Robert Balfour (philosopher) facts for kids

Robert Balfour (born around 1553, died in 1621), also known as Balforeus, was a smart Scottish philosopher. He was a very important thinker in his time.

Robert Balfour studied at two famous universities. He went to the University of St Andrews in Scotland. Then, he continued his learning at the University of Paris in France. For many years, he was the head teacher, or principal, of the College of Guienne. This college was located in the city of Bordeaux, France.

What Did Robert Balfour Do?

Robert Balfour was a philosopher. A philosopher is someone who studies big questions about life. They think about how we know things and how the world works. Balfour was especially good at understanding logic. Logic is like a set of rules for thinking clearly. It helps us figure out if an idea makes sense.

His Main Book

Balfour wrote a very important book called Commentarii in Organum Logicum Aristotelis. This long title means "Comments on Aristotle's Logic Tools." It was published in Bordeaux in 1618. In this book, Balfour explained the ideas of an ancient Greek philosopher named Aristotle. Aristotle's ideas about logic were very important.

People thought highly of Balfour's book. Copies of it, like one in the British Museum, even had special poems praising him. These poems called him "Graium aemulus acer." This means he was a fierce rival to the ancient Greeks. This showed how good people thought he was at philosophy.

Spreading Scottish Genius

Robert Balfour was one of many Scottish scholars. These scholars helped show Europe how smart people from Scotland were. They were known for their "praefervidum ingenium Scotorum." This means the "fiery genius of the Scots."

A writer from his time, Thomas Dempster, called Balfour amazing. He said Balfour was the "phoenix of his age." A phoenix is a special bird that rises from ashes. This means Balfour was truly unique and brilliant. Dempster also said Balfour was great at Greek and Latin. He was also a mathematician who could be compared to thinkers from ancient times.

Another Important Work

Balfour also worked on a book called Cleomedis meteora. This book had his notes and a Latin translation. It was reprinted in Leiden as late as 1820. This shows that his work was still important many years after he lived.