Thomas Bradwardine (c. 1290-1349) was an English theologian and mathematician who made significant contributions to the development of medieval philosophy, particularly in the area of determinism and divine foreknowledge. He was a major influence on the intellectual life of his time, and his ideas were studied by later thinkers such as John Wycliffe and William of Ockham.
Bradwardine was born in Chichester, England, and studied at Merton College, Oxford. He became a fellow of the college in 1315 and served as rector of the university from 1327 to 1332. He also served as archdeacon of Canterbury from 1335 to 1349. In addition to his work in theology and philosophy, Bradwardine was a noted mathematician and astronomer, and he served as chancellor of the University of Oxford from 1349 until his death later that year.
One of Bradwardine’s major contributions to medieval philosophy was his development of a theory of determinism that reconciled human free will with divine foreknowledge. According to Bradwardine, God’s knowledge of the future is infallible, and therefore all future events are determined by God’s will. However, he also argued that humans have free will, and that our actions are not predetermined by God. Bradwardine maintained that God’s foreknowledge does not cause our actions, but rather that our actions are causally independent of God’s knowledge of them.
Bradwardine’s theory of determinism was influential in later medieval philosophy, and it was studied by thinkers such as John Duns Scotus, William of Ockham, and Jean Buridan. His work was also influential in the development of Protestant theology, particularly in the writings of Martin Luther and John Calvin.
In addition to his work in theology and philosophy, Bradwardine was also a noted mathematician and astronomer. He was one of the first scholars to apply mathematical methods to the study of physics and astronomy, and his work on the motion of falling bodies was influential in the development of modern physics. He also made significant contributions to the development of trigonometry and algebra, and his mathematical ideas were studied by later scholars such as Nicole Oresme and Thomas Bradwardine.
Bradwardine’s influence on medieval thought can also be seen in his ideas about the relationship between faith and reason. He argued that faith and reason are complementary, and that both are necessary for a complete understanding of the world. He maintained that faith is necessary for salvation, but that reason can help us to better understand the nature of God and the world around us.
Bradwardine’s work was also notable for its emphasis on the importance of empirical observation and experimentation in scientific inquiry. He argued that the study of nature requires not only a theoretical understanding of the natural world, but also a practical knowledge of the ways in which natural phenomena can be observed and measured.
Overall, Thomas Bradwardine was a highly influential figure in medieval philosophy and theology. His work on determinism and divine foreknowledge, as well as his contributions to mathematics and astronomy, had a lasting impact on the intellectual life of his time and continue to be studied by scholars today. His ideas about the relationship between faith and reason, and the importance of empirical observation in scientific inquiry, were also important contributions to the development of modern thought.