Medieval Philosophy Notes

MEDIEVAL PHILOSOPHY

Philosophy in Europe transitioned from Greek to Medieval, around 400 CE to 1500.
Medieval philosophy arose with the spread of Christianity, influencing intellectual traditions.

Love-Hate Relationship with Greek Philosophy:
- Negative Impact: Christianity opposed certain Greek philosophical teachings leading to the closure of pagan schools.
- Positive Influence: Some Christian thinkers embraced Greek philosophy, especially Aristotle and Plotinus, blending them into Christian thought.

Early Middle Ages (400-1000): Often labeled the "Dark Ages", characterized by political fragmentation and feudalism, but saw Christianization and the rise of Islamic philosophy.
High Middle Ages (1000-1300): Increased stability, intellectual growth, emergence of universities, and the rise of scholasticism, merging Aristotelian philosophy with Christian theology.
Late Middle Ages (1300-1500): Economic challenges, wars, and the impact of the Black Death; decline of the Catholic Church’s unity.

Faith vs. Reason: The relationship between faith and reason regarding religious truths; different views ranged from skepticism to rationalism.
Existence of God: Rational proofs for the existence of God were sought alongside faith.
Religious Language: Limitations of human language in describing God’s nature.
Universals: Discussion on whether universals exist independently or are mere constructs of human thought.

A foundational figure in Medieval Philosophy (354-430), advocated for divine illumination and moral goodness through love of God.

Augustine's motto: "Faith seeking understanding" (Isaiah).
Knowledge is attained through certain areas: self-existence, mathematics, logic, and sense experience.
Emphasizes Divine Illumination: God's grace enlightens the mind to understand truth.

Proposed that time is subjective; past and future only exist in our minds, as we experience the present.

Solutions to evil:
1. Indirect Role of God: God does not cause evil, rather evil stems from human free will.
2. Deprivation of Good: Evil is the absence of goodness, like shadow is the absence of light.
3. Nature of Oblation: Even misfortunes serve a purpose in God's grand design.

Advocated for a negative approach to divine language, emphasizing experiences we cannot articulate clearly.

Raised the issue of universals and divine foreknowledge.
- Affirmed mixed proceeds from Plato (universals exist as Forms) and Aristotle (universals are within particular things).

Famous for the ontological argument for God's existence; defined God as the greatest conceivable being.
Proof of Absolute Goodness: If goodness exists, there must be a source that is the highest good.

Argued against Anselm using the analogy of the "greatest possible island", questioning whether existence can be proved by definition.

Argued that philosophers are best suited to interpret scriptures, proposing metaphorical interpretations for conflicts between scripture and philosophy.

Criticized literal interpretations of scripture, promoting allegorical meanings to alleviate tensions between faith and reason.

Synthesized faith and reason, proposing the twofold truth; some truths accessible through reason while others are mysteries of faith.

First Mover: There must be an unmoved first mover (God).
First Causation: Everything caused must have a first cause.
Necessary Being: There are contingent beings; thus a necessary being must exist.
Absolute Goodness: An ultimate good must exist to explain other goods.
Intelligent Design: The processes of nature indicate an intelligent designer.

God is simplified with no composition, emphasizing a single quality over individual attributes, reaffirming the analogy of religious language.

Identified four laws: Eternal law, natural law, human law, and divine law; derived morality from God’s nature and human inclinations.

Critiqued divine illumination and argued morality is created by divine command, allowing for moral change over time.

Introduced Ockham's Razor; emphasized simplicity and nominalism denying universals exist outside of mental conceptions.

Medieval philosophy's focus was largely monotheistic, addressing issues central to Christianity, offering depth in discussions on morality, existence, and truth.
Despite historical emphasis on classical philosophers, the contributions of medieval thinkers are foundational and remain significant to modern philosophy.