Jean Buridan Quotes
Jean Buridan was a French priest and one of the most important philosophers of the late Middle Ages, who spent his entire career in the secular arts faculty at Paris rather than in the higher faculty of theology. He produced extensive commentaries on Aristotle in logic, natural philosophy, ethics, and politics, and developed the theory of impetus that anticipated early modern accounts of inertia. The quotes below are attributed to Jean Buridan, organized by topic.
Jean Buridan on Freedom
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Attributed to Jean Buridan:
“Should two courses be judged equal, then the will cannot break the deadlock.”
Jean Buridan on Mind
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Attributed to Jean Buridan:
“The will is determined by the practical intellect.”
Jean Buridan on Nature
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Attributed to Jean Buridan:
“A projectile continues to move because of the impetus impressed in it by the mover.”
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Attributed to Jean Buridan:
“Natural philosophy must follow what reason and experience together support.”
Jean Buridan on Truth
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Attributed to Jean Buridan:
“Logic is the art of distinguishing the true from the false.”