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The medieval period of Western philosophical development is one of the most important
ages when it comes to the philosophical underpinnings of society as we see it
today. This period is often referred to as the Dark Ages due to the perception
of a society where most were barred from learning. In fact, the Medieval era would
see a gradual evolution of a culture. This culture would eventually include the
exchange of money for gold jewelry on a regular basis (supplanting the strictly
gold economic exchanges which had come before), the concept of empire, and the
rise of the dichotomy between church and state.
Of utmost importance to the philosophical development of this era was the fusion
of the classical Greek thinkers and the ideas posited by the growth of Christianity.
The Roman Empire was instrumental in bringing the ideas of the Near East and
the West together. While scholars could not rely on cheap postcard printing
and other methods of idea dissemination we take for granted today, travel between
institutions and exchanges of ideas was greatly facilitated by Roman engineering
and emphasis on learning.
Various religious centres would prove to be the bastion of philosophical thought
during the Medieval period. The collapse of the Roman Empire meant that society
itself fell back into one where a farmer would only ever work to bring about
the reaping of a sheaf in harvest, where lords and knights were responsible
for warfare and protection, and where learning outside of the church was unnecessary.
Unlike today, when a military institution such as CFB Kingston is filled with
literate employees, there was no need for those outside of the church to become
educated or even really to think beyond their roles.
Because of the monopoly the church had on medieval philosophical thought, the
ideas themselves tended to revolve around the fusion of thought processes with
Christian principles, and of rationalizing Biblical concepts with practices
through didactics and reason. Early leaders such as Augustine would state that
first, they would believe in what Christianity stated, and then find rationale
within that context. Later thinkers such as Avicenna and Averroes would emphasize
reason over belief.
One of the overriding themes of Medieval philosophy is the danger that these
philosophers lived with constantly when seeking to come to greater understanding.
During this time, philosophy still included topics which today we consider separate.
Theology, mathematics, natural science, and other disciplines were all under
the philosophical umbrellas. Positing principles which did not adhere to the
commonly believed opinions held by the religious ignorant would have even the
most ardent lover of knowledge squirming in his cloth diapers over the possible
consequences.
Despite the repression of the established order (a fact which philosophers
have had to contend with from Daniel onwards), significant strides were made
in Western philosophy during the medieval period. Writings of men such as St.
Thomas of Aquinas, Anselm of Canterbury, and others would continue to further
philosophical thought during this period. Eventually, the work of these thinkers
would give rise to the Enlightenment and the philosophical age we title the
"Modern."
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