Walter Burley
Encyclopedia
Walter Burley (c. 1275–1344/5) was a medieval English
Scholastic philosopher and logician. He was a Master of Arts
at Oxford
in 1301, and a fellow
of Merton College, Oxford
until about 1310. He spent sixteen years at Paris
until 1326, becoming a fellow of the Sorbonne
by 1324. After that, he spent seventeen years as a clerical courtier in England and Avignon
. He died around 1344. Burley opposed William of Ockham
on a number of points concerning logic and natural philosophy
. There are at least 50 works attributed to him.
. Little is known of his early life. He was made rector of Welbury
in Yorkshire in 1309, probably through the influence of Sir John de Lisle, a friend of William Greenfield
. As throughout his career, he did not act as rector, employing a substitute and using the income from the living to finance his study in Paris. In Paris, he completed his lectures on Peter Lombard's Sentences
, and probably encountered the work of his contemporary William of Ockham
. Burley's commentary on the Sentences has not survived, however. Burley became a master of theology by 1324.
Burley became a courtier as part of the political events that followed the deposition of Edward II of England. It is generally thought that Edward was assassinated by an agent of Queen Isabella of France
, Edward's wife, and Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March, who may have been her lover, at Berkeley Castle
in Gloucestershire on 11 October 1327. His first assignment was to try and obtain the canonisation of Thomas, 2nd Earl of Lancaster, who had been one of the leaders of the baronial opposition to Edward II. Thomas had become venerated as a martyr
within a few months of his death. Edward III
wrote three times to the Pope
requesting his canonisation. Edward III was crowned on February 1, 1327, at the age of fourteen, and wrote the first letter to the Pope on February 28.
As part of this effort, Burley was sent to the papal court at Avignon
to appeal directly to Pope John XXII
. By coincidence, William of Ockham was also staying at Avignon, having been summoned there in 1324 to answer charges of possibly heretical statements (by 1326 there was a list of 51 charges against him).
Burley's associates were all closely involved in these attempts at canonisation (none of which was successful). One of these was Bishop Henry Burghersh
, who was closely associated with Queen Isabella, another was Richard de Bury, a bibliophile and patron of the arts and sciences, who later became Burley's patron. Bury became involved in the intrigues preceding the deposition Edward II and supplied Isabella and Roger Mortimer with money in 1325 from the revenues of Brienne, of which province he was treasurer. On the accession of Edward III his services were rewarded by rapid promotion. One of those accompanying Burley to Avignon was Sir William Trussell, who had been involved in the insurrection of 1322 against Edward II at Boroughbridge
.
In May 1327, Burley became canon of Chichester by the provision of the Pope, but exchanged the position in 1332 to become canon at Wells
, where de Bury was Dean. Bury had been involved in the coup d'etat
of 1330 which resulted in the execution of Mortimer, and the de facto accession of Edward III to the throne. in 1333, de Bury was consecrated Bishop of Durham by the king, overruling the choice of the monks, who had elected and actually installed their sub-prior, Robert de Graynes. In February 1334 de Bury was made Lord Treasurer, an appointment he exchanged later in the year for that of Lord Chancellor. He gathered together a group of intellectuals that included Thomas Fitzralph, Richard de Kilvington
, Robert Holcot
t, Thomas Bradwardine
and Burley himself.
, as well as providing rules of inferences for different types of inferences. He was one of the first logicians to recognize the priority of the propositional calculus over the predicate calculus
, despite the fact that the latter had been the main focus of logicians up until this period.
The Liber de vita et moribus philosophorum edited by H. Knust, Tübingen, 1886, once attributed to Burley, is of an anonymous author.
Other works include:
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
Scholastic philosopher and logician. He was a Master of Arts
Master of Arts (Oxbridge)
In the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge and Dublin, Bachelors of Arts of these universities are admitted to the degree of Master of Arts or Master in Arts on application after six or seven years' seniority as members of the university .There is no examination or study required for the degree...
at Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
in 1301, and a fellow
Fellow
A fellow in the broadest sense is someone who is an equal or a comrade. The term fellow is also used to describe a person, particularly by those in the upper social classes. It is most often used in an academic context: a fellow is often part of an elite group of learned people who are awarded...
of Merton College, Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
until about 1310. He spent sixteen years at Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
until 1326, becoming a fellow of the Sorbonne
Sorbonne
The Sorbonne is an edifice of the Latin Quarter, in Paris, France, which has been the historical house of the former University of Paris...
by 1324. After that, he spent seventeen years as a clerical courtier in England and Avignon
Avignon
Avignon is a French commune in southeastern France in the départment of the Vaucluse bordered by the left bank of the Rhône river. Of the 94,787 inhabitants of the city on 1 January 2010, 12 000 live in the ancient town centre surrounded by its medieval ramparts.Often referred to as the...
. He died around 1344. Burley opposed William of Ockham
William of Ockham
William of Ockham was an English Franciscan friar and scholastic philosopher, who is believed to have been born in Ockham, a small village in Surrey. He is considered to be one of the major figures of medieval thought and was at the centre of the major intellectual and political controversies of...
on a number of points concerning logic and natural philosophy
Natural philosophy
Natural philosophy or the philosophy of nature , is a term applied to the study of nature and the physical universe that was dominant before the development of modern science...
. There are at least 50 works attributed to him.
Life
Burley was born in 1274 or 1275, possibly in Burley-in-Wharfedale, YorkshireYorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
. Little is known of his early life. He was made rector of Welbury
Welbury
Welbury is a village and civil parish in the Hambleton district of North Yorkshire, England. It is about 1 miles south of Appleton Wiske and 8 miles north of Northallerton....
in Yorkshire in 1309, probably through the influence of Sir John de Lisle, a friend of William Greenfield
William Greenfield
William Greenfield served as both the Lord Chancellor of England and the Archbishop of York. He was also known as William of Greenfield.-Life:...
. As throughout his career, he did not act as rector, employing a substitute and using the income from the living to finance his study in Paris. In Paris, he completed his lectures on Peter Lombard's Sentences
Sentences
The Four Books of Sentences is a book of theology written by Peter Lombard in the twelfth century. It is a systematic compilation of theology, written around 1150; it derives its name from the sententiae or authoritative statements on biblical passages that it gathered together.-Origin and...
, and probably encountered the work of his contemporary William of Ockham
William of Ockham
William of Ockham was an English Franciscan friar and scholastic philosopher, who is believed to have been born in Ockham, a small village in Surrey. He is considered to be one of the major figures of medieval thought and was at the centre of the major intellectual and political controversies of...
. Burley's commentary on the Sentences has not survived, however. Burley became a master of theology by 1324.
Burley became a courtier as part of the political events that followed the deposition of Edward II of England. It is generally thought that Edward was assassinated by an agent of Queen Isabella of France
Isabella of France
Isabella of France , sometimes described as the She-wolf of France, was Queen consort of England as the wife of Edward II of England. She was the youngest surviving child and only surviving daughter of Philip IV of France and Joan I of Navarre...
, Edward's wife, and Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March, who may have been her lover, at Berkeley Castle
Berkeley Castle
Berkeley Castle is a castle in the town of Berkeley, Gloucestershire, UK . The castle's origins date back to the 11th century and it has been designated by English Heritage as a grade I listed building.The castle has remained within the Berkeley family since they reconstructed it in the...
in Gloucestershire on 11 October 1327. His first assignment was to try and obtain the canonisation of Thomas, 2nd Earl of Lancaster, who had been one of the leaders of the baronial opposition to Edward II. Thomas had become venerated as a martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
within a few months of his death. Edward III
Edward III of England
Edward III was King of England from 1327 until his death and is noted for his military success. Restoring royal authority after the disastrous reign of his father, Edward II, Edward III went on to transform the Kingdom of England into one of the most formidable military powers in Europe...
wrote three times to the Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
requesting his canonisation. Edward III was crowned on February 1, 1327, at the age of fourteen, and wrote the first letter to the Pope on February 28.
As part of this effort, Burley was sent to the papal court at Avignon
Avignon Papacy
The Avignon Papacy was the period from 1309 to 1376 during which seven Popes resided in Avignon, in modern-day France. This arose from the conflict between the Papacy and the French crown....
to appeal directly to Pope John XXII
Pope John XXII
Pope John XXII , born Jacques Duèze , was pope from 1316 to 1334. He was the second Pope of the Avignon Papacy , elected by a conclave in Lyon assembled by Philip V of France...
. By coincidence, William of Ockham was also staying at Avignon, having been summoned there in 1324 to answer charges of possibly heretical statements (by 1326 there was a list of 51 charges against him).
Burley's associates were all closely involved in these attempts at canonisation (none of which was successful). One of these was Bishop Henry Burghersh
Henry Burghersh
Henry Burghersh , English bishop and chancellor, was a younger son of Robert de Burghersh, 1st Baron Burghersh , and a nephew of Bartholomew, Lord Badlesmere, and was educated in France....
, who was closely associated with Queen Isabella, another was Richard de Bury, a bibliophile and patron of the arts and sciences, who later became Burley's patron. Bury became involved in the intrigues preceding the deposition Edward II and supplied Isabella and Roger Mortimer with money in 1325 from the revenues of Brienne, of which province he was treasurer. On the accession of Edward III his services were rewarded by rapid promotion. One of those accompanying Burley to Avignon was Sir William Trussell, who had been involved in the insurrection of 1322 against Edward II at Boroughbridge
Boroughbridge
Boroughbridge is a small town and civil parish in the Harrogate district of North Yorkshire, England. It is situated northwest of York. Until its bypass was built, it was on the main A1 road from London to Edinburgh...
.
In May 1327, Burley became canon of Chichester by the provision of the Pope, but exchanged the position in 1332 to become canon at Wells
Wells
Wells is a cathedral city and civil parish in the Mendip district of Somerset, England, on the southern edge of the Mendip Hills. Although the population recorded in the 2001 census is 10,406, it has had city status since 1205...
, where de Bury was Dean. Bury had been involved in the coup d'etat
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
of 1330 which resulted in the execution of Mortimer, and the de facto accession of Edward III to the throne. in 1333, de Bury was consecrated Bishop of Durham by the king, overruling the choice of the monks, who had elected and actually installed their sub-prior, Robert de Graynes. In February 1334 de Bury was made Lord Treasurer, an appointment he exchanged later in the year for that of Lord Chancellor. He gathered together a group of intellectuals that included Thomas Fitzralph, Richard de Kilvington
Richard Kilvington
Richard Kilvington was an English scholastic philosopher at the University of Oxford. His surviving works are lecture notes from the 1320s and 1330s. He was a Fellow of Oriel College, Oxford...
, Robert Holcot
Robert Holcot
Robert Holcot was an English Dominican scholastic philosopher, theologian and influential Biblical scholar. He was born in Holcot, Northamptonshire...
t, Thomas Bradwardine
Thomas Bradwardine
Thomas Bradwardine was an English scholar, scientist, courtier and, very briefly, Archbishop of Canterbury. As a celebrated scholastic philosopher and doctor of theology, he is often called Doctor Profundus, .-Life:He was born either at Hartfield in Sussex or at Chichester, where his family were...
and Burley himself.
Works
His main work was the De Puritate Artis Logicae Tractatus Longior, in which he covers such topics as the truth conditions for complex sentences, both truth-functional and modalModal
Modal may refer to:* Modal , a textile made from spun Beechwood cellulose fiber* Modal analysis, the study of the dynamic properties of structures under vibrational excitation...
, as well as providing rules of inferences for different types of inferences. He was one of the first logicians to recognize the priority of the propositional calculus over the predicate calculus
First-order logic
First-order logic is a formal logical system used in mathematics, philosophy, linguistics, and computer science. It goes by many names, including: first-order predicate calculus, the lower predicate calculus, quantification theory, and predicate logic...
, despite the fact that the latter had been the main focus of logicians up until this period.
The Liber de vita et moribus philosophorum edited by H. Knust, Tübingen, 1886, once attributed to Burley, is of an anonymous author.
Other works include:
- Treatise on Suppositions
- In Aristotelis Perihermenias (Questions on Aristotle's Perihermenias, 1301)
- De Formis