SCHOLASTICISM!!!!!

By Molly Cain

AP EURO!

So what is scholasticism??

• Let’s check answers.com……•The dominant western Christian theological and philosophical school of the Middle Ages, based on the authority of the Latin Fathers and of Aristotle and his commentators.

Origins• Came from obscure beginnings

• Found a home in medieval universities• Oxford• Paris• Cologne

• St. Anslem, first Scholar• “Faith seeks understanding”

High Period…

• 13th and 14th centuries

• Schools of translation

• William of Moerbeke's translations and editions of Greek philosophical texts

• Universities developed in this period

A bit more on universities…

• The major ones: University of Oxford, est. 1167; University of Cambridge, est. 1209

Drama in the Catholic Church?!?• Rival clerical orders within the church began to battle

for political and intellectual control of the universities• …….

–Franciscans

–Dominicans

Franciscans

• Founded by Francis of Assisi in 1209

• Following Anselm, their leader Bonaventure supposed that reason can only discover truth when philosophy is illuminated by religious faith

Dominicans

• Founded by St. Dominic in 1215

• Mission to propagate and defend Christian doctrine

Thomism• Philosophical

school during scholastic period

• Founded by St. Thomas Aquinas

• Follower of Aristotle• Thomism revitalized

12th century scholasticism for the 13th century

Second Scholasticism • Revival of scholastic system of philosophy

in the 16th century

• Reaction to the Protestant Reformation

• Helped by the founding of Society of Jesus, the Jesuits, in 1540 by Ignatius Loyola

Neo-scholasticism

• Defined as the revival and development from the second half of the 19th century of medieval scholastic philosophy

• Also called neo-Thomism

• Sought to restore fundamental doctrines of 13th century scholasticism

Scholasticism in the States

• The University of Notre Dame, founded in 1842 by Rev. Edward F. Sorin

• Georgetown University founded in 1773

• Catholic University of America founded in 1887

A quick sidenote….

•Cornell University!Freedom of religion in the Ivy League!

Impact

• The method of scholasticism sought to understand the fundamental aspects of theology, philosophy, and law.

• Scholasticism founded a method of learning based on reasoning and making inferences

• Eventually the scholastic method was applied to many fields of study

• Harmonized medieval Christian figures

More impact….

• Increased importance of education

• Peter Abelard (1079 – April 21, 1142)

• Advocated peaceful cooperation of science and religion: Albertus Magnus

Impact on Modern European History

• Oxford tops many global university rankings

• Scholastic method still used in universities and schools all over

• Importance of philosophy and reason in modern education

• Scholastics focus on supporting Roman Catholic doctrines through secular study, reason, and logic

Scholasticism, summed up

“How are we to reconcile reason with

revelation, science with faith, philosophy

with theology?”

GO CATHOLICS!