Marsilius of Inghen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Marsilius of Inghen
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Marsilius of Inghen, copy from the 18th century of a Renaissance woodcut
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| Born | c. 1340 near Nijmegen
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| Died | August 20, 1396 |
| Alma mater | University of Paris University of Heidelberg |
| Era | Medieval philosophy |
| Region | Western philosophy |
| School | Nominalism |
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Main interests
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Logic, natural philosophy, theology |
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Notable ideas
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Ampliation as an extension of supposition |
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Influences
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Marsilius of Inghen (around 1340 – August 20, 1396) was an important Dutch philosopher from the Middle Ages. He was a "Scholastic" thinker, which means he used logic and reason to understand the world and religious ideas. Marsilius studied with famous teachers like Albert of Saxony and Nicole Oresme. His main teacher was Jean Buridan.
Marsilius was a top professor, called a "Magister," at the University of Paris. Later, he also taught at the University of Heidelberg from 1386 until he passed away in 1396.
Contents
Life of Marsilius
Marsilius of Inghen was born near Nijmegen, a city in the Netherlands. We don't know much about his early life or family. The first clear date we have is September 27, 1362. On this day, he gave his "Magister Artium" lecture at the University of Paris. This lecture was part of earning his master's degree in arts.
After getting his degree, he started working at the University of Paris. He became the "rector" (a high-ranking leader) of the university in 1367 and again in 1371. Besides his studies in philosophy and logic, he also studied theology, which is the study of religious faith and God. His lectures on theology were very popular. In 1378, Marsilius was chosen to represent the University of Paris to Pope Urban VI in Tivoli.
After 1379, Marsilius's name stopped appearing in the records of the University of Paris. He was likely forced to leave because of a big disagreement, called a "schism," within the church. In 1386, Marsilius became the first rector of the University of Heidelberg. He helped found this new university with Rupert I, Elector Palatine. He was also the first theologian to earn a doctorate degree from this university.
Marsilius was the rector of the University of Heidelberg nine times. He served from 1386, the year the university opened, until 1392. He was also rector again from June 23, 1396, until his death. From 1389 to 1390, he was in charge of moving the university's records to Rome. After this, he went back to studying theology. Marsilius of Inghen died just a few months later. He was buried in the Church of Peter in Heidelberg.
Marsilius's Ideas
Marsilius of Inghen had many important ideas, especially in logic and natural philosophy (the study of how the natural world works).
Thinking about Logic
In logic, Marsilius followed the ideas of Aristotle. He was a "nominalist," which is a way of thinking about how we understand things. In natural philosophy, he was an "empiricist." This means he believed we gain knowledge mostly through our senses and experiences.
He combined the new ideas about physics from the 14th century. These ideas came from thinkers like Buridan, Thomas Bradwardine, and Oresme. Marsilius used these new physics ideas in his writings about Aristotle's works.
His writings on both theology and philosophy used a "logico-semantical" approach. This means he focused on how words and ideas connect logically. He often mixed older theories, sometimes more like Aristotle's and sometimes more like "Neoplatonism." This makes it hard to simply call him an "Ockhamist," even though he is often linked to that group.
What is Nominalism?
Marsilius of Inghen is best known for his work in "nominalism." While people in the 14th century didn't use the word "nominalist" for themselves, he is seen as one of the key thinkers of this movement.
In his nominalist philosophy, Marsilius believed that "universals" (like the idea of "redness" or "humanness") only exist in our minds. Outside of our minds, there are only individual things (like a specific red apple or a specific person). He thought that human knowledge comes from what we learn through our senses. However, for Marsilius, understanding deep ideas about reality (metaphysical knowledge) was the highest form of knowledge. This is because it helps us grasp the most general ideas.
What Science Studies
Because of his beliefs in nominalism and his respect for Aristotle, Marsilius had specific ideas about what science should study. He said that a scientific object must be a single thing. But it also had to be a "necessary universal," as Aristotle required.
So, for Marsilius, the objects of science are ideas or descriptions that exist in our minds. These ideas help us understand the individual things in the world around us.
Understanding Nature
As mentioned, Marsilius believed we get knowledge through our senses. This makes him an empiricist. But he also thought that some truths are known "a priori," meaning we know them without needing experience.
Marsilius also had an interesting idea about "impetus." This is the force that keeps an object moving after it's been pushed. Following Buridan, Marsilius disagreed with Aristotle's idea. Marsilius believed that impetus was a property transferred from the thing that pushed an object to the object itself.
In his book Questions on the Eight Books of the Physics, Marsilius used old experiments with a "clepsydra" (an ancient water clock) to show that "nature hates a vacuum."
Marsilius's Theology
Marsilius started studying theology at the University of Paris in 1366. But most of his theological studies happened when he was at the University of Heidelberg. His overall ideas about theology were influenced by thinkers like Adam Wodeham, Gregory of Rimini, Thomas Aquinas, and Bonaventure. However, he also had his own original ideas.
When thinking about God creating the world, Marsilius believed that God did not create the world to last forever. He also thought that this way of creation did not go against God's perfection.
Marsilius believed that his natural philosophy could lead to some true knowledge about God. But he also thought it could stop us from getting complete true knowledge. He felt that humans' natural abilities are enough to figure out that God exists, that God has a will, and that God has knowledge.
However, our natural abilities cannot fully understand God's unlimited power, God's free will, or God's ability to create something from nothing. Marsilius thought that if you only use your natural abilities to understand God, you might actually deny God's unlimited power, free will, and ability to create from nothing.
He also didn't fully agree with using only logic to study theology. To truly understand God, Marsilius believed you needed Christian faith. Faith was the only way to gain knowledge of God that our natural abilities couldn't reach. So, Marsilius thought that human knowledge is limited in understanding God, but it still helps us search for that knowledge.
Another important idea in his theology was about "divine simplicity." He was greatly influenced by Wodeham on this point. Marsilius believed that even though humans might think of God as having different parts or qualities, these are just ways we understand God. In truth, God has only one essence and is a single, complete being.
Marsilius's Impact
After Marsilius died, his writings became quite famous. He was seen as one of the greatest nominalist thinkers of his time, along with Ockham and Buridan.
His many questions and writings about Aristotle's works became textbooks for students in different universities. These included his writings on topics like how things are created and destroyed, the soul, reality, physics, and ethics. Also, his theological ideas were widely read and had a big impact on Spanish theology.
Marsilius influenced philosophy in Central Europe for centuries after his death. He did this through his own ideas and by encouraging changes in university programs. Even in the 16th century, people still talked about a "Marsilian way" of thinking in logic and physics.
See also
In Spanish: Marsilio de Inghen para niños
