§ 2. WILLIAM OF OCKAM AND THE PRECURSORS OF TERMINISM.

370. Durandus of S. Pourçain and Peter Aureolus -- two deserters, the one from Thomism, the other from Scotism -- may be regarded as the principal precursors of terminism. DURANDUS OF S. POURÇAIN, a Dominican of the Paris convent, licentiate of theology in 1312, bishop successively of the sees of Limoges (1317), of Puy (1318) and of Meaux (1326), was known by the title of Doctor Resolutissimus. He wrote a commentary on the Sentences of Peter Lombard. With Thomas Walleis, Armand of Beauvoir (de Bellovisu) and the masters of the Paris Faculty of Theology, he combated the rash teaching of John XXII. on the beatific vision.^{1} PETRUS AUREOLUS, Doctor Facundus, author of a commentary on the Sentences and of some Quodlibeta, became master of theology in 1318, minister of the Franciscans of Aquitaine in 1319, and bishop of Aix in 1321. He died early in 1322.^{2}

Those two men, setting out from different principles, arrived at practically identical conclusions on a number of philosophical problems. They denied the reality of Universals, the existence of species intelligibiles, the accepted function of the intellectus agens, the real distinction between essence and existence, and between the soul and its faculties. But they lacked the power of unifying and synthesizing their teaching. The real architect of the system, or, as his disciples described him, the venerable promoter of the new doctrine -- venerabilis inceptor -- was William of Ockam.

{1} The documents on this questions are published in the Chartul., t. ii.

{2} Ibid., pp. 225 and 718.