Richard Rufus (, "Richard the Red"; ) was a Cornish

Franciscan The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent Religious institute, religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor bei ...

scholastic philosopher Scholasticism was a medieval European philosophical movement or methodology that was the predominant education in Europe from about 1100 to 1700. It is known for employing logically precise analyses and reconciling classical philosophy and C ...

and

theologian Theology is the study of religious belief from a religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of ...

Life

Richard Rufus who studied at

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

and at

Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...

starting from the 1220s. He became a Franciscan around 1230. Rufus was one of the first medieval philosophers to write on

Aristotle Aristotle (; 384–322 BC) was an Ancient Greek philosophy, Ancient Greek philosopher and polymath. His writings cover a broad range of subjects spanning the natural sciences, philosophy, linguistics, economics, politics, psychology, a ...

and his commentaries are the earliest known among those which have survived. He also wrote influential commentaries on

Peter Lombard Peter Lombard (also Peter the Lombard, Pierre Lombard or Petrus Lombardus; 1096 – 21/22 August 1160) was an Italian scholasticism, scholastic theologian, Bishop of Paris, and author of ''Sentences, Four Books of Sentences'' which became the s ...

's ''Sentences''. Rufus was influenced by

Robert Grosseteste Robert Grosseteste ( ; ; 8 or 9 October 1253), also known as Robert Greathead or Robert of Lincoln, was an Kingdom of England, English statesman, scholasticism, scholastic philosopher, theologian, scientist and Bishop of Lincoln. He was born of ...

Alexander of Hales Alexander of Hales (also Halensis, Alensis, Halesius, Alesius ; 21 August 1245)—known also as , or "Irrefutable Teacher" (so-called by Pope Alexander IV in the bull ), and as (or "King of Theologians")—was a Franciscan friar, theologian, an ...

, Richard Fishacre, and Johannes Philoponus, and in turn influenced

Bonaventure Bonaventure ( ; ; ; born Giovanni di Fidanza; 1221 – 15 July 1274) was an Italian Catholic Franciscan bishop, Cardinal (Catholic Church), cardinal, Scholasticism, scholastic theologian and philosopher. The seventh Minister General ( ...

and Franciscus Meyronnes.

Roger Bacon Roger Bacon (; or ', also '' Rogerus''; ), also known by the Scholastic accolades, scholastic accolade ''Doctor Mirabilis'', was a medieval English polymath, philosopher, scientist, theologian and Franciscans, Franciscan friar who placed co ...

was a fervent critic of Rufus, claiming that his fame was greatest with the ignorant multitude; on the other hand, Thomas of Eccleston praised him as an excellent lecturer. Adam de Marisco describes him in a letter to Grosseteste as "a man lacking in command of the English tongue, yet of most honest conversation and unblemished reputation, learned in human and divine literature." The reason given for his lack of proficiency with English is that he was primarily a Cornish speaker.

Works

* Peter Raedts, ''Richard Rufus of Cornwall and the Tradition of Oxford Theology.'' Oxford historical monographs (Oxford University 1984, PhD). * Richard Rufus of Cornwall, ''In Aristotelis De Generatione et corruptione'', edited by Rega Wood and Neil Lewis, 'Auctores Britannici Medii Aevi', New York: Oxford University Press, 2004. * Richard Rufus of Cornwall, ''In Physicam Aristotelis'', edited by Rega Wood, 'Auctores Britannici Medii Aevi', New York: Oxford University Press, 2011.

External links

The Richard Rufus of Cornwall Project
1260 deaths 13th-century English philosophers British philosophers Scholastic philosophers Medieval Cornish people Writers from Cornwall Cornish-speaking people Year of birth unknown 13th-century writers in Latin {{scholastic-philosopher-stub