Francis of Mayrone

Francis of Mayrone (Franciscus de Mayronis) (c. 1280–1327) was a French scholastic philosopher. He was a distinguished pupil of Duns Scotus, whose teaching (Scotism) he usually followed.

He acquired a great reputation for ability in discussion at the Sorbonne, and was known as the Doctor Illuminatus 'Enlightened teacher', as Magister Acutus or Doctor acutus, and as Magister abstractionum 'Master of abstractions'.

Biography

He was born probably at Meyronnes, Ubaye Valley, in the Department of Basses-Alpes in Provence. He entered the Franciscan order at the neighbouring Digne (or Sisteron). He had been teaching at the Sorbonne University of Paris, where he was a Scotist, i.e. follower, and pupil of Johannes Duns Scotus, for a long time as bachelor of theology when, on 24 May 1323, Pope John XXII, at the request of the King of Naples, Robert the Wise, commanded the chancellor of the university to confer the degree of master of theology upon him. In 1317, St. Elzear de Sabran died at Paris in Francis's arms.

Francis was afterwards sent to Italy, and died at Piacenza, probably 26 July 1327.

He took part in the discussions on the nature of Universals. Following Duns Scotus, he adopted the Platonic theory of ideas, and denied that Aristotle had made any contribution to metaphysical speculation. It is a curious commentary on the theories of Duns Scotus that one pupil, Francis, should have taken this course, while another pupil, William of Occam, should have used his arguments in a diametrically opposite direction and ended in extreme Nominalism.

Writings

• Scripta super 4 libros Sententiarum (1507–1567)
• De univocatione entis (1490)
• Conflatus (1476)
• Conflatile (1579)
• Passus super Universalia (1479)
• Sermones de tempore cum Quadragesimali (1483)
• Sermones de Sanctis (1493)
• Tractatus de Conceptione B.M.V. (1665)
• Theologicae Veritates in St. Augustinum de Civitate Dei (1473)
• Veritates ex libris St. Augustini de Trinitate (1520)

Sources and references

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. 
•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed (1913). "Francis Mayron". Catholic Encyclopedia. Robert Appleton Company.  [1]