John of Jandun

JOHN OF JANDUN. - Philosopher, b. at Jandun, in the Ardennes, in the second half of the 13th century, d. at Todi in 1328. He studied at the University of Paris where, having obtained his degree, he taught philosophy. On 13 Nov. 1316 he received from John XXII a canonry in the Chapter of Senlis.

Against the Thomism dominant at that time he upheld with extreme rigor the Averroist doctrines, particularly: the eternity of motion and of the world, the unity of the agent intellect, the double truth, the impossibility of a rational demonstration of the immortality of the soul. With Marsilius of Padua he collaborated on the Defensor pacis (a work in which, as is well known, the temporal-spiritual authority of the pope was harshly attacked, and, together with the principle of popular sovereignty, the supreme power of the emperor was affirmed even in religious matters), giving a philosophical imprint to the whole book. G.'s collaboration on the Defensor pacis was so well known that he was included in the excommunication launched by John XXII on 23 Oct. 1327 against the authors of the new heretical theory. But already from the previous year they had sought and found refuge with Louis of Bavaria, whose advisers they soon became. On 1 May 1328 G. di J. was appointed, by Louis the Bavarian, bishop of Ferrara, but death overtook him before he could even reach his see. He was often confused with John of Ghent, so much so that certain works such as the De laudibus Parisius and the Quaestiones are attributed indiscriminately to one or the other.

Emma Santovito