Adam de Wodeham facts for kids

Adam of Wodeham (born 1298, died 1358) was an important thinker. He was a philosopher and a theologian. A theologian studies religion and God. Adam was a member of the Franciscan Order. This was a group of religious people. He is known for being a secretary to William Ockham. Ockham was another famous thinker. Adam also studied the ideas of John Duns Scotus. But Adam of Wodeham was also a great thinker on his own. He made many important contributions to philosophy.

Adam's Early Life and Learning

Adam of Wodeham was born in 1298. This was near Southampton, England.

We don't know much about his early life. But we do know he was a Franciscan. This means he likely started his education young. He probably joined the Franciscan Order between ages 14 and 18. After joining, he would have studied philosophy and theology. This learning would have lasted about 13 years.

Adam met William Ockham between 1320 and 1324. Adam was finishing his philosophy studies then. Adam's ideas were greatly shaped by Ockham. Many of Adam's writings supported Ockham's thoughts. These writings helped Ockham become well known.

After this, Adam studied theology at Oxford. This was between 1326 and 1329. He didn't write much new work then. But he gained confidence to develop his own ideas. He started to think differently from others. Later, some of his new ideas were seen as controversial.

For example, Susan Brower-Toland points out one idea. Adam introduced "complexe significabile." This means "something that can be shown only by a full sentence." This was a new and important idea. It was a big change from older ways of thinking.

Adam's Career and Influence

Between 1329 and 1332, Adam's work became more widely known. This happened because he gave lectures in Norwich. He lectured on Peter Lombard's "Sentences." His lectures covered many topics. These included how to understand the Bible and even physics. Adam also gave lectures in London and Oxford. The exact order of these lectures is still debated today.

After his Norwich lectures, around 1330, Adam's career grew. He began to lecture at Oxford. During this time, he focused on theology. It is believed he expanded on his Norwich lectures. These Oxford lectures were only published in Latin in 1990. Today, they are his main available work. His time at Oxford ended just before 1340.

Adam became very influential during his Oxford years. He talked and debated with other thinkers at Oxford. He also became famous in Paris. Many writers in Paris mentioned Adam's work. This was between 1342 and 1345. His ideas continued to be important into the early 1500s.

Adam's Later Life and Death

Around 1340, Adam left Oxford and England. He traveled for some time, but we don't know where. Eventually, he returned to England. He died in 1358 at Babwell Convent. He might have died from the plague. Not much is known about his life after he left Oxford.

Works

• Adam de Wodeham, Foreword, in William of Ockham, Summa Logicae, edited by Philotheus Boehner, Gedeon Gál, and Stephen Brown, Saint Bonaventure, NY: Franciscan Institute, 1974
• Adam de Wodeham, Lectura secunda in librum primum sententiarum (3 vols.), 1: Prologus et distinctio prima; 2: Distinctiones II-VII; 3: Distinctiones VIII-XXVI edited by Rega Wood and Gedeon Gál, St. Bonaventure, NY: St. Bonaventure University, 1990.
• Adam de Wodeham, Tractatus de Indivisibilibus, edited and translated by Rega Wood, Dordrecht: Reidel, 1988.

See also

• John Mair
• Henry of Oyta