Medieval philosophy

About: Medieval philosophy is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 828 publications have been published within this topic receiving 8525 citations. The topic is also known as: filosofia & medieval.

The Cambridge History of Later Medieval Philosophy

Abstract: In the introduction to this large volume the editors refer to their strategy of concentrating on 'those parts of later medieval philosophy that are most readily recognisable as philosophical to a student of twentieth-century philosophy' (p. 3). Twentieth-century philosophy is obviously conceived by the editors in terms of the philosophizing prevalent in university departments of philosophy in the Englishspeaking world. This means that attention is focused on logical and analytic studies in the late Middle Ages. To be sure, the word 'late' should not be greatly emphasized. For the year 1100, which is taken as marking the beginning of the period covered in this volume, hardly belongs to the late Middle Ages. But it is, of course, true that because of the prominence of logical studies at the time the philosophy of the later medieval period is likely to seem more congenial than some other areas of medieval thought to students of philosophy in this country and America, unless perhaps the students happen to be looking for something different from the intellectual food to which they are accustomed. By concentrating on logical studies the work serves the useful purpose of complementing those treatments of medieval philosophy in which attention is focused more on metaphysical and ethical topics. Not that these topics are entirely neglected in the volume under review. They are not. But it is perhaps arguable that the work would have gained in value, if it had been more exclusively a history of logic in the Middle Ages. Some readers at any rate might have found the work more helpful, if the chapters on logic had contained more explanatory material, even at the cost of omitting the brief treatments of metaphysical, ethical and political themes. The retort can indeed be made that the work claims to be a history of later medieval philosophy, not simply of logical studies in the Middle Ages. This is true, but no disrespect is intended to the relevant contributors if one suggests that the chapters on seventeenthcentury scholasticism and on recent neoscholasticism (with references to some still living thinkers) might well have been sacrificed to permit fuller exposition and discussion of some of the features of philosophy in the Middle Ages. For one thing, the cultural background of the 'transcendental Thomists' is different from that of the medieval philosophers. Forty-one contributors participate. The advantage of having a plurality of authors is that the different main topics can be allotted to specialists. The disadvantage is that there may be a failure to convey an overall view. The editors have tried to guard against this danger by arranging that the different chapters should be furnished with introductions and conclusions. But a student who is looking for an overall view of medieval philosophy or for an impression of the spirit and general development of medieval thought would be well advised to turn, for example, to the writings of the late Etienne Gilson. The present volume can hardly take their place, though it certainly 223

History of Christian Philosophy in the Middle Ages

Abstract: 0 Hamelin once said that Descartes was a direct successor of the ancients, almost as if, with the exception of a few naturalists, there had been no philosophical thought between the ancients and Descartes The refutation of this view seems to be the driving force in the philosophical development of Etienne Gilson From his earliest research on Descartes, up to the present, Gilson has, in one way or another, attempted to point out both the validity of medieval philosophy and its historical influence on the moderns Gilson's recent publication, History of Christian Philosophy in the Middle Ages,' must be seen within this broad framework He attempts to show that there is a validly constituted system of thought called Christian Philosophy This book is a comprehensive analysis of philosophical thought from the second century to the fifteenth century, from the Greek Apologists through Nicolas of Cusa During this period we find that philosophical thought exiists only within a theological context The Christians had the divinely inspired books of Holy Scripture; but in these canonical writings there are terms of Greek philosophical origin C'hristian Philosophy is understood therefore as " the use made of philosophical notions by the Christian Writers " (iii) It was not that the nature of Revelation was such that it should be made philosophical It was, rather, the particular dynamism of man as he attempted to support Revelation rationally It is in this sense that Gilson understands the existence of a philosophy that takes its inspiration from the truths of Revelation The theme of the volume is simply stated: " Every time educated Christians came in contact with Greek philosophical sources, there was a blossoming of theological and philosophical speculations " (540) The book starts with a discussion of the Greek Apologists They, the first Fathers of the Church, directed their writings to a defense and explanation of their beliefs against the pagans Since the first language of the Church was Greek, these men wrote in Greek, the language of philosophy; thereby began a dialogue between Christianity and philosophy It is with the next period, entitled Early Christian Speculation, that we find a conscious use of Greek philosophical thought Neoplatonism was used to explain the Christian Faith Clement of Alexandria had even believed that God had guided the Greek philosophers After this introductory section, we move on to the major part of the book If one would permits such a classification-it is made with realization that it iIs only one perspective-there are three categories of philosopher: major, to which more than eighteen pages are devoted; intermediate, between eight and fifteen pages; and minor, less than six pages In the category of major we have four philosophers: Avicenna (29 pp), St Albert (22), Roger Bacon (18), and St Thomas (22) In the category of intermediate there are eleven: St Augustine (11), Boethius (9), Scotus Erigena (9), St Anselm (11), Abelard (9), Averroes (9), William of Auvergne (9),

Emotions in ancient and medieval philosophy

Abstract: Introduction 1 Emotions in Ancient and Medieval Philosophy 2 Emotions and the Ancient Pursuit of Christian Perfection 3 Medieval Conceptions of Emotions from Abelard to Aquinas 4 Emotions in Fourteenth-Century Philosophy Bibliography Index