Peter Ramus Research Paper

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Peter Ramus is an influential French figure in the field of rhetoric, education, theology, philosophy, and numerous other areas of study. Ramus was born in the village of Cuts, France 1515. He was educated at home until the age of twelve, at which was the age he gained admission to the College de Navarre, working as a servant. Much of his influence came from his personal propositions and his criticism of Aristotle. Peter Ramus was an influential French logician, humanist, and educational reformer; two of his major works were Ramus, Method and the Decay of Dialogue and the Ramus and Talon Inventory, and he was also known for his attacks and criticism on classical writers, philosophers, and rhetoricians. Peter Ramus was a well-known and…show more content…
“Ramus was condemned first by the faculty of theology…then by the Parliaments…the matter was finally referred to Francois Ier himself and a public debate…was organized, in the presence of senior representatives of all the faculties”(Sharratt, 6). As a result of the meetings, Ramus was prohibited from teaching philosophy and dialectic throughout France. Ramus’ books were also banned and the continued printing of his works were also prohibited. His prohibition however was not upheld in France. Despite of his continued attempts to gain teaching positions, Ramus’ applications were consistently rejected throughout Europe including Switzerland and Germany(Stanford Encyclopedia). Ramus “was content to say that philosophy was synonymous with logic, and that was all he was not allowed to teach”(Sharratt, 6). Ramus was a man that was determined to separate and categorize fields of study. He saw each area of knowledge as being distinct and apart from all others. “Yet the method for explaining each art is identical and they have a common purpose in the presentation of knowledge. His colleague Talon would teach philosophy, that is logic, in the morning, and he would teach rhetoric in the afternoon”(Sharratt, 7). Rhetoric was distinct and separate from the art of dialectic. Ramus’ prohibition was short because in 1545, the Dauphin Henry, a friend and supporter of Ramus, was named King Henry II and afterward he reinstated Ramus(Stanford

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