The Franciscan William of Ockham (c. 1288–1347) was an English medieval philosopher, theologian, and political theorist. Along with Thomas Aquinas and Duns Scotus, he is regarded as one of the three main figures in medieval philosophy after around 1150. Ockham is important not only in the history of philosophy and theology, but also in the development of early modern science and of modern notions of property rights and church-state relations. This volume offers a full discussion of all significant aspects of Ockham’s thought: logic, philosophy of language, metaphysics and natural philosophy, epistemology, ethics, action theory, political thought and theology. It is the first study of Ockham in any language to make full use of the new critical editions of his works, and to consider recent discoveries concerning his life, education, and influences.
• Systematic, comprehensive, and accessible • Medieval studies is good solid area for Press - will appeal to students of history and theology as well as philosophy • Sales of Companion to Aquinas stand at 8,000 paperbacks - this could sell in similar numbers
Contents
Introduction Paul Vincent Spade; 1. The academic and intellectual worlds of Ockham William J. Courtenay; 2. Some aspects of Ockham's logic C. G. Normore; 3. Semantics and mental language Claude Panaccio; 4. Is there synonymy in Ockham's mental language? David Chalmers; 5. Ockham's nominalist metaphysics: some main themes Paul Vincent Spade; 6. Ockham's semantics and ontology of the categories Gyula Klima; 7. Ockham's philosophy of nature André Goddu; 8. The mechanisms of cognition: Ockham on mediating species Eleonore Stump; 9. Ockham's misunderstood theory of intuitive and abstractive cognition Elizabeth Karger; 10. Ockham's ethical theory Peter King; 11. Ockham on will, nature and morality Marilyn McCord Adams; 12. Natural law and moral omnipotence A. S. McGrade; 13. The political writings John Kilcullen; 14. Ockham on faith and reason Alfred J. Freddoso; 15. Ockham's repudiation of Pelagianism Rega Wood.
Review
‘This book is a must read for any student of Ockham, or someone who would like an accessible but scholarly introduction to his thought.’ The Southern Baptist Journal of Theology
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