Since David's works were banned, most of what is known of him is from the writings of his contemporaries and opponents, chiefly Albert the Great and St. Thomas Aquinas.
The indivisible substrate or constituent of bodies is matter (hyle); of minds or souls, intellect (nous); and of eternal substances, God (Deus).
He was a magister, or teacher, most likely at the University of Paris, and he studied the classical works of Aristotle which had been reintroduced to Europe after the Crusades.
From a work ascribed to Albert the Great, "Compilatio de Novo Spiritu", in the Munich Library,[3] we learn further that in consequence of the condemnation, David fled from France, and so escaped punishment.
The indivisible substrate or constituent of bodies is matter (hyle); of minds, or souls, intellect (nous); and of eternal substances, God (Deus).
[5] The phraseology, which must be David's own, as well as the title above mentioned, "De Tomis", suggests the influence of Johannes Scotus Eriugena.
It is impossible to determine whom Albert means by Alexander, "a disciple of Xenophanes"; probably the reference is to some Arabian work that went under the name of a Greek philosopher.
Some critics, however, put forward the surmise that David's immediate source was Avicebron's "Fons Vitæ", or the work "De Unitate", written by Archdeacon Gundisalvi of Segovia, who was well versed in Arabian philosophical literature.
The 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia takes a rather dim view of David's philosophy, and considers the harsh response understandable.