The Fount of Philosophy

The Fons philosophiae (c. 1176), meaning "The Fount of Philosophy," is a work by Godfrey of Saint-Victor. Written in rhymed verse, it proposes a classification of learning and addresses the philosophical debate between Realists and Nominalists concerning universal concepts. The work allegorically depicts the sources of Godfrey's intellectual development, symbolized as a stream from which he drew knowledge.1

Godfrey of Saint-Victor, a French monk, philosopher, theologian, and poet, lived from approximately 1125 to 1194. His writings are noted for summarizing an early medieval Christian Humanism that aimed to categorize knowledge, integrate learning methods, and recognize the inherent worth of humanity and nature. He was influenced by dialectical thought and later developed his ideas at the Augustinian abbey of Saint-Victor in Paris. His principal work, Microcosmus, explores the idea that humans are microcosms containing both material and spiritual elements of reality.1