NOMINALISTS

At the restoration of the study of logic in the eleventh century, many disputes took place, trivial in their origin, but important on account of the colour which they gave to religious controversy, concerning the objects of logic. Agreeing that the e ential object of logic was the discu ion of universals , as distinguished from particular or individual things, two parties were formed on the question whether universals are words and names only, or things and real e ences . Those who declared them to be only names and words, and who of course, therefore, determined that logic was only conversant with words, were called Nominalists , and basing their philosophy on that of Aristotle, were principally supported by the talent and authority of Roscellinus. Those who held that universals were real existences , and so that logic was conversant with things and realities , were called Realists . They supported their hypothesis on the authority of Plato. Johannes Scotus Erigena, in the ninth century, had taught this doctrine, but without leaving behind him any school of avowed followers. The controversy with the Nominalists was commenced in the eleventh century, and in the thirteenth the greater part of the schoolmen were Realists .