Introduction to the Medieval World: Class 20
Class 20: The Age of Faith II: Intellectual Life
Assigned Reading:
I. Introduction
Today; The other side of the picture from popular belief.
The development of higher education, and associated with it
intellectual culture. [Discuss connection]
II. The Twelfth-Century Renaissance?
Charles Homer Haskins.
1050-on a period of economic growth, political transformation
from feudal divisions to feudally strong kingdoms.
But intellectual culture also takes off. This is called a
renaissance. [Q&A].
Specifically it means going back to the classics of the past,
and usually using them in a transformed way.
A. The written word
Such a renaissance is linked to reading and writing.
The culture of Early middle age Europe had been oral.
Look at oral poetry, e.g. Beowulf. and Customary Law
Now in twelfth century a move to written culture
-Lyric and Romance
-Law codes
B. Italy
-Writing never died out in Italy, even as a lay art.
-Connection with Rome plus Byzantium, plus towns.
-Used for mundane purposes. Notaries etc. Few lay writers.
-The intellectual culture was clerical until 14th century.
C. Humanism [Q&A]
In middle ages and renaissance it means an interest in
culture, an appreciation of the worth of humanity, and
specifically an a appreciation of the Latin classics.
Latin as language of all educated discourse.
-Latin Classics - immediately available.
-Greek classics - Greek not known.
D. Libraries and book production
Few libraries
Big Libraries in 12th century - at monastic houses might
be up to 400 vols.
A Copyist might produce slightly less than two average-
sized books per year.
E. Colin Morris - Discovery of the individual
In this period. Idea that the individual counted,
not just the family etc.
III. Education
Human discovery of knowledge depends on intellectual discourse.
Non one can do it all by themselves. [N.B., Pascal and maths]
A. Monastic Schools - Throughout middle ages. For monks.
B. Cathedral Schools - only in major cathedrals
C. Medical Schools - University of Salerno
- Montpellier
Mix of Greek classics and superstition.
D. Law Schools - Bologna by 1100
Importance - Organizing complex data
System building
i.e. research data, organize it, work out a way to interpret.
E. Universities
1158 - Fred. Barb. Authenticum Habita
Studium generale
1. South
Bologna - Governed by a Guild of Students
2. North
Paris
Cologne/ studium
Oxford
Governed by a Guilds of masters
F. Paris
Most important medieval university by far.
from mid 12th century - 1200 charter
First called a university in 1208/9
1231 - parens scientiarum by Gregory IX
G. Life - no buildings
- Students around a master - group teaching.
H. Curriculum
-Old Trivium and Quadrivium falter
-Logic dominates.
-Law and Theology become important professional subjects.
I. Degrees - licenses to teach anywhere.
J. These universities lay foundation of modern universities,
although of course much has changed.
Some modern universities go back directly to that time,
however, be aware that for much of the intervening period
they were moribund and intellectual life took place
elsewhere. However, their ideals of education, and as we
shall see free discussion did remain important.
IV. Philosophy and Faith
Theology and Philosophy.
A. Neoplatonism - basic background
1. Plato - 5th and 4th C. BC
From search for moral truths had gone to a search
of knowledge. This had led him to postulate
Ideas/Forms. For Plato the Idea/Form of the Good
was very important.
2. Plotinus - 3rd C. AD
Revival of transcendence, Had turned Plato into
a religion. The Form of the One. God as perfect.
3. St. Augustine
Had christianized Plato, e.g.. Ideas exist in the mind
of God. Idea of God as perfect, hence simple, hence
eternal, etc. Neoplatonic Paradigm.
4. Boethius
B. Anselm 1033-1109 - 600 year gap
Faith seeking Understanding.
Ontological proof for the existence of God.
C. Roscelin - Nominalist
Great debate over Realism and Nominalism.
D. Abelard 1079-1142 and Heloise.
Free rational discourse important
E. Method - Dialectic
Shown by two major books of med. universities
Sic et Non - 157 questions by Abelard.
No solutions given. Cf. Decretum of Gratian 1140
Cf. Book of Sentences - by Peter Lombard
V. Aristotle - transformed all previous discussions
A. Available Texts
Of Plato - Timeaus and Critias
Of Aristotle - logical works
B. Greek Philosophy Elsewhere
In Byzantium
In Muslim Lands - Arab translations
In Jewish philosophy - Rambam
C. Translation
-Not Holy Land
-Sicily
-Spain - in 1156, Peter the Venerable, Had Koran translated.
Other translations. Especially of Scientific works
-Byzantium - 1204 - 4th Crusade. William of Moerbecke
-In late 12th and especially 13th century Europe had to
come to terms with Aristotle.
D. Why Aristotle so important
He had a truly great mind.
Pupil of Plato, but more down to earth [N.B. Raphael.]
-Ideas such as no creation.
-Nature of God
-Nature of ethics.
VI. Topics
So what did they discuss in these medieval universities
and how does Aristotle tie in?
Earlier spoke of development in sacramental theology. This was
important, but philosophers/theologians often looked elsewhere
for main interests.
A. Universals - What is a chair?
Realist view - image of a chair in mind of God.
Aristotelian View - example of a real idea of a chair
which is only present in examples.
Nominalist position - an entirely arbitrary name we call a
collection of different things.
Why important?
-What is the Church?
-What is goodness?
B. Existence of God - How to prove existence of God?
C. Creation - Is the world eternal?
Aristotle said it was. Nihil ex nihil
[no knowledge of Big Bang]
Problem for Bible.
D. Natural Law
Basis of ethics
Are morals just conventions or did they have a basis.
VII. St. Thomas Aquinas 1225-1270 - Greatest medieval thinker
A. Background: S. Italy: Story of red hot poker.
B. Career: Dominican - pupil of Albert the Great - Paris
Wrote 12 pages per day (check.
C. Works - Systematization
1. Summa Contra Gentiles
2. Summa Theologiae (60 vols.
3. Method - Gives all objections to a view
Go over ST
D. Aristotle - The Philosopher
E. Teachings
1. Creation - not knowable if it began or not.
Does not matter. God is eternal, not sempiternal
2. Theory of Being - Being is good
Using Neoplatonic ideas
3. God - Can be proved to exist
The Five Ways
-First Mover
-First Cause
-Contingency
-Scales
-Teleological/design
4. Sacraments: Eucharist and Confession
General Theory of sacraments - ex opere operato
5. Morals
Natural Law
Morals are factual
VIII. Later Medieval Thinkers
A. Franciscan School - More Mystical
Bonaventure
John Duns Scotus
B. Nominalism
William of Ockham
C. Scholasticism gets a bad name.
IX. Legacy of Intellectual Life of Middle Ages
A. Universities
B. Reason
C. Disputation
D. Natural Law - Hooker and Locke - US constitution.
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