DOMINIC OF FLANDERS

Belgian Dominican, professor of philosophy in Italy; b. Merris, Diocese of Tirouane, c. 1425; d. Florence, July 16, 1479. After studying philosophy and some theology at the University of Paris, he entered the order at Bologna on Sept. 7, 1461. An ardent disciple of St. thomas aqui nas, he became one of the most celebrated philosophers in the Thomistic school. He taught in the studium in Bologna (1462–70) and in Florence (1471–72). At the request of Lorenzo de' Medici, he taught physics at the new Accademia of Pisa (1472–73). Then he returned to Florence, where he taught in the studium until he died of the plague. His extremely popular writings were printed many times. His Summa divinae philosophiae (ed. Venice 1499) is said to present the best synopsis of Thomism before the work of john of st. thomas. His writings are marked by great subtlety and clarity, although they are not notably original. Among his more important works are In 12 libros metaphysicae Aristotelis secundum expositionem angelici doctoris (ed. Venice 1496); Quaestiones 49 in 1 posteriorum et 20 in 2 posteriorum (ed. Venice 1496); Quaestiones et annotationes in 1–3 de anima (ed. Venice 1503); Quaestiones quodlibetales (ed. Venice 1500); and commentaries on all the Aristotelian books of natural science, which apparently have not survived.

Bibliography: j. quÉtif and j. Échard, Scriptores Ordinis Praedicatorum (New York 1959) 1.2:894. g. meersseman, "Dominicus de Flandria: Sein Leben, seine Schriften, seine Bedeutung," Archivum Fratrum Praedicatorum 10 (1940) 169–221; "Dominicus von Vlaanderen," Tomistisch Tijdschrift von Katholischen Kulturleven 1 (1930) 385–400, 590–592. l. mathieu, Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche, ed. j. hofer and k. rahner (Freiburg 1957–65) 3:480; Dominique de Flandre et sa métaphysique (Bibliothèque Thomiste 24; 1942).

[j. f. hinnebusch]