🏰The Middle Ages Unit 10 – Medieval Learning: Universities & Philosophy

Origins of Medieval Universities

• Emerged in the 12th and 13th centuries as an outgrowth of cathedral and monastic schools
• First universities were founded in Bologna (1088), Paris (c. 1150), and Oxford (1167)
  • Bologna specialized in legal studies
  • Paris focused on theology and the liberal arts
  • Oxford emphasized the study of logic and natural philosophy
• Universities were granted charters by popes, emperors, or kings which guaranteed their autonomy and legal rights
• Attracted scholars and students from across Europe who sought higher learning and prestigious degrees
• Reflected the growing demand for educated professionals in fields such as law, medicine, and theology
• Benefited from the rediscovery of ancient Greek and Arabic texts which expanded the scope of medieval scholarship
• Supported by the rise of cities and the growth of trade which provided financial resources and patronage

Structure and Curriculum

• Universities were organized into faculties based on the major areas of study: arts, law, medicine, and theology
• Arts faculty served as the foundation for higher faculties and covered the seven liberal arts: grammar, rhetoric, logic, arithmetic, geometry, music, and astronomy
• Law curriculum focused on the study of civil law (based on Roman law) and canon law (church law)
• Medical curriculum included the study of ancient Greek and Arabic medical texts, as well as practical training in diagnosis and treatment
• Theology faculty was the most prestigious and focused on the study of the Bible, Church Fathers, and scholastic theology
• Curriculum was based on the lecture method, where masters would read and comment on authoritative texts
  • Students were expected to take detailed notes and engage in disputations to demonstrate their understanding
• Latin was the language of instruction and scholarship, which facilitated the exchange of ideas across Europe
• Universities conferred degrees at the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels based on completion of coursework and examinations

Key Philosophical Concepts

• Scholasticism: dominant philosophical approach in medieval universities that sought to reconcile Christian theology with classical philosophy through the use of reason and logic
• Realism: belief in the existence of universal concepts or essences that exist independently of individual objects (Plato's theory of forms)
• Nominalism: view that universals are merely names or labels and do not have any independent existence apart from individual objects
• Aristotelian logic: system of reasoning based on syllogisms and deductive arguments that was widely used in medieval scholarship
• Natural philosophy: study of the physical world based on observation, reason, and the writings of ancient authorities such as Aristotle
• Theology: study of the nature of God, creation, and salvation based on the Bible, Church Fathers, and scholastic reasoning
• Quadrivium: advanced studies in the mathematical arts of arithmetic, geometry, music, and astronomy
• Trivium: basic studies in the verbal arts of grammar, rhetoric, and logic that formed the foundation of medieval education

Major Thinkers and Their Ideas

• St. Anselm (1033-1109): developed the ontological argument for the existence of God and the satisfaction theory of atonement
• Peter Abelard (1079-1142): pioneered the use of dialectical reasoning in theology and ethics, famous for his ill-fated romance with Heloise
• Averroes (1126-1198): influential Islamic philosopher who wrote extensive commentaries on Aristotle and advocated for the separation of faith and reason
• Maimonides (1138-1204): prominent Jewish philosopher who sought to reconcile Aristotelian philosophy with biblical revelation in his Guide for the Perplexed
• St. Bonaventure (1221-1274): Franciscan theologian who emphasized the primacy of love and the spiritual journey towards God
• St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274): most influential scholastic theologian who synthesized Aristotelian philosophy with Christian theology in his Summa Theologica
  • Developed the cosmological and teleological arguments for the existence of God
  • Argued for the compatibility of faith and reason, and the complementary roles of natural law and divine law
• John Duns Scotus (1266-1308): Franciscan philosopher who defended the immaculate conception of Mary and the primacy of the will over the intellect
• William of Ockham (1285-1347): Franciscan philosopher who advocated for nominalism and the principle of parsimony (Ockham's razor) in reasoning

Scholasticism and Debate

• Scholasticism emphasized the use of reason and logic to clarify and defend Christian doctrine
• Scholastic method involved the close reading and analysis of authoritative texts (lectio), the raising of questions or objections (quaestio), and the resolution of disputes through reasoned arguments (disputatio)
• Disputations were formal debates where masters and students would argue for and against a particular thesis or question
  • Helped to sharpen logical skills and expose weaknesses in arguments
  • Often focused on controversial topics such as the nature of universals, the relationship between faith and reason, or the problem of evil
• Quodlibetal questions were open debates where any question could be raised and discussed by the participants
• Scholastics sought to reconcile apparent contradictions in authoritative texts through the use of distinctions and dialectical reasoning
• Critics of scholasticism argued that it placed too much emphasis on abstract reasoning and not enough on practical piety or mystical experience
• Scholastic debates could be highly technical and esoteric, leading to charges of hair-splitting and irrelevance
• Despite its limitations, scholasticism played a crucial role in the development of medieval theology, philosophy, and university education

Impact on Society and Culture

• Universities contributed to the growth of an educated class of professionals in fields such as law, medicine, and theology
• Higher learning was no longer limited to the clergy, as laymen increasingly sought university education for career advancement and social prestige
• Universities helped to break down feudal and regional barriers by attracting scholars and students from across Europe
• Academic freedom and institutional autonomy were jealously guarded by universities, which sometimes led to conflicts with local authorities or the Church
• Universities played a key role in the transmission and preservation of ancient Greek and Arabic learning, which had a profound impact on the development of Western science, philosophy, and medicine
• Scholastic theology and philosophy had a lasting influence on Christian thought and helped to shape the intellectual culture of medieval Europe
• University-trained lawyers and administrators played a crucial role in the development of medieval states and bureaucracies
• Academic degrees became an important marker of social status and prestige, leading to the rise of a new class of educated elites
• Universities contributed to the growth of cities and the economy by attracting students, scholars, and patrons from across Europe

Legacy and Influence

• Medieval universities laid the foundation for the modern system of higher education, with its emphasis on academic freedom, institutional autonomy, and the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake
• The liberal arts curriculum of the medieval universities had a lasting impact on Western education and helped to shape the idea of a well-rounded education
• Scholastic philosophy and theology continued to be influential in Catholic thought up to the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s
• The rediscovery of ancient Greek and Arabic texts in the medieval universities paved the way for the Renaissance and the Scientific Revolution
• The emphasis on reason and logic in scholastic thought helped to lay the foundation for the development of modern science and philosophy
• The university system played a crucial role in the spread of humanism and the revival of classical learning in the Renaissance
• Many of the great thinkers of the Renaissance and early modern period, such as Erasmus, Montaigne, and Descartes, were products of the medieval university system
• The medieval university model was exported to the New World and played a key role in the development of higher education in the Americas
• The legacy of the medieval universities can still be seen in the ceremonial traditions and academic dress of modern universities, such as the cap and gown

Fun Facts and Quirks

• The University of Bologna was founded in 1088 and is the oldest continuously operating university in the world
• The University of Paris was one of the first to grant degrees to women, with the Italian jurist Bettisia Gozzadini receiving a law degree in 1237
• The University of Oxford has a long-standing tradition of awarding honorary degrees to distinguished figures, including Theodore Roosevelt, Albert Einstein, and Stephen Hawking
• The University of Cambridge has a tradition of "wooden spoons" being awarded to the student who receives the lowest passing grade in the mathematics exam
• The University of Salamanca in Spain has a tradition of students kicking the "frog of the university" sculpture for good luck before exams
• The University of Coimbra in Portugal has a tradition of burning ribbons at the end of the academic year to celebrate the completion of studies
• The University of Padua in Italy has a tradition of students writing their names on the walls of the university's ancient courtyard as a sign of their passage through the institution
• The University of Heidelberg in Germany has a tradition of students being "baptized" in the Neckar River as a rite of passage into the university community