ROSCELLINUS (also written Rousselin and Ruce-linus), often called the founder of nominalism (see Scholasticism), was born in Armorica or Lower Brittany somewhere about the middle of the llth century. Our information about his life is scanty, and, as he appears to have written nothing, we are dependent for a knowledge of his doctrine upon the statements of his opponents and the cursory statements of later writers. He studied at Soissons and Rheims, was afterwards attached to the cathedral of Chartres, and became canon of Compiègne. It seems most probable that Roscellinus was not strictly the first to promulgate nominalistic doctrines; but in his exposition they received more definite expression, and, being applied to the dogma of the Trinity, attracted universal attention. The chief opponent of Roscellinus was Anselm of Canterbury, w r ho defended at once the realistic doctrine of universals and the orthodox tradition of the church. It appears from the polemic of Anselm that “the heretics in dialectic” whom he combats denied the substantial reality of universals, asserting, for example, that colour has no real existence except as coloured body. There is no reason, however, to suppose that Roscellinus meant thereby to deny the real existence of attributive differences in things, though Anselm endeavours to involve him in that consequence. But we may conclude from the censure of his pupil Abelard that his reaction against realism had led Roscellinus into rashness of expression. In conformity with his general nominalistic position, Roscellinus taught that whatever exists as a real thing or substance exists as one self-identical whole, and is not susceptible of division into parts. This was the part of his teaching which created so much scandal when applied to the ...