is often thought of as being a follower of William Ockham. Mirecourt rejected the idea of an imperfect intuitive cognition, however, which is a considerable departure from Ockham. [26] The two, though, are generally in accord, especially with respect to their epistemological views. [27]

Epistemology

Both Mirecourt and Ockham describe abstractive and intuitive cognition in very similar ways: both men think of knowledge as starting with intuitive cognition. [28] Both men also distinguish between judgement and simple apprehension. [29] In addition, both assert a need for close connections between a cognition and its object. [30]

Influences

Mirecourt was chiefly influenced by the philosophy of Nicholas of Autrecourt, William Ockham, and to a minimal degree, Gregory of Rimini, and perhaps even Thomas Bradwardine. [31] Nearly all of the major figures of Mirecourt's day accepted the basic tenets of nominalism, to some degree, and Mirecourt was no different in this respect. He was particularly influenced by the radical nominalist views of Nicholaus of Autrecourt, who was forced to burn his writings in 1347. [32]

Related Research Articles

Epistemology is the branch of philosophy that examines the nature, origin, and limits of knowledge. Also called theory of knowledge, it explores different types of knowledge, such as propositional knowledge about facts, practical knowledge in the form of skills, and knowledge by acquaintance as a familiarity through experience. Epistemologists study the concepts of belief, truth, and justification to understand the nature of knowledge. To discover how knowledge arises, they investigate sources of justification, such as perception, introspection, memory, reason, and testimony.

Metaphilosophy, sometimes called the philosophy of philosophy, is "the investigation of the nature of philosophy". Its subject matter includes the aims of philosophy, the boundaries of philosophy, and its methods. Thus, while philosophy characteristically inquires into the nature of being, the reality of objects, the possibility of knowledge, the nature of truth, and so on, metaphilosophy is the self-reflective inquiry into the nature, aims, and methods of the activity that makes these kinds of inquiries, by asking what is philosophy itself, what sorts of questions it should ask, how it might pose and answer them, and what it can achieve in doing so. It is considered by some to be a subject prior and preparatory to philosophy, while others see it as inherently a part of philosophy, or automatically a part of philosophy while others adopt some combination of these views.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nominalism</span> Philosophy emphasizing names and labels

In metaphysics, nominalism is the view that universals and abstract objects do not actually exist other than being merely names or labels. There are two main versions of nominalism. One denies the existence of universals – that which can be instantiated or exemplified by many particular things. The other version specifically denies the existence of abstract objects as such – objects that do not exist in space and time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Problem of universals</span> Philosophical question of whether properties exist and, if so, what they are

The problem of universals is an ancient question from metaphysics that has inspired a range of philosophical topics and disputes: "Should the properties an object has in common with other objects, such as color and shape, be considered to exist beyond those objects? And if a property exists separately from objects, what is the nature of that existence?"

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William of Ockham</span> English Franciscan friar and theologian (c. 1287 – 1347)

William of Ockham or Occam was an English Franciscan friar, scholastic philosopher, apologist, and theologian, who is believed to have been born in Ockham, a small village in Surrey. He is considered to be one of the major figures of medieval thought and was at the centre of the major intellectual and political controversies of the 14th century. He is commonly known for Occam's razor, the methodological principle that bears his name, and also produced significant works on logic, physics and theology. William is remembered in the Church of England with a commemoration corresponding to the commonly ascribed date of his death on 10 April.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scholasticism</span> Medieval school of philosophy

Scholasticism was a medieval school of philosophy that employed a critical organic method of philosophical analysis predicated upon Aristotelianism and the Ten Categories. Christian scholasticism emerged within the monastic schools that translated scholastic Judeo-Islamic philosophies, and "rediscovered" the collected works of Aristotle. Endeavoring to harmonize his metaphysics and its account of a prime mover with the Latin Catholic dogmatic trinitarian theology, these monastic schools became the basis of the earliest European medieval universities, and thus became the bedrock for the development of modern science and philosophy in the Western world. Scholasticism dominated education in Europe from about 1100 to 1700. The rise of scholasticism was closely associated with these schools that flourished in Italy, France, Portugal, Spain and England.

The history of logic deals with the study of the development of the science of valid inference (logic). Formal logics developed in ancient times in India, China, and Greece. Greek methods, particularly Aristotelian logic as found in the Organon, found wide application and acceptance in Western science and mathematics for millennia. The Stoics, especially Chrysippus, began the development of predicate logic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Kilwardby</span> Archbishop of Canterbury from 1272 to 1278

Robert Kilwardby was an Archbishop of Canterbury in England and a cardinal. Kilwardby was the first member of a mendicant order to attain a high ecclesiastical office in the English Church.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Bradwardine</span> English cleric, mathematician and courtier (c.1300–1349)

Thomas Bradwardine was an English cleric, scholar, mathematician, physicist, courtier and, very briefly, Archbishop of Canterbury. As a celebrated scholastic philosopher and doctor of theology, he is often called Doctor Profundus.

Albert of Saxony was a German philosopher and mathematician known for his contributions to logic and physics. He was bishop of Halberstadt from 1366 until his death.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Condemnations of 1210–1277</span> Medieval restrictions questioning Aristotelianism

The Condemnations at the medieval University of Paris were enacted to restrict certain teachings as being heretical. These included a number of medieval theological teachings, but most importantly the physical treatises of Aristotle. The investigations of these teachings were conducted by the Bishops of Paris. The Condemnations of 1277 are traditionally linked to an investigation requested by Pope John XXI, although whether he actually supported drawing up a list of condemnations is unclear.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neo-Kantianism</span> Revival of Immanuel Kants philosophy

In late modern philosophy, neo-Kantianism was a revival of the 18th-century philosophy of Immanuel Kant. The neo-Kantians sought to develop and clarify Kant's theories, particularly his concept of the thing-in-itself and his moral philosophy.

Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems concerning matters such as existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. It is distinguished from other ways of addressing fundamental questions by being critical and generally systematic and by its reliance on rational argument. It involves logical analysis of language and clarification of the meaning of words and concepts.

John of Dumbleton was a member of the Dumbleton village community in Gloucestershire, a southwestern county in England. Although obscure, he is considered a significant English fourteenth-century philosopher for his contributions to logic, natural philosophy, and physics. Dumbleton’s masterwork is his Summa Logicae et Philosophiae Naturalis, likely to have been composed just before the time of his death.

Adam of Wodeham, OFM (1298–1358) was a philosopher and theologian. Currently, Wodeham is best known for having been a secretary of William Ockham and for his interpretations of John Duns Scotus. But Wodeham was also an influential thinker in his own right who made valuable philosophical contributions during his life.

Western philosophy refers to the philosophical thought, traditions and works of the Western world. Historically, the term refers to the philosophical thinking of Western culture, beginning with the ancient Greek philosophy of the pre-Socratics. The word philosophy itself originated from the Ancient Greek philosophía (φιλοσοφία), literally, "the love of wisdom" Ancient Greek: φιλεῖν phileîn, "to love" and σοφία sophía, "wisdom".

Peter Ceffons was a French Cistercian theologian and scholastic philosopher, who became Abbot of Clairvaux. He is considered an early humanist for his style.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Formal distinction</span> Concept in scholastic metaphysics

In scholastic metaphysics, a formal distinction is a distinction intermediate between what is merely conceptual, and what is fully real or mind-independent—a logical distinction. It was made by some realist philosophers of the Scholastic period in the thirteenth century, and particularly by Duns Scotus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Medieval philosophy</span> Philosophy during the medieval period

Medieval philosophy is the philosophy that existed through the Middle Ages, the period roughly extending from the fall of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century until after the Renaissance in the 13th and 14th centuries. Medieval philosophy, understood as a project of independent philosophical inquiry, began in Baghdad, in the middle of the 8th century, and in France and Germany, in the itinerant court of Charlemagne in Aachen, in the last quarter of the 8th century. It is defined partly by the process of rediscovering the ancient culture developed in Greece and Rome during the Classical period, and partly by the need to address theological problems and to integrate sacred doctrine with secular learning. This is one of the defining characteristics in this time period. Understanding God was the focal point of study of the philosophers at that time, Muslim and Christian alike.

Thomas of Erfurt was a German philosopher, the most important of the so-called Modistae. He was probably a native of Erfurt. He had some connection to the University of Paris as a teacher or student. He later taught at St Severus' Church and the Schottenkirche in Erfurt.

References

Notes

  1. ↑ Jean de Mirecourt, Jean de Méricour, Johannes de Mercuria.
  2. ↑ Pasnau, Robert (2010). The Cambridge History of Medieval Philosophy . Cambridge University Press. pp.  909.
  3. ↑ Chapter Vii Archived 2008-07-20 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ↑ Van Neste, Roy (1971). The Epistemology of John of Mirecourt in Relation to Fourteenth Century Thought. University of Wisconsin. p. 14.
  5. ↑ Pasnau, Robert (2010). The Cambridge History of Medieval Philosophy. Cambridge University Press. p. 909.
  6. ↑ Van Neste, Roy (1971). The Epistemology of John of Mirecourt in Relation to Fourteenth Century Thought. University of Wisconsin. p. 22.
  7. ↑ Beuchot, Mauricio (2003). A Companion to Philosophy in the Middle Ages. Blackwell Publishing. p. 377.
  8. ↑ Beuchot, Mauricio (2003). A Companion to Philosophy in the Middle Ages. Blackwell Publishing. p. 377.
  9. ↑ Van Neste, Roy (1971). The Epistemology of John of Mirecourt in Relation to Fourteenth Century Thought. University of Wisconsin. p. 18.
  10. ↑ Beuchot, Mauricio (2003). A Companion to Philosophy in the Middle Ages. Blackwell Publishing. p. 377.
  11. ↑ Courtenay (1989). "nquiry and Inquisition: Academic Freedom in Medieval Universities". Church History. 2 (58): 168–181. doi:10.2307/3168722. JSTOR   3168722. S2CID   162299569.
  12. ↑ Van Neste, Roy (1971). The Epistemology of John of Mirecourt in Relation to Fourteenth Century Thought. University of Wisconsin. p. 33.
  13. ↑ Beuchot, Mauricio (2003). A Companion to Philosophy in the Middle Ages. Blackwell Publishing. pp. 377–379.
  14. ↑ Beuchot, Mauricio (2003). A Companion to Philosophy in the Middle Ages. Blackwell Publishing. pp. 377–379.
  15. ↑ Beuchot, Mauricio (2003). A Companion to Philosophy in the Middle Ages. Blackwell Publishing. pp. 377–379.
  16. ↑ Beuchot, Mauricio (2003). A Companion to Philosophy in the Middle Ages. Blackwell Publishing. pp. 377–379.
  17. ↑ Beuchot, Mauricio (2003). A Companion to Philosophy in the Middle Ages. Blackwell Publishing. p. 378.
  18. ↑ Beuchot, Mauricio (2003). A Companion to Philosophy in the Middle Ages. Blackwell Publishing. p. 379.
  19. ↑ Beuchot, Mauricio (2003). A Companion to Philosophy in the Middle Ages. Blackwell Publishing. p. 379.
  20. ↑ Beuchot, Mauricio (2003). A Companion to Philosophy in the Middle Ages. Blackwell Publishing. p. 380.
  21. ↑ Beuchot, Mauricio (2003). A Companion to Philosophy in the Middle Ages. Blackwell Publishing. p. 380.
  22. ↑ Murdoch, John (1978). Subtilitates Anglicanae in Fourteenth-Century Paris: John of Mirecourt and Peter Ceffons. New York Academy of Sciences. pp. 51–61.
  23. ↑ Murdoch, John (1978). Subtilitates Anglicanae in Fourteenth-Century Paris: John of Mirecourt and Peter Ceffons. New York Academy of Sciences. p. 60.
  24. ↑ Murdoch, John (1978). Subtilitates Anglicanae in Fourteenth-Century Paris: John of Mirecourt and Peter Ceffons. New York Academy of Sciences. p. 60.
  25. ↑ Murdoch, John (1978). Subtilitates Anglicanae in Fourteenth-Century Paris: John of Mirecourt and Peter Ceffons. New York: New York Academy of Sciences. p. 60.
  26. ↑ Van Neste, Roy (1971). The Epistemology of John of Mirecourt in Relation to Fourteenth Century Thought. University of Wisconsin. p. 90.
  27. ↑ Van Neste, Roy (1971). The Epistemology of John of Mirecourt in Relation to Fourteenth Century Thought. University of Wisconsin. pp. 90–91.
  28. ↑ Van Neste, Roy (1971). The Epistemology of John of Mirecourt in Relation to Fourteenth Century Thought. University of Wisconsin. p. 90.
  29. ↑ Van Neste, Roy (1971). The Epistemology of John of Mirecourt in Relation to Fourteenth Century Thought. University of Wisconsin. p. 90.
  30. ↑ Van Neste, Roy (1971). The Epistemology of John of Mirecourt in Relation to Fourteenth Century Thought. University of Wisconsin. p. 90.
  31. ↑ Van Neste, Roy (1971). The Epistemology of John of Mirecourt in Relation to Fourteenth Century Thought. University of Wisconsin. pp. 14–90.
  32. ↑ Van Neste, Roy (1971). The Epistemology of John of Mirecourt in Relation to Fourteenth Century Thought. University of Wisconsin. p. 18.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.