Nonetheless, Lutterell, who was apparently still not satisfied in his persecution of Ockham, became instrumental in having Ockham brought before a papal court on charges of professing heretical doctrines. For this and other reasons, Lutterell became so unpopular that he himself was expelled from Oxford. It seems that Lutterell, a devout and overzealous Thomist, had taken umbrage with some of Ockham’s writings, and consequently, had decided to punish him despite most of those at the University having sided with Ockham. (Ockham was also given the title Doctor Invincibilis, or Unconquerable Teacher.) It is believed that Ockham was denied his chair through the efforts of John Lutterell, a former Chancellor of the University. Thus he remained a Magister Theologiae, and for this reason he acquired the pseudonym, Venerabilis Inceptor, or Worthy Beginner. Afterwards, and while still maintaining his ties to the University, Ockham, like many of his scholastic contemporaries, went on to lecture both on the Bible and on the Sentences of Peter Lombard, which by this time had become the de facto authority on all theological teachings throughout Medieval Europe.Īlthough Ockham had completed all of the requirements for his degree in theology, he never advanced to the level of Magister acto regens, or in other words, an official chair at the University. From 1309 to 1315 he attended the University of Oxford where it is believed he studied theology. It is known that Ockham joined the Franciscans at an early age, and in 1306 he was ordained a subdeacon within the Order. He was born sometime between the years 12 (though probably nearer to 1280) in the village of Ockham, which is located near London in the County of Surrey. Once again, we find that there is little information on Ockham’s early life. We now come to the English-born William of Ockham, the last of the medieval philosophers in our review. Sections in bold type or that are underlined are intended by me to highlight critical points. Square brackets found within quotes are mine Parentheses () found within quotes are the author’s. It is intended to serve as a primer for students of medieval philosophy with an emphasis on some of the more important works of William of Ockham. James Ziccardi’s The Essence of Medieval Philosophy. The following is one in a series of reviews that has been extracted in its entirety from M. Medieval Philosophy: A Practical Guide to William of Ockham
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