De puritate artis logicae

work by Burley

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June 25, 2026

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Walter Burley's De puritate artis logicae (On the Purity of the Art of Logic) is a significant work in medieval logic, written in the early 14th century. It exists in two versions and was composed in response to, and in opposition to, the views of William of Ockham. Burley was an important logician associated with the University of Oxford. His work contributed to the Logica moderna, a body of logical literature that developed from the study of fallacies and focused on the "properties of terms". This period saw a high point in medieval logic, with logicians exploring complex semantic and philosophical issues.12

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history of logic
Developments in the 13th and early 14th centuries
He wrote a work De puritate artis logicae (“On the Purity of the Art of Logic”; in two versions), apparently in response and opposition to Ockham’s views, although on some points Ockham simply copied Burley almost verbatim.
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He wrote a work De puritate artis logicae (“On the Purity of the Art of Logic”; in two versions), apparently in response and opposition to Ockham’s views, although on some points Ockham simply copied Burley almost verbatim.
Read More