Nathanael Culverwel

British philosopher
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Quick Facts
Born:
1618?, London, Eng.
Died:
1651?
Subjects Of Study:
rationalism
reason

Nathanael Culverwel (born 1618?, London, Eng.—died 1651?) was an English empiricist philosopher who specialized in the application of reason to ethical problems. He is remembered as a probable influence on John Locke. Details of Culverwel’s life are obscure. Though it is known that he was elected to a fellowship at the University of Cambridge in 1642, he is thought to have suffered a mental breakdown in his last years. His writings were published posthumously as Spiritual Opticks (1651), a set of six sermons, and a one-volume edition of collected works (1652). Culverwel’s best-known essay, An Elegant and Learned Discourse of ...(100 of 207 words)