Influence

Marsilius had a substantial impact on the late-medieval and early-modern period. His works were read at many universities with a Nominalist signature, or where Nominalism was taught next to Realism. In Vienna and Freiburg, his Parva logicalia were compulsory. On the title page of the Modernorum summulae of Florentius Diel, printed in Mainz about 1490, he was mentioned in one breath with Aristotle, Augustine, and Boethius. Not even Ockham, Albert of Saxony, or Buridan were mentioned in this prominent place. Marsilius’ commentaries on Aristotle were used in classrooms of Heidelberg, Vienna, Freiburg, and Prague, as can be concluded from the colophons in the manuscripts and the protocols of the Arts faculties. His commentary on the Sentences, edited by Jacob Wympfeling and printed by Martinus Flach in 1501, was quoted by Spanish theologians like Domino de Soto, Luis de Molina, and Francisco Suarez. Exemplary of Marsilius’ strong influence is a booklet published in 1499 by Peter Friedberg in Mainz, commemorating his birthday. This booklet is notable for containing a fictitious speech of Marsilius defending Nominalism and answering the attacks of Realism. One of the main points was a quotation from John Gerson, saying that the Council of Constance had condemned the thesis that there are real universals in the extramental world. Noteworthy was the humanist form of the treatise. It contained more than fifty epigrams by students and masters singing the praises of their divine Master Marsilius. Obviously, the humanists in Heidelberg and Mainz advocated the Nominalism coined by Marsilius even a century after his death.

See also: > Albert of Saxony > Aristotle, Arabic: Physics

>  De generatione et corruptione, Commentaries on Aristotle’s > Impetus > John Buridan > Natural Philosophy > Parva naturalia, Commentaries on Aristotle’s

>  Realism > Supposition Theory > Thomas Aquinas

>  Universals > William of Ockham