DURAND, GUILLAUME (Durandus of St. Pourcain) (d. 1332), French scholastic theologian, known as Doctor Resolu tissimus, was born at St. Pourcain, Auvergne. He entered the Dominican order at Clermont, and in 1313 was made a doctor in Paris, where he taught till Pope John XXII. called him to Avig non as master of the sacred palace, i.e., theological adviser and preacher. He subsequently became bishop of Limoux (1317), of Le Puy (1318) and of Meaux (1326). He composed a commen tary on the Sentences of Peter Lombard (Paris, 1508, etc.), in which, breaking with the moderate realism of Aquinas, he antici pated the terminism of William of Occam. Singularity alone exists in things, and is known immediately by the intellect. From this it follows that the active intellect, which is supposed to ab stract universals, is superfluous and the problem of individuation absurd. Durand also denied a distinction between essence and existence, and opposed the realms of reason and faith. In the question of the beatific vision, arising out of opinions promul gated by John XXII. (q.v.), he sided with Thomas Walleis, Ar mand de Bellovisu and the doctors of Paris against the pope, and composed his De state animarum sanctarum. Mention should also be made of his De jurisdictione ecclesiastica e! de legibus (Paris, 1506).
See B. Haureau, Histoire de la philosophie scolastique (188o) ; C. Werner, Die Scholastik des spdteren Mittelalters, vol. ii. (1883) ; J. Koch, Durandus de S. Porciano, O.P. (Munster, 1927) .