William of Ockham or Occam was an English Franciscan friar, scholastic philosopher, apologist, and Catholic theologian, who is believed to have been born in Ockham, a small village in Surrey. He is considered to be one of the major figures of medieval thought and was at the centre of the major intellectual and political controversies of the 14th century. He is commonly known for Occam's razor, the methodological principle that bears his name, and also produced significant works on logic, physics and theology. William is remembered in the Church of England with a commemoration on the 10th of April.
Depiction of William of Ockham
Sketch labelled "frater Occham iste", from a manuscript of Ockham's Summa Logicae, 1341
Quaestiones in quattuor libros sententiarum
The Franciscans are a group of related mendicant religious orders of the Catholic Church. Founded in 1209 by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi, these orders include three independent orders for men, orders for nuns such as the Order of Saint Clare, and the Third Order of Saint Francis open to male and female members. They adhere to the teachings and spiritual disciplines of the founder and of his main associates and followers, such as Clare of Assisi, Anthony of Padua, and Elizabeth of Hungary. Several smaller Protestant Franciscan orders or other groups have been established since late 1800's as well, particularly in the Anglican and Lutheran traditions.
Francis of Assisi, founder of the Order of Friars Minor; oldest known portrait in existence of Francis, dating back to his retreat to Subiaco (1223–1224)
Saint Francis Comforted by a Musician Angel, by Francisco Ribalta.
Regula bullata, the rule confirmed by Pope Honorius III
The Confirmation of the Franciscan Rule by Domenico Ghirlandaio (1449–1494), Capella Sassetti, Florence