WILLIAM OF AUXERRE (Guillelmus Altissiodorensis). - Philosopher and theologian, b. between 1144-49, d. 3 November 1231. He was a master of theology at the University of Paris, and is the author of a celebrated Summa theologica, also called Summa aurea (Paris 1500, 1518; Venice 1591).

In addition to the Summa aurea he wrote, in his youthful period, a commentary on the Anticlaudianus of Alan of Lille and a Summa de officiis, both manuscript.

He belongs to the group of theologians of the Augustinian tradition, but not narrowly conservative, indeed open to the influence of the Aristotelian doctrines that were then spreading through the Latin world. Together with Simon of Authie and Stephen of Provins, he was charged by Gregory IX with revising the physical and metaphysical books of Aristotle (whose reading in school had been prohibited in 1210 and 1215), so that the edition corrected by them might be permitted in the University. He affirms the necessity of rational (theological) speculation on the revealed datum, as St. Anselm had already taught, whose ontological argument for demonstrating the existence of God he likewise accepts (he sets forth, however, together with it the argument founded on the principle of causality).

Bibliography8 works

BIBL.: I. Strake, Die Sacramentenlehre des Wilhelm von Auxerre, Paderborn 1913; Fr. Gilmann, Zur Sacramentenlehre des Wilhelm von Auxerre, Würzburg 1928; C. Ottaviano, G. d'A., Rome 1929 (with bibl.); A. Van Hove, Doctrina Guillelmi Altissiodorensis de causalitate Sacramentorum, in Divus Thomas (Piacenza), 7 (1930), pp. 305-24; P. Mandonnet, Date de la mort de Guillaume d'A., in Arch. d'hist. doctr. et litt. du moyen âge, 7 (1932) pp. 39-46; P. Lackas, Die Ethik des W. v. A., Ahrweiler 1930; A. Masnovo, Da Guglielmo d'Auvergne a s. Tommaso d'Aquino, I, 2nd ed., Milan 1945, ch. 2; M. Grabmann, Die theologische Erkenntnis-und Einleitungslehre des h. Thomas v. Aquin, Freiburg 1948, pp. 187-89.

Sofia Vanni Rovighi

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William of Auxerre (Guillelmus Altissiodorensis)

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