Jerome Inglott
Encyclopedia
Jerome Inglott was a minor Maltese philosopher and theologian. His areas of specialisation in philosophy were chiefly metaphysics
and ontology
. He held the Chair of Philosophy at the University of Malta
(1822-27), and was one of the Philosopher-Rectors at the same university (1826-33).
Inglott was born at Senglea
, Malta
, on April 11, 1776. He joined the Order of Preachers at Vittoriosa, Malta
in 1796 at twenty years of age. After completing his institutional studies in philosophy
and theology
, he continued living at Vittoriosa, teaching theology
and philosophy
at the its Studium. Here, at the age of forty-two, in 1818, he was appointed Master of Studies
. At the same time he lectured on philosophy
at the University of Malta
. Here, between 1822 and 1827, Inglott held the Chair of Philosophy. Also during 1822, he was appointed Deputy-Rector at the University of Malta
, and then, in 1826, Rector (until 1833).
In 1820, Inglott was chosen as Prior of the Dominicans at Vittoriosa. Later, while Rector, in 1826 Inglott was also chosen to head the Maltese Dominicans on behalf of the Sicilian Province. He retained this office until 1829.
While Prior at Vittoriosa Inglott was accused of squandering public funds during the restoration works which had been carried out at the priory following the explosion of Gunpowder Deposit in 1806. In 1820 restoration works had been still going on since the incident. During the next couple of years, Inglott had to defend himself against these accusations, and finally was acquitted.
During Inglott’s tenure as Deputy-Rector at the University of Malta
, the British colonial
Governor
of Malta
, Thomas Maitland, affected some changes in the department of literature. As a result, some time later a General Council was formed with Thomas Maitland himself as Chancellor, John Hookham Frere
as President, and Inglott as Rector. It was this Council which, in 1825, appointed Michael Anthony Vassalli as the first Professor of the Maltese Language
at the University of Malta
(though paid by Hookham).
In 1833, Inglott resigned from Rector due to ailing health. He remained an examiner of moral theology
(1830), Prior of the Dominicans at Vittoriosa (1830), and, for the last year and a half of his life, professor of philosophy at the Studium Generale
of the Dominicans at Vittoriosa (1833-35).
Inglott died at the Dominican
priory of Vittoriosa on July 29, 1835. His funeral address was delivered by Joseph Bartolommeo Xerri.
and ontology
, no writings of his on these subjects are known to have existed or whether they were lost by time. Unfortunately, the archives where manuscripts were kept at the Dominican
priory at Vittoriosa were hit by bombs during World War II
. Inglott’s only extant manuscript survived because it was held at the Dominican
archives at Rabat, Malta
, and not at Vittoriosa. If Inglott’s other manuscripts existed at all, and no copies of them were made, they were probably destroyed during the war.
Inglott’s only extant manuscript deals with logic
. It is called Dialecticæ Elementa (Elements of Dialectic), and composed in 1823. The document, which is in Latin, is not in Inglott’s handwriting. It was put to paper by one of his students, Gaetano Vassallo, and is made up of 174 folios.
The work is divided into four main parts. The first contains a series of introductions, the second deals with logic (under 13 main titles), the third deals with the rules of logical truth (3 main titles), and the fourth deals with some erroneous opinions concerning the method of logical judgement (4 main titles).
The introductory parts of the work contain a note of caution to young students regarding their studies, a short preface on philosophy (including a part explaining the division of the subject), and a foreword for the study of logic.
Metaphysics
Metaphysics is a branch of philosophy concerned with explaining the fundamental nature of being and the world, although the term is not easily defined. Traditionally, metaphysics attempts to answer two basic questions in the broadest possible terms:...
and ontology
Ontology
Ontology is the philosophical study of the nature of being, existence or reality as such, as well as the basic categories of being and their relations...
. He held the Chair of Philosophy at the University of Malta
University of Malta
The University of Malta is the highest educational institution in Malta Europe and is one of the most respected universities in Europe. The University offers undergraduate Bachelor's Degrees, postgraduate Master's Degrees and postgraduate Doctorates .-History:The University of Malta was founded in...
(1822-27), and was one of the Philosopher-Rectors at the same university (1826-33).
Life
Considering his official obligations at various high institutions, and his extant work, Inglott must have possessed a formidable mind. Unfortunately, however, it seems that he was almost completely taken up by administrative duties which left him little time to write his philosophical thoughts. This considerably weakened his influence both on his contemporaries as on his posteriors.Inglott was born at Senglea
Senglea
Senglea is a fortified city in the east of Malta, mainly in the Grand Harbour area. It is one of the Three Cities in the east of Malta, the other two being Cospicua and Vittoriosa. The city of Senglea is also called Civitas Invicta, because it managed to resist the Ottoman invasion at the Great...
, Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
, on April 11, 1776. He joined the Order of Preachers at Vittoriosa, Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
in 1796 at twenty years of age. After completing his institutional studies in philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
and theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
, he continued living at Vittoriosa, teaching theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
and philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
at the its Studium. Here, at the age of forty-two, in 1818, he was appointed Master of Studies
Master of Studies
The Master of Studies is a postgraduate degree at the University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, The Australian National University and University of Dublin which typically requires both classroom study and the completion of a thesis...
. At the same time he lectured on philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
at the University of Malta
University of Malta
The University of Malta is the highest educational institution in Malta Europe and is one of the most respected universities in Europe. The University offers undergraduate Bachelor's Degrees, postgraduate Master's Degrees and postgraduate Doctorates .-History:The University of Malta was founded in...
. Here, between 1822 and 1827, Inglott held the Chair of Philosophy. Also during 1822, he was appointed Deputy-Rector at the University of Malta
University of Malta
The University of Malta is the highest educational institution in Malta Europe and is one of the most respected universities in Europe. The University offers undergraduate Bachelor's Degrees, postgraduate Master's Degrees and postgraduate Doctorates .-History:The University of Malta was founded in...
, and then, in 1826, Rector (until 1833).
In 1820, Inglott was chosen as Prior of the Dominicans at Vittoriosa. Later, while Rector, in 1826 Inglott was also chosen to head the Maltese Dominicans on behalf of the Sicilian Province. He retained this office until 1829.
While Prior at Vittoriosa Inglott was accused of squandering public funds during the restoration works which had been carried out at the priory following the explosion of Gunpowder Deposit in 1806. In 1820 restoration works had been still going on since the incident. During the next couple of years, Inglott had to defend himself against these accusations, and finally was acquitted.
During Inglott’s tenure as Deputy-Rector at the University of Malta
University of Malta
The University of Malta is the highest educational institution in Malta Europe and is one of the most respected universities in Europe. The University offers undergraduate Bachelor's Degrees, postgraduate Master's Degrees and postgraduate Doctorates .-History:The University of Malta was founded in...
, the British colonial
Colonial
Colonial or The Colonial may refer to:* Colonial, of, relating to, or characteristic of a colony* Colonial history of the United States, the period of American history from the 17th century to 1776, under the rule of Great Britain, France and Spain...
Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
of Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
, Thomas Maitland, affected some changes in the department of literature. As a result, some time later a General Council was formed with Thomas Maitland himself as Chancellor, John Hookham Frere
John Hookham Frere
John Hookham Frere PC was an English diplomat and author.Frere was born in London. His father, John Frere, the member of a Suffolk family, had been educated at Caius College, Cambridge, and would have been senior wrangler in 1763 but for the competition of William Paley; his mother, Jane,...
as President, and Inglott as Rector. It was this Council which, in 1825, appointed Michael Anthony Vassalli as the first Professor of the Maltese Language
Maltese language
Maltese is the national language of Malta, and a co-official language of the country alongside English,while also serving as an official language of the European Union, the only Semitic language so distinguished. Maltese is descended from Siculo-Arabic...
at the University of Malta
University of Malta
The University of Malta is the highest educational institution in Malta Europe and is one of the most respected universities in Europe. The University offers undergraduate Bachelor's Degrees, postgraduate Master's Degrees and postgraduate Doctorates .-History:The University of Malta was founded in...
(though paid by Hookham).
In 1833, Inglott resigned from Rector due to ailing health. He remained an examiner of moral theology
Moral theology
Moral theology is a systematic theological treatment of Christian ethics. It is usually taught on Divinity faculties as a part of the basic curriculum.- External links :*...
(1830), Prior of the Dominicans at Vittoriosa (1830), and, for the last year and a half of his life, professor of philosophy at the Studium Generale
Studium Generale
Studium generale is the old customary name for a Medieval university.- Definition :There is no clear official definition of what constituted a Studium generale...
of the Dominicans at Vittoriosa (1833-35).
Inglott died at the Dominican
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
priory of Vittoriosa on July 29, 1835. His funeral address was delivered by Joseph Bartolommeo Xerri.
Works
Though Inglott’s specialisation in philosophy had been metaphysicsMetaphysics
Metaphysics is a branch of philosophy concerned with explaining the fundamental nature of being and the world, although the term is not easily defined. Traditionally, metaphysics attempts to answer two basic questions in the broadest possible terms:...
and ontology
Ontology
Ontology is the philosophical study of the nature of being, existence or reality as such, as well as the basic categories of being and their relations...
, no writings of his on these subjects are known to have existed or whether they were lost by time. Unfortunately, the archives where manuscripts were kept at the Dominican
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
priory at Vittoriosa were hit by bombs during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Inglott’s only extant manuscript survived because it was held at the Dominican
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
archives at Rabat, Malta
Rabat, Malta
Rabat is a village just outside Mdina, Malta. The name of the village is derived from the Arabic word for 'suburb': الرباط, as it was the suburb of the old capital Mdina. Half of the present-day village core also formed part of the Roman city of Melita, before the latter was resized during the...
, and not at Vittoriosa. If Inglott’s other manuscripts existed at all, and no copies of them were made, they were probably destroyed during the war.
Inglott’s only extant manuscript deals with logic
Logic
In philosophy, Logic is the formal systematic study of the principles of valid inference and correct reasoning. Logic is used in most intellectual activities, but is studied primarily in the disciplines of philosophy, mathematics, semantics, and computer science...
. It is called Dialecticæ Elementa (Elements of Dialectic), and composed in 1823. The document, which is in Latin, is not in Inglott’s handwriting. It was put to paper by one of his students, Gaetano Vassallo, and is made up of 174 folios.
The work is divided into four main parts. The first contains a series of introductions, the second deals with logic (under 13 main titles), the third deals with the rules of logical truth (3 main titles), and the fourth deals with some erroneous opinions concerning the method of logical judgement (4 main titles).
The introductory parts of the work contain a note of caution to young students regarding their studies, a short preface on philosophy (including a part explaining the division of the subject), and a foreword for the study of logic.
Sources
- Mark Montebello, Il-Ktieb tal-Filosofija f’Malta (A Source Book of Philosophy in Malta), PIN Publications, Malta, 2001.
- Michael Fsadni, ‘The Dominicans’, Birgu – A Maltese maritime city, ed. by Lino Bugeja et al., Malta University Services Ltd., University of Malta, Malta, 1993, Vol. II, pp. 706-709.