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Rondo Keele

Ockham Explained: From Razor to Rebellion (Ideas Explained) Paperback – May 11, 2010

by Rondo Keele (Author)

15 ratings

Book 6 of 10: Ideas Explained

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Ockham Explained is an important and much-needed resource on William of Ockham, one of the most important philosophers of the Middle Ages. His eventful and controversial life was marked by sharp career moves and academic and ecclesiastical battles. At 28, Ockham was a conservative English theologian focused obsessively on the nature of language, but by 40, he had transformed into a fugitive friar, accused of heresy, and finally protected by the German emperor as he composed incendiary treatises calling for strong limits on papal authority. This book provides a thorough grounding in Ockham’s life and his many contributions to philosophy. It begins with an overview of the philosopher's youth and the Aristotelian philosophy he studied as a boy. Subsequent chapters cover his ideas on language and logic; his metaphysics and vaunted "razor," as well as his opponents’ "anti-razor" theories; his invention of the church-state separation; and much more. The concluding chapter sums up Ockham's compelling philosophical personality and explains his modern appeal.

Print length

192 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Open Court
Publication date

May 11, 2010
Dimensions

6 x 0.46 x 9 inches
ISBN-10

0812696506
ISBN-13

978-0812696509
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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Open Court; 1st edition (May 11, 2010)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 192 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0812696506
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0812696509
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.6 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.46 x 9 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #2,140,693 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #634 in Medieval Thought Philosophy
- #1,804 in Philosopher Biographies

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Rondo Keele

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Anders

Tough sledding

Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2021

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Unless you have taken college courses in epistemology, ontology and Aristotle this book will be incomprehensible. I have and it was still burdensome. The narrative of Occam's life isn't, but the rest might confuse him and that was what he was trying to avoid. As someone once said, "If you can't explain it to six year old, don't say it."

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Dr. Terrence McGartyTop Contributor: Photography

Essential Introduction to Ockham's Philosophy

Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2016

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Ockham Explained by Keele is an excellent work describing Ockham and his philosophical thought. It is worth reading for those who want an introduction to Ockham and also for those who have spent time reading and trying to understand Ockham.

The book is arranged chronologically with Ockham’s life and it presents a well-orchestrated flow of the development of his philosophical ideas, especially the development of his view of nominalism. What is important to understand is that Ockham came from the culture of Scholasticism and form of argument was often as important as content. The Scholastic was initially trained in the Trivium (Grammar, Logic, and Rhetoric) which placed significant emphasis on forms of usage and methods of argumentation. Breaking through that cultural-temporal mask can oftentimes be difficult if not impossible but Keele does a brilliant job in making is accessible to the present day audience.

The book is arranged by chronological segments in his life. Chapter 2 is an excellent presentation of the education of a young Friar in the Franciscans in England. pp 17-18 is one of the better presentations of the ten Categories of Aristotle, as learned in the Trivium by all students in the day. It would become one of the pillars that Ockham would chip away at. Aristotle, the Philosopher, was regarded as a near divinity in understanding by many of the Scholastics but it was Ockham who using the tools of Scholastic analysis started to chip away at this then 1600 century façade. pp 21-22 discusses the construct of Universals and its importance to the Church. This is acritical factor to understand. Whereas much of Aquinas had been rejected shortly after his death he was soon resurrected and canonized a Saint and his “logic” became a bulwark for the Church. This is a problem for Ockham.

Chapter 3 takes the student as Ockham a bit further from the basics of Grammar to the intricacies of logic. The author does a wonderful presentation on terms and also on the basics of logic as engaged by Ockham at the time. This is a critical chapter for the reader to understand the transition of Ockham from a student who learns the tools to Ockham the philosopher who starts to break them down. The summary on p 59 is excellent in setting the stage for the development of what would be the rebel phases.

Chapter 4 discusses Ockham as a teacher. It is not clear from the record as to whether Ockham was at Oxford of in London and what time he may have been at each. In the records of Merton at Oxford there is even ambiguity and uncertainty. However he did manage to go back and forth. This Chapter does a brilliant job in explaining how Ockham took apart Aristotle’s Categories and in the process sets the stage for nominalism. Starting on pp 63-64 he uses Porphyrian trees to demonstrate the categories and in turn the individuals which we recognize. A good example of the problem is the statement that “Roses are red”. We understand the universal species of a rose and the predicate red. But what do we mean by red? Today we can a spectrophotometer and present a detailed spectrum of a red rose. The problem is that each red rose may very well have a slightly different spectrophotometer reading. So what are we to believe; the facts of our “lying” eyes? That is a challenge for Ockham. This Chapter ends on p 84 with a discussion of the connotation theory which is essential to much of the further insight.

Chapter 5 starts the discussion of the attacks on Ockham. One would have suspected attacks by the Dominicans but his attacks came from Franciscans. Chapter 5 is an excellent discussion of those attacks and especially the articulation of the “razor” principle and its explanation. The author has a superb talent in explaining the razor with various twists and turns and all in very readable style. Frankly this is one of the best I have read over the years.

Chapter 6 discusses Ockham’s response. But what I found most enlightening was the discussion on Ockham and motion. I have read some of Ockham’s writings on motion and unless one truly understands the Scholastics mind one can get quite confused. Motion to Ockham was not motion as we understand it. pp 122-131 is a superb discussion of this issue and the author presents the understanding of motion by the Scholastic as something much different than what we do today. It does raise the question, however, of what influence the work of Roger Bacon may have had since Bacon “measured” things whereas Ockham remains in the world of Scholastic abstraction. The reader less attuned to Scholastic thought and technique may wonder what the fuss is all about; but read the material and it will easily explain.

Chapter 7 takes Ockham to Avignon and in a sense this is the beginning of the Renaissance and the end of the Middle Ages. Ockham is ordered to report to Pope John XXII, the Avignon French Pope, no longer and the Bishop of Rome. The initial demand to appear is over possible heretical implications in his writings. Frankly this was not all that uncommon; many writings were purged with no serious consequence to the author, Aquinas being one at times. But Ockham was then drawn into the battle of poverty, the Spirituals in the Franciscan order and the examination of the writings of John XXII. John XXII was a regal pope and educated as a Canon Lawyer. Canon Lawyers and Theologians were like plumbers versus vascular surgeons. No criticism on plumbers, but they knew the code often as they wrote it. Theologians were few and far between whereas Canon Lawyers ran rampant in Papal hallways. Thus the battle was joined. Ockham read the writings on John XXII and to his surprise found them heretical. Thus he saw the Pope as a heretic, since after he explained them the Pope did not recant but attacked. One suspects that Ockham lacked some basic Palace social skills!

In Chapter 8 the author briefly takes Ockham on his midnight escape from Avignon to Munich. The chapter is brief and of all the writing in the book I had hope for an equal amount of attention, at least on the Work of Ninety Days, his political thesis. It was from 1328 through 1348 when he dies that there was a mass of writings on political thought. In fact it was some of the most powerful political writings and the beginning of what we now understand as democratic liberalism (I use liberalism in the classic English political sense). Thus the one thing I would have really like would be the author’s writings on this period.

As noted, the book is not all of Ockham. To some degree that is regrettable but understandable. What the author presents of Ockham and his philosophical insight as explained above. What is missing are the other two parts of Ockham’s writings; his theological works and most importantly his political works. Theologically Ockham was in stark contradistinction to Aquinas. As Aquinas saw logic and reason as a means to understand God we see Ockham reintroducing faith. On the political front there is a significant amount of Ockham introducing the concepts of individualism, the separation of Church and State, and the limited powers of the ruling class. The author has no mention of Marsilius of Padua who played a parallel role to Ockham in the political area.

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David Fowler

Good self-contained introduction to important area of philosophy.

Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2016

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This book is not only helping me understand William of Ockham, but it's a useful interpretation of Aristotle and Aristotelian-based Realism.

2 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States on July 15, 2016

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Helps a lot

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Sam Gerrans

Good, but ruined by PC pronoun usage

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 26, 2021

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Well organised. Fairly well written. But the author just *has* to keep insinuating politically correct usages into the prose (she instead of he, etc.). This practice is both idiotic and irritating, and ruins many modern books — not just this one.

"He" is generic in English; as is "one". If writers wish to propagandise on behalf of Post Modernity, they are welcome to do so — SOMEWHERE ELSE. But they should not use books on other subjects — and for which readers pay on that basis — as the vehicle to spread their need to virtue signal about.

Frankly, I think publishers should have the courage of their convictions and simply stamp books on the cover which do this with a symbol so that those of us who don't want to put up with this nonsense can make an informed choice not to buy their books.

One person found this helpful

Arthur Koestler

Lovely stuff

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 1, 2017

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Because of the nature of the subjects under discussion things can get a bit complex but the author tries his best at all times to try and explain in as simple and clear a manner as possible Ockham's thought, without going to the other extreme of patronising the reader or drumming down the content. All in all a good read.

2 people found this helpful

Brian Pickering

Verbal parsimony as a career

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 23, 2014

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A slightly clunky, but accessible, account of a 14th century Franciscan friar who bids us: don't waste words take care what you say, it may not be what you thought you said. Next time a politician claims the authority of logic refer him to William.

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