Home > William of Ockham

"The medieval rule of parsimony, or principle of economy, frequently used by Ockham came to be known as Ockham's razor." [1]

Summoned to Avignon in 1324Events Publication of Defensor pacis by Marsilius of Padua Mansa Kankan Musa I, ruler of the Mali Empire arrives in Cairo on his hajj or pilgrimage to Mecca. With an entourage numbering in the thousands, and so generous with his gold that the the price of by Pope John XXIIPope John XXII ne Jacques d'Euse ( 1249 December 4, 1334), was elected to the papacy in 1316 and reigned until his death in 1334. The two-year gap between the death of Clement V and the election of John XXII was due to extreme disagreement between the car on accusation of heresy, William spent four years there in effect under house arrest while his teaching and writing were being investigated. During this period, at the request of Brother Michael of CesenaMichael of Cesena Michele di Cesena ( 1270- November 29 1342) was a Franciscan, general of that Order, and theologian, born at Cesena, a small town in Italy. He was an advocate of ecclesiastical poverty, in which dispute he found himself ranged against Po, head of the Franciscan order, Ockham investigated the controversy between the Franciscans and the Papacy on the doctrine of apostolic povertyApostolic poverty is a doctrine professed by various religious orders, primarily those sprung from the mendicant orders of the Middle Ages in direct response to the call for reforms in the Roman Catholic Church. The doctrine was seen as a challenge to the, which was central to Franciscan doctrine but anathemaThis article is about the Biblical term "anathema. For the British doom/ death metal band, see Anathema (band An anathema is anything laid up or suspended; hence anything laid up in a temple or set apart as sacred. In this sense the form of the word is on to the Pope. Ockham concluded that Pope John XXII was a heretic, a position that he later put forth in writing. Before a conclusion was reached about the heresy or orthodoxy of William's philosophy, he fled Avignon on May 26May 26 is the 146th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (147th in leap years). There are 219 days remaining before the end of the year. Events 1328 William of Ockham secretly leaves Avignon under threat from Pope John XXII. 1538 Geneva throws out Jo, 1328Events May 1 Treaty of Edinburgh-Northampton England recognises Scotland as an independent nation after the Wars of Scottish Independence May 12 Nicholas V is consecrated at St Peter's Basilica in Rome by the bishop of Venice. May 26 William of Ockham sec with Michael of Cesena and a few other friars. They sought the protection of Emperor Louis IV in Bavaria. [2] After criticizing the pope, he is believed to have been excommunicated, although historical sources vary. Ockham spent much of the remainder of his life writing about political issues, including the relative authority and rights of the spiritual and temporal powers.

He died in a convent in MunichMunich ( German: Munchen ) is the state capital of the German Bundesland of Bavaria. Behind Berlin and Hamburg, Munich is Germany's third largest city with a population of about 1. 261 million ( as of 2003). It is located on the river Isar. History The se, Bavaria (now Germany).