Level 36
1 day < 1 min
LeaderboardGuest · Log in
Medieval and Scholastic Philosophy

Late Scholastic Nominalism and Political Thought

The fragmentation of scholastic consensus in the fourteenth century, as nominalist logic and conciliarist politics challenged papal authority and prepared the ground for the Reformation.

60-Second Review

Express review

A condensed, point-by-point summary of the module, for reviewing right before a test or exam.

  1. William of Ockham's Razor and the Rejection of Realist Universals. Ockham denied that universals exist outside the mind, demanding the simplest sufficient explanation.
  2. Nominalism and the Rise of Empirical Natural Philosophy. By denying real universals, nominalism pushed natural philosophy toward singular observation and mathematics.
  3. Marsilius of Padua and the Defense of Secular Sovereignty. Marsilius located sovereign lawmaking authority in the citizen body rather than in the pope.
  4. Conciliarism and the Crisis of Papal Authority. The Western Schism drove theorists to argue that a general council outranks even a reigning pope.
  5. Jean Buridan and the Paris School of Natural Philosophy. Buridan explained projectile and celestial motion through impressed impetus rather than external movers.
  6. Nicholas of Oresme and Late Medieval Mathematical Physics. Oresme graphed changing qualities geometrically and weighed, without settling, the earth's daily rotation.
  7. The Devotio Moderna and Practical Mysticism. The Devotio Moderna promoted interior piety and communal life over scholastic speculation.
  8. Nominalism's Legacy in Luther and the Protestant Reformation. Luther's theological training in the via moderna shaped, and later provoked, key Reformation doctrines.

This module continues after "Andalusian and North African Philosophy" in the syllabus. If you haven't reviewed it yet, it may help set the context.

Key points

Visual module map

1William of Ockham's Razor and the Rejection of Realist Universals
2Marsilius of Padua and the Defense of Secular Sovereignty
3Jean Buridan and the Paris School of Natural Philosophy
4Nicholas of Oresme and Late Medieval Mathematical Physics
5Nominalism's Legacy in Luther and the Protestant Reformation

Alternative visual view: a simplified sequence of some of the module's key points, in their order within the syllabus.

Your module mastery

0% (overall measurement)
Approximate breakdown by skill
Understanding of historiographical debate0%

A rough estimate based on the key points reviewed, not an exact measurement of actual mastery.

Final test

You need to review all key points to unlock the final test.

Optional mini-games

Extra practice, with no penalty, to reinforce the module's content.

Review Flashcards

Review each key point with cards that flip to reveal the summary.

Memory

Match each concept with its definition in as few attempts as possible.

Time Attack

Answer true or false statements before time runs out.

Chronological Order

Put the module's key points back in their original order.

Further reading

Bibliography and cited sources used to create this module.

  • Adams, M.M. (1987). William Ockham. Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press.
  • Courtenay, W.J. (1999). Ockham and Ockhamism: Studies in the Dissemination and Impact of His Thought. Leiden: Brill.
  • Nederman, C.J. (Trans.) (2005). Marsilius of Padua: Writings on the Empire, Church and State. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • Oakley, F. (2003). The Conciliarist Tradition: Constitutionalism in the Catholic Church, 1300–1870. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • Clagett, M. (1959). The Science of Mechanics in the Middle Ages. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press.
  • Oberman, H.A. (1963). The Harvest of Medieval Theology: Gabriel Biel and Late Medieval Nominalism. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.