Ockhamism
Ockhamism
A term in common use since the early 15th century, indicating doctrines and methods associated with those of the English Franciscan theologian William of Ockham (died 1349). It is currently applied by neoscholastic writers as a blanket designation for a great variety of late mediaeval and early modern attitudes such as are destructive of the metaphysical principles of Thomism, even though they may not be directly traceible to Ockham’s own writings.
Three senses of “Ockhamism” may be distinguished
Logical, indicating usage of the terminology and technique of logical analysis developed by Ockham in his Summa totius logicae; in particular, use of the concept of supposition (suppositio) in the significative analysis of terms.
Epistemological, indicating the thesis that universality is attributable only to terms and propositions, and not to things as existing apart from discourse.
Theological, indicating the thesis that no tneological doctrines, such as those of God’s existence or of the immortality of the soul, are evident or demonstrable philosophically, so that religious doctrine rests solely on faith, without metaphysical or scientific support. It is in this sense that Luther is often called an Ockhamist.
Bibliography
B. Geyer,
Ueberwegs Grundriss d. Gesch. d. Phil., Bd. II (11th ed., Berlin 1928), pp. 571-612 and 781-786;
N. Abbagnano,
Guglielmo di Ockham (Lanciano, Italy, 1931);
E. A. Moody,
The Logic of William of Ockham (N. Y. & London, 1935);
F. Ehrle,
Peter von Candia (Muenster, 1925);
G. Ritter,
Studien zur Spaetscholastik, I-II (Heidelberg, 1921-1922).
— E.A.M.