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'''Siger of Brabant''' was a thirteenth century philosopher and theologian who taught at the University of Paris. He was a prominent member of a group of teachers, mostly at the Faculty of Arts in Paris, known to historians as the 'Latin Averroists', who aimed at a secular interpretation of [[Aristotle]].
'''Siger of Brabant''' was a thirteenth century philosopher and theologian who taught at the University of Paris. He was a prominent member of a group of teachers, mostly at the Faculty of Arts in Paris, known to historians as the 'Latin Averroists' or 'secular Aristotelians', who aimed to interpret Aristotle in a secular way.
== Life ==
== Life ==
In 1276 the French Inquisition summoned Siger to appear before a tribunal at Noyon, although he seems to have been acquitted. In 1277 there was a general condemnation of Aristotelianism, instigated by the Archbishop of Paris, Stephen Tempier (known as the 'Parisian Condemnations'). These included a special clause directed against Boethius of Dacia, and Siger. Both fled to Italy.
In 1276 the French Inquisition summoned Siger to appear before a tribunal at Noyon, although he seems to have been acquitted. In 1277 there was a general condemnation of Aristotelianism, instigated by the Archbishop of Paris, Stephen Tempier (known as the 'Parisian Condemnations'). These included a special clause directed against Boethius of Dacia, and Siger. Both fled to Italy.
It is not known exactly how Siger died, and there are various stories about his death. According to John Peckham, archbishop of Canterbury, he perished miserably [ref needed]. A Brabantine chronicle says that he was assassinated by an insane secretary (''a clerico suo quasi dementi'') [<ref>''Britannica'' 1911</ref>. Dante, in the Paradiso (x. 134-6), says that he found 'death slow in coming'. A 13th century sonnet by Durante (xcii. 9-14) says that he was executed at Orvieto <ref>''Britannica'' 1911</ref>.
It is not known exactly how Siger died, and there are various stories about his death. According to [[John Pecham]], archbishop of Canterbury, he perished miserably <ref>reference</ref>. A Brabantine chronicle says that he was assassinated by an insane secretary (''a clerico suo quasi dementi'') [<ref>''Britannica'' 1911</ref>. Dante, in the Paradiso (x. 134-6), says that he found 'death slow in coming'. A 13th century sonnet by Durante (xcii. 9-14) says that he was executed at Orvieto <ref>''Britannica'' 1911</ref>.
He is supposedly mentioned in Dante's ''Divine Comedy'' - (''Paradiso'', canto X, 133-8), where he is located within Paradise, beside Aquinas and Isidore of Seville (a curiosity, given that Siger was a secular Aristotelian, Dante a Thomist, but perhaps Dante only knew of Siger as a persecuted philosopher, or perhaps, as Van Steenberghen has suggested, Siger's position was closer to Aquinas than his surviving works imply).
He is supposedly mentioned in Dante's ''Divine Comedy'' - (''Paradiso'', canto X, 133-8), where he is located within Paradise, beside Aquinas and Isidore of Seville (a curiosity, given that Siger was a secular Aristotelian, Dante a Thomist, but perhaps Dante only knew of Siger as a persecuted philosopher, or perhaps, as Van Steenberghen has suggested, Siger's position was closer to Aquinas than his surviving works imply).
== Influence ==
== Influence ==
Mandonnet rediscovered Siger's work in the 1890's. This was of some importance to our understanding of medieval philosophy, suggesting it could no longer be viewed simply as theology, although it is still not clear how we should interpret his work. According to Mandonnet, he was an Averroist who endorses Christian doctrine only because it is expedient. Van Steenberghen, by contrast, regards him as a sincere Christian whose position was close to that of Aquinas.
His works include logical works (<i>Impossibilia</i>, <i>Quaestiones logicales</i>, <i>Sophismata</i>); commentaries on Aristotle (<i>In III De Anima</i>, <i>De generatione</i>, <i>Physics</i>, <i>Metaphysics</i>), and the Treatises <i>De Necessitate et contingentia causarum</i>, <i>De aeternitate mundi</i>, and <i>De anima intellectiva</i>, some of which were published by Mandonnet in 1899.
==Primary sources ==
==Primary sources ==
==Secondary sources ==
==Secondary sources ==
*Bazan, B.C., Article 'Siger of Brabant', in <i>A Companion to Philosophy in the Middle Ages</i>, ed. Gracia & Noone, Oxford 2006.
* Mandonnet, P., Siger de Brabant et l'Averroisme latin du XIII e siecle (Fribourg, 1899); G. Paris, "Siger de Brabant" in La Poesie du moyen age (1895); and an article in the Revue de Paris (Sept. 1st, 1900).<br>
* Van Steenberghen, F., (1977), <i>Maitre Siger de Brabant</i>, Paris: Publications Universitaires, Louvain, Vander-Oyez S.A<br>
== Links ==
== Links ==
== Notes ==
== Notes ==
[[Category:Philosophers]]
[[Category:Philosophers]]
<div style="overflow:auto;height:1px;">
[[Bcmp Pages:=9]]
[[Birth Date:=1240]]
[[Flourished:=1275]]
[[Birth_Country_Name:=]]
[[Death Date:=1280]]
[[Death_Country_Name:=Italy]]
</div>