Marsilio of Inghen

MARSILIO OF INGHEN. - Ockhamist, disciple of G. Buridan and his successor, in the second half of the 14th century, in the Faculty of Arts at Paris and in that of theology. In 1367 and 1371 he was rector of the same University. Around 1383 he moved to the University of Heidelberg, then newly founded and of which he was the first rector. M. in 1396.

A nominalist, he nevertheless admits that concepts correspond to some likeness in individuals of the same species. If the existence of God can be demonstrated by reason, the same cannot be said of the creation of matter. But his name, like that of Buridan (v.) and of Albert of Saxony (v.), is linked above all to the physical doctrine of impetus, to explain local motion, and to the method, begun by Thomas Bradwardine (v.) and perfected by Nicole Oresme (v.), which introduces into the study of physical phenomena the concept of mathematical "proportion", that is, of function, so that M. is also remembered among the precursors of Leonardo and Galileo.

Editions: Expositio sup. Anal. priora, Venice 1516; Textus dialectices de suppositionibus etc., Vienna 1512 and 1516; De generat. et corrupt., Venice 1518; Abbrev. libri Physicorum, ibid. 1521; Quaestiones subtilistiones super 8 II. Physicorum secundum nominalium viam (of doubtful authenticity), Lyon 1518; Quaestiones sup. quatuor II. Sententiarum, Strasbourg 1501.

Bruno Nardi