William of Ockham · Philosophy

Against Absolute Power: Rights and the Limits of the Pope

Drawn into the bitter Franciscan poverty controversy, Ockham turned his logic against the papacy itself, arguing that no pope holds a ‘fullness of power’ to override the rights and liberties God and nature give to Christians. His defence of natural rights and limited authority makes him a founder of Western constitutional thinking.

What you'll be able to recall

You learned that the poverty controversy pushed Ockham into political philosophy, where he denied the pope a ‘fullness of power,’ defended use of goods without ownership and natural rights, argued the Gospel is a ‘law of liberty,’ and held that even a pope (or a council) can err. Explain how th…

Leads to Augustine.

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