The Concept of Motion in Jacques Legrand’s Philosophical Compendium

Abstract

The following paper investigates the concept of motion in Jacques Legrand, a hitherto little-studied author of the early fifteenth century. Legrand, an important member of the Order of Hermits of Saint Augustine, wrote a philosophical Compendium for the students of his Order. This contribution first attempts to provide a contextualization of Legrand’s treatment of motion within this work. Legrand’s contribution to philosophical encyclopedism is here discussed. Secondly, it reviews the most important theories on the nature of movement in the Middle Ages. Thirdly, it offers a detailed analysis of Legrand’s arguments in support of the nominalist view that it is unnecessary (if not wrong) to consider the local motion as a fluxus added to the moveable body. The article suggests that Legrand’s generalized nominalist position may be connected with certain lines to be followed within his own Order or even with the anti-realist ideology of the conciliarists philosopher, like Pierre D’Ailly and Jean Gerson.