Profile Major Works Resources

Gabriel Biel, 1425-1495.

German Scholastic philosopher.

Born in Speyer, Gabriel Biel was educated in the arts at Heidelberg and theology at  Erfurt and Cologne.  Biel was a late Nominalist, a follower of Ockham rather than Aquinas.  He was ordained into the priesthood and attached to the Cathedral of Mainz for a while.  He collaborated with Eberhard, Count of Wurttemberg, in founding the University of Tübingen in 1477, and in 1484, was appointed is first chair of theology.

Commonly called the "last of the Scholastics", Gabriel Biel was one of the founders of the University of Tübingen.  A late Nominalist, Biel is renowned for his defense of  entrepreneurship and free contract. He undermined the concept of "just price" by noting that trade would actually not occur without advantages to the parties.  He is credited for spearheading the movement that eventually led to the easement of church condemnations on usury and profit.

 

  


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Major Works of Gabriel Biel

  • Sententiae,
  • Commentaria in libros iv. magistri sententiarum (1512)
  • In Sententias, 1514
  • Sententiarum reperorium generali, 1614
  • Historia Dominicaee Passionis, prodiitt una cum Defensorio cunctis, 1519
  • Passionis Dominicae sermo historialis (undated)
  • Sermones dominicales de tempore, 1494
  • Sermones de Sanctis
  • Sermones sacri totius anni, first pub. 1583
  • Sermones medicinales contra Pestem et Mortis Timorem, 1514
  • Lectura super canonem Missae 1488
  • Tractatus de Monetarum potestate simul et utilitate, 1442
  • Epitome scripti Gulielmi de Occam et Collectorium circa iv libr. Sent.
  • Tractatus de potestate et utilitate monetarum. 1442 [De monetarum potestate simul et utilitate libellus aureus  1542 ed.]
 

 
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Resources on Gabriel Biel

 
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