Nicolas Oresme: Encyclopedia II - Nicolas Oresme - Oresme's life

Nicolas Oresme - Oresme's life

Nicole Oresme: Therefore, I indeed know nothing except that I know that I know nothing.[2]

Oresme was born c. 1320-1325 in the village of Allemagne ([1] today's Fleury-sur-Orne) in the vicinity of Caen, Normandy, in the Diocese of Bayeux. Practically nothing is known concerning his family. The fact that Oresme attended the royally sponsored and subsidized College of Navarre, an institution for students too poor to pay their expenses while studying at the University of Paris, makes it probable that he came from a peasant family.

Oresme studied the “artes” in Paris (before 1348), together with Jean Buridan (the so-called founder of the French school of natural philosophy), Albert of Saxony and perhaps Marsilius of Inghen, and there received the Magister Artium.

In 1348, he was a student of theology in Paris, in 1356, he received his doctorate and in the same year he became grand master (grand-maître) of the College of Navarre.

Many of his most thoughtful Latin treatises antedate 1360 and show that Oresme was already an established schoolman of the highest reputation, which attracted the attention of the royal family, and brought him into intimate contact with the future Charles V in 1356.

Beginning in 1356, during the captivity of his father, John II, in England, Charles acted as regent and from 1364 until 1380, King of France. On November 2, 1359, Oresme became "secretaire du roi" and in the period following, it appears that he became chaplain and counsellor to the king.

There is a long tradition that says that Nicole Oresme was also the tutor to the dauphin (who later became Charles V), but this is not quite certain. Charles appears to have had the highest esteem for Oresme’s character and talents, often followed his counsel, and made him write many works in French for the purpose of popularizing the sciences and of developing a taste for learning in the kingdom. At Charles’s insistence Oresme delivered a discourse before the papal court at Avignon, denouncing the ecclesiastical disorder of the time.

Much can be said about the fact that Oreseme was a lifelong intimate friend and consultant of King Charles, "Le Sage", until his death in 1380. His influence on Charles’ progressive political, economical, ethical and philosophical thinking was probably quite strong, but an extensive investigation of these facts has not been tackled yet. Oresme was the most important person of a choice circle of intellectuals like Raoul de Presle, Philippe de Mézières, etc. at Charles’ court.

Royal reliance on Oresme’s capabilities is evidenced, when the grand master of Navarre was sent by the dauphin to seek a loan from the municipal authorities of Rouen in 1356 (see above) and then in 1360. In 1361, with the support of Charles, while still grand master of Navarre, Oresme was appointed archdeacon of Bayeux. It is known that the fervent schoolman Oresme unwillingly surrendered the interesting post of grand master.

On November 23, 1362, the year he became master of theology, Oresme was appointed canon of the Cathedral of Rouen. At the time of this appointment, he was still teaching regularly at the University of Paris.

On February 10, 1363, he was made a canon at La Saint Chapelle, given a semiprebend and on March 18, 1364, and was elevated to the post of dean of the Cathedral of Rouen.

It is likely that the royal hand of John II, the father of Charles, was influenced by the suggestions of the dauphin, in Oresme’s frequent changes of positions.[3]

During his tenure in these successive posts at the Cathedral of Rouen (1364-1377), Oresme spent a lot of time in Paris, especially, in the context of attending to the affairs of the University. Even though many documents verify Oresme’s stays in Paris, nevertheless, we cannot infer that he was also teaching there at that time.

With the commencement of Oresme’s prolonged translating activities at the request of Charles V, he did reside continuously in Paris, as is shown to be true by letters dating from August 28 to November 11, 1372 sent by Charles to Rouen. Oresme’s residency in Paris appears to have been extended by Charles to 1380, when Oresme began working on his translation of Aristotle’s Ethics in 1369, which appears to be completed in 1370. Aristotle’s Politics and Economics may have been completed between the years of 1372 and 1374, and the De caelo et mundo in 1377. Oresme received a pension from the royal treasury as early as 1371 as a reward for his great labours.

Because of Oresme’s untiring work for Charles and the royal family, with the king’s support, on August 3, 1377, Oresme attained the post of Bishop of Lisieux. It appears that Oresme didn’t take up residency at Lisieux until September of 1380, and little is known of the last five years of his life. Oresme died in Lisieux on July 11, 1382, two years after King Charles’ death, and was buried in the cathedral church.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Oresme's life", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki