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The Evolution of Mediaeval Thought by D. Knowles
Preface to the 1st Edition vii Preface to the 2nd Edition viii Introduction to the 2nd Edition xi PART 1 The Legacy of the Ancient World 1 Plato & Aristotle 3 2 The Later Platonists & Plotinus 15 3 St Augustine 29 4 Boethius & Dionysius 46 5 Education in the Ancient World 53 PART 2 The Renaissance of the 11th & 12th Centuries 6 The Rebirth of the Schools 65 7 The Awakening of Western Europe 72 8 The Revival of Berengar, Lanfranc & Anselm 85 9 The Question of Universals 98 10 Peter Abelard 106 11 The School of Chartres & John of Salisbury 120 12 The School of St Victor & St Bernard 129 PART 3 The New Universities-The Rediscovery of Aristotle 13 The Origins of the Universities 139 14 Studies, Degrees & Textbooks 156 15 The Rediscovery of Aristotle 167 16 Arabian & Jewish Philosophy 175 17 The Problems of the Soul & the Process of Cognition 187 PART 4 The Achievement of the 13th Century 18 The Philosophical Revolution of the 13th Century 201 19 The Franciscan School at Paris 213 20 Albert the Great 226 21 St Thomas Aquinas 231 22 Siger of Brabant & the Faculty of Arts 244 23 England in the 13th Century 252 PART 5 The Breakdown of the Medieval Synthesis 24 The Aftermath of Aristotle 265 25 Henry of Ghent & Duns Scotus 274 26 The Breakdown of the Synthesis 283 27 William of Ockham 290 28 The Harvest of Nominalism 298 Epilogue 307 Suggestions for Further Reading 311 Index
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First published January 1, 1962
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About the author
David Knowles
93 books7 followersFr. David Knowles, OSB, FRHistS was born Michael Clive Knowles and was given the name 'David' when he joined the Order of Benedict in 1923. He was a historian and professor at University of Cambridge from 1947 to 1968 and served as president of the Royal Historical Society from 1957 to 1961.
*Note: there is more than one author named 'David Knowles,' however this particular individual is the most widely published.
*Note: there is more than one author named 'David Knowles,' however this particular individual is the most widely published.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
December 10, 2010
It should be said up front that I enjoyed this book immensely--from front to back covers, with only a few lags in between here and there (some of the socio-educational bits in the middle, rather than more enjoyable foci on specific figures and trends). Mostly, I like the style of this book quite a bit, and I enjoyed Knowles's voice throughout. I enjoy philosophical history, but works in the genre of the history of philosophy have the grave potential to be dry and overwhelmingly heavy--yet Knowles escapes this. The book mostly reads like a series of lectures on various topics, moving through philosophical history chronologically but also keeping the many currents and themes in view as they intersect. Beyond merely a lecture, however, Knowles's style offers a sense of engagement for the reader, with a distinct and far from monotone voice, and even a bit of wit lying below the surface.
A second aspect to be applauded in this work is how Knowles covers a breadth of intellectual moments, themes, characters, and social history without over-simplifying the issues. While the majority of the book does focus on the high Middle Ages, it begins with an overview of Classical thought and education--mainly focused on Plato, Aristotle, and later Platonists--and moves through the late Antiquity/early medieval border figures such as Augustine, Boethius, Dionysius, before moving on to the medieval proper. Knowles focuses the rest of the book on the philosophical currents of the Middle Ages through a discussion of the social aspects, the various schools of thought, the use of Ancient and contemporary thought and debates, and the developing trends within the education of medieval philosophy.
As the philosophical tradition of the Western world is very much focused on the European continent, Knowles subsequently focuses most of his discussion also on the continent--with centrality given to France, and most of his time devoted to the eleventh through fourteenth centuries. He does, of course, mention the various other outlying factors in philosophy, with a chapter titled "Arabian and Jewish Philosophy" (with reference to the trends of the Eastern Orthodox, the Middle East, and Iberian peninsula) and another titled "England in the Thirteenth Century" (with slight nods backward and forward from this century). Herein lies the largest critique I have of Knowles: his main focus on continental trends in the eleventh through fourteenth centuries has a tendency to minimize some of the intellectual trends outside of this view.
Unfortunately, Knowles leaves a large gap between the years c. 600-1000, during which he says, "the cultural history of western Europe is a series of attempts, far separated in time and space, to recreate the glories of past ages by amassing and imitating their learning and literature" (67). He also says specifically that "there is little of educational and literary activity in the seventh and eighth centuries save in a few monasteries" (71), and furthermore, "There was no higher education north of the Alps" before c. 1000 (73). These several centuries were clearly tumultuous on the continent and lacking in formal education or intellectual growth, but what of England? My own penchant for the Anglo-Saxon world makes me wonder that Knowles has left out much intellectual work (educational, theological, and otherwise) during the Northumbrian renaissance (7th-8th centuries) by Bede (whom Knowles mentions several times as a major thinker in medical history, 74, 275) and his contemporaries--or the later work of educational stimulus by King Alfred the Great (9th century), or the Benedictine reform (late 10th-11th centuries) with figures such as Ælfric, Æthelwold, Oswald, and Dunstan (whom he also mentions but briefly, 77). Of course, these moments and figures are not strictly attached to philosophy proper (metaphysics, etc.)--but their influences on the theology, education, and higher culture of England are far-reaching, and they no doubt should be noted as at least "educational and literary activity" and some sort of "higher education north of the Alps." Knowles does, in fact, mention that "the Carolingian revival is only one of the many revivals, Irish, English, continental, that occurred during the middle ages" (75), and he does tip his hat to the accomplishments of early medieval England (77), but he does not linger on these issues and instead writes that the Carolingian "is more important and had more permanent results than any of its predecessors for a number of reasons" (75). Such mentions of these achievements accompanied by a lack of greater exploration of these intellectual topics, however, raise skepticism of Knowles's approach to the early medieval period--no matter how he might be applauded for the rest of his study--and give reason to question his seeming dismissal of England's legacy in the early Middle Ages.
Overall, however, I was pleased with Knowles's book and the overview of philosophy it offers. As I mentioned above, I had taken a course on the history of ancient and medieval philosophy, but this book gave me a much more in depth view and filled in many of the gaps, while solidifying what I already had read. For a standard overview of the history of medieval philosophy, this book has lasted over forty years for good reason.
A second aspect to be applauded in this work is how Knowles covers a breadth of intellectual moments, themes, characters, and social history without over-simplifying the issues. While the majority of the book does focus on the high Middle Ages, it begins with an overview of Classical thought and education--mainly focused on Plato, Aristotle, and later Platonists--and moves through the late Antiquity/early medieval border figures such as Augustine, Boethius, Dionysius, before moving on to the medieval proper. Knowles focuses the rest of the book on the philosophical currents of the Middle Ages through a discussion of the social aspects, the various schools of thought, the use of Ancient and contemporary thought and debates, and the developing trends within the education of medieval philosophy.
As the philosophical tradition of the Western world is very much focused on the European continent, Knowles subsequently focuses most of his discussion also on the continent--with centrality given to France, and most of his time devoted to the eleventh through fourteenth centuries. He does, of course, mention the various other outlying factors in philosophy, with a chapter titled "Arabian and Jewish Philosophy" (with reference to the trends of the Eastern Orthodox, the Middle East, and Iberian peninsula) and another titled "England in the Thirteenth Century" (with slight nods backward and forward from this century). Herein lies the largest critique I have of Knowles: his main focus on continental trends in the eleventh through fourteenth centuries has a tendency to minimize some of the intellectual trends outside of this view.
Unfortunately, Knowles leaves a large gap between the years c. 600-1000, during which he says, "the cultural history of western Europe is a series of attempts, far separated in time and space, to recreate the glories of past ages by amassing and imitating their learning and literature" (67). He also says specifically that "there is little of educational and literary activity in the seventh and eighth centuries save in a few monasteries" (71), and furthermore, "There was no higher education north of the Alps" before c. 1000 (73). These several centuries were clearly tumultuous on the continent and lacking in formal education or intellectual growth, but what of England? My own penchant for the Anglo-Saxon world makes me wonder that Knowles has left out much intellectual work (educational, theological, and otherwise) during the Northumbrian renaissance (7th-8th centuries) by Bede (whom Knowles mentions several times as a major thinker in medical history, 74, 275) and his contemporaries--or the later work of educational stimulus by King Alfred the Great (9th century), or the Benedictine reform (late 10th-11th centuries) with figures such as Ælfric, Æthelwold, Oswald, and Dunstan (whom he also mentions but briefly, 77). Of course, these moments and figures are not strictly attached to philosophy proper (metaphysics, etc.)--but their influences on the theology, education, and higher culture of England are far-reaching, and they no doubt should be noted as at least "educational and literary activity" and some sort of "higher education north of the Alps." Knowles does, in fact, mention that "the Carolingian revival is only one of the many revivals, Irish, English, continental, that occurred during the middle ages" (75), and he does tip his hat to the accomplishments of early medieval England (77), but he does not linger on these issues and instead writes that the Carolingian "is more important and had more permanent results than any of its predecessors for a number of reasons" (75). Such mentions of these achievements accompanied by a lack of greater exploration of these intellectual topics, however, raise skepticism of Knowles's approach to the early medieval period--no matter how he might be applauded for the rest of his study--and give reason to question his seeming dismissal of England's legacy in the early Middle Ages.
Overall, however, I was pleased with Knowles's book and the overview of philosophy it offers. As I mentioned above, I had taken a course on the history of ancient and medieval philosophy, but this book gave me a much more in depth view and filled in many of the gaps, while solidifying what I already had read. For a standard overview of the history of medieval philosophy, this book has lasted over forty years for good reason.
December 15, 2017
It is impossible to read The Evolution of Medieval Thought without thinking that Dom David Knowles, the eminent Cambridge historian and monk, has accomplished for Medieval philosophy what Charles Homer Haskins accomplished for Medieval history: a revolution.
It is also impossible to not compare Knowles' Evolution with Frederick Copleston's A History of Medieval Philosophy but while Copleston had the advantage of a decade of research, Copleston managed to write an enyclopedia of Medieval philosophy while Knowles has written a book. What I mean to say is that Knowles' book stretches the fabric of classical philosophy across the chasm that separated it from modern philosophy. His extended chapters on Aristotle and Plato, then on the Platonists such as Plotinus allow the theories and trends to flow into the Medieval period. Copleston on the other hand covers much of the same but plugs the gaps with all of the same figures.
One area which seemed thin, to continue the cloth analogy, was the single reference to John Scotus Erigena. One would think that "the only writer to deserve such a title [original thinker] between Boethius and Anselm was John the Scot...Erigena is a voice in the wilderness." (p.77) Knowles dismisses Erigena's though with, "Erigena's system is a difficult one to grasp and is certainly unorthodox in implication, though not in intention, but it had so little direct influence on the scholastics that it need not detain us here." (p. 77) Truly Dom David Knowles was so committed to the unity of his book that no asides (no matter how interesting) were to be allowed to divert it.
Knowles closes the chapter on Arabian and Jewish philosophy (interesting that he doesn't call it Muslim/Islamic) and opens the Epilogue with what I think is a good overview of the nature of the book:
"All this great body of ancient thought, Aristotelean, Neo-platonic, Arabian and Jewish, was to be decanted into Western Europe and particularly into Paris and Oxford between 1190 and 1260. In the pas the whole movement has too often been labelled 'hte introduction of Aristotle'. The whole of Aristotle did indeed arrive, and this was in the long run the significant fact, but the manner of its arrival, and the vehicles by which it was conveyed, had a great share in determining the quality and the extent of its influence." (p. 205)
"The history of Medieval philosophy in Europe between the days of Lanfranc and those of William of Ockham is the history of the reception of Greek though by the minds of an adolescent and rapidly maturing Latin Christian civilization. This simple statement, however, is far from expressing the complexity of the process that actually took place. The Greek thought that arrived in Western Europe was not the flood of a single pure stream, but a great river resulting from the confluence of tributaries, arriving one after another with waters heavily contaminated by the soil through which they had passed." (p. 337)
Though Copleston closes with Nicholas of Cusa and the Early Renaissance, Knowles' excellent chapter on the repercussions of Ockham and nominalism does a better job tying the close of the Middle Ages to the subsequent Protestant reformation and Modern philosophy than Copleston.
In summary, Dom David Knowles book offers something between Etienne Gilson's The Spirit of Medieval Philosophy (which makes no attempt at a survey of Medieval thought but rather advances a thesis of development) and Copleston's Medieval Philosophy which is more of a survey of the era.
It is also impossible to not compare Knowles' Evolution with Frederick Copleston's A History of Medieval Philosophy but while Copleston had the advantage of a decade of research, Copleston managed to write an enyclopedia of Medieval philosophy while Knowles has written a book. What I mean to say is that Knowles' book stretches the fabric of classical philosophy across the chasm that separated it from modern philosophy. His extended chapters on Aristotle and Plato, then on the Platonists such as Plotinus allow the theories and trends to flow into the Medieval period. Copleston on the other hand covers much of the same but plugs the gaps with all of the same figures.
One area which seemed thin, to continue the cloth analogy, was the single reference to John Scotus Erigena. One would think that "the only writer to deserve such a title [original thinker] between Boethius and Anselm was John the Scot...Erigena is a voice in the wilderness." (p.77) Knowles dismisses Erigena's though with, "Erigena's system is a difficult one to grasp and is certainly unorthodox in implication, though not in intention, but it had so little direct influence on the scholastics that it need not detain us here." (p. 77) Truly Dom David Knowles was so committed to the unity of his book that no asides (no matter how interesting) were to be allowed to divert it.
Knowles closes the chapter on Arabian and Jewish philosophy (interesting that he doesn't call it Muslim/Islamic) and opens the Epilogue with what I think is a good overview of the nature of the book:
"All this great body of ancient thought, Aristotelean, Neo-platonic, Arabian and Jewish, was to be decanted into Western Europe and particularly into Paris and Oxford between 1190 and 1260. In the pas the whole movement has too often been labelled 'hte introduction of Aristotle'. The whole of Aristotle did indeed arrive, and this was in the long run the significant fact, but the manner of its arrival, and the vehicles by which it was conveyed, had a great share in determining the quality and the extent of its influence." (p. 205)
"The history of Medieval philosophy in Europe between the days of Lanfranc and those of William of Ockham is the history of the reception of Greek though by the minds of an adolescent and rapidly maturing Latin Christian civilization. This simple statement, however, is far from expressing the complexity of the process that actually took place. The Greek thought that arrived in Western Europe was not the flood of a single pure stream, but a great river resulting from the confluence of tributaries, arriving one after another with waters heavily contaminated by the soil through which they had passed." (p. 337)
Though Copleston closes with Nicholas of Cusa and the Early Renaissance, Knowles' excellent chapter on the repercussions of Ockham and nominalism does a better job tying the close of the Middle Ages to the subsequent Protestant reformation and Modern philosophy than Copleston.
In summary, Dom David Knowles book offers something between Etienne Gilson's The Spirit of Medieval Philosophy (which makes no attempt at a survey of Medieval thought but rather advances a thesis of development) and Copleston's Medieval Philosophy which is more of a survey of the era.
March 28, 2018
Not nearly as much fun as I expected. The early chapters are quite interesting but there are only so many times that I could read about Aristotle before I became bored. The last hundred pages or so nearly did me in.
Want to read
July 12, 2020Referenced in a footnote in C.S. Lewis' "The Discarded Image", pg 185:
The relevant chapters of D. Knowles Evolution of Medieval Thought (1962) are a good introduction [to medieval education]
July 15, 2011
Another surprisingly interesting book from Church History II at Union Theological Seminary in New York. This one about mediaeval philosophy contributed to my eventual decision to enter Loyola University Chicago's doctoral philosophy program. "If mediaeval philosophy is so interesting, then surely modern philosophy will be," I thought, not having experienced the new scholastic abyss of analytic philosophy.
December 11, 2021
Som översiktsverk betraktat, är detta en mycket bra bok. Den är välskriven, och innehåller snabba sammanfattningar av de viktigare individerna mellan Plotinus och Duns Scotus. Har du anledning att ha koll på dessa, är det en bok som ger mycket och begär litet. På egna meriter är den alltså mycket bra.
För mig personligen, visar den att jag har en relativt solid bild av medeltidens filosofiska corpus - utöver nominalisterna, som jag faktiskt inte håller med grundpremisserna av, var det bara två medeltida filosofer som nämns (Siger av Brabant och Albertus Magnus) som jag inte läst minst en originaltext av, och av de judiska och muslimska filosoferna bara en (Alfarabi) som jag inte kan påminna mig om att ens ha läst om. Det är en bitterljuv insikt - samtidigt som det är skönt att få bekräftat att man har koll på åtminstone det grundcorpus av skolastiker som diskuteras i grundläggande översiktsverk, gör det att jag går miste om bokens främsta värde, dess förmåga att sammanfatta bra; det gör i sin tur att jag lämnas oberörd av större delen av texten. Därav bara 3 stjärnor.
För mig personligen, visar den att jag har en relativt solid bild av medeltidens filosofiska corpus - utöver nominalisterna, som jag faktiskt inte håller med grundpremisserna av, var det bara två medeltida filosofer som nämns (Siger av Brabant och Albertus Magnus) som jag inte läst minst en originaltext av, och av de judiska och muslimska filosoferna bara en (Alfarabi) som jag inte kan påminna mig om att ens ha läst om. Det är en bitterljuv insikt - samtidigt som det är skönt att få bekräftat att man har koll på åtminstone det grundcorpus av skolastiker som diskuteras i grundläggande översiktsverk, gör det att jag går miste om bokens främsta värde, dess förmåga att sammanfatta bra; det gör i sin tur att jag lämnas oberörd av större delen av texten. Därav bara 3 stjärnor.
December 18, 2018
I read some version of this at university though I do not recall it well now in my old age. I think I read it closely.
September 11, 2011
This book assumed a lot of knowledge, but was still informative. It felt repetitive towards the end. The dominance of Plato and Aristotle over all systematic thinking seems strange to me.
May 23, 2019
Už pomerne staršia knižka, ktorá sa mi do rúk dostala náhodou, ponúka obraz stredovekého myslenia, o ktorom dodnes vládnu predstavy, že bolo spiatočnícke, statické, konzervatívne a tak ďalej. Knowles dokazuje, že to tak nie je. Jednak hovoriť o stredoveku ako o jednotnom období, je prílišná generalizácia. Na základe knihy by sa pokojne dalo hovoriť o stredovekoch viacerých (čo sa týka myslenia). Napríklad stredovek pred Abélardom a po ňom. Stredovek pred univerzitami a po ich vzniku. Alebo stredovek realizmu a nominalizmu. A to sú len niektoré body, na základe ktorých by sa dalo stredoveké myslenie rozdeliť. Po prečítaní tejto knihy už nie je možné hovoriť o temnom stredoveku. Odporúčam všetkým historikom, záujemcom a stredovek a stredoveké myslenie alebo vôbec milovníkom histórie.
A čo sa v knihe dozviete?
- napríklad to, že už v stredoveku poznali grécku filozofiu, ba na nej stavali takmer všetky svoje tvrdenia. Tým sa myslí hlavne Aristoteles a Plat��n.
- poznanie gréckej filozofie sa počas stredoveku menilo. Hlavne v momente, keď sa do Latinsky hovoriacej Európy dostali preklady arabských verzií Aristotela, Platóna, Galéna a ďalších. Čiže nie počas renesancie v 15. a 16. storočí, ale počas renesancie v 11.- 12. storočí.
- koncept univerzity ako ju poznáme dnes stojí na pleciach stredovekých univerzít. V antike o niečom takom, ako je univerzita, ani nechyrovali - teda na mysli mám pravidelné vzdelávanie širšej masy ľudí na základe jednotných učebných textov, jednotného sylabu atď.
- stredovekým mníchom vďačíme aj za to, že vôbec máme prístup k antickej filozofii - za ich prácu v kláštoroch, prepisy a preklady týchto diel v skriptóriách a ich starostlivé uchovanie/archivovanie v knižniciach. Áno, sťahovanie národov malo svoje muchy a mnohé sa stratilo, ale až taká doba temna to nebola.
- čo sa týka stredoveku, je veľká hanba, že sa arabské dejiny na strednej škole odbijú často len jednou vetou. Pretože nie naša, ale arabská kultúra dominovala stredoveku.
- a kopec ďalších vecí
David Knowles
Benediktínsky mních a zároveň bývalý profesor na Cambridge. Odborník hlavne na stredoveký monasticizmus (kláštory a všetko, čo sa týka rádov). Dá sa to brať ako výhoda aj nevýhoda. Keďže moja angličtina nie je stopercentná, nie som schopný teraz povedať, či bol zaujatý alebo nie, ale výhoda to bola v tom, že geniálne ovládal kresťanské reálie a to je výhoda pri dejinách stredoveku v akomkoľvek smere. Pokiaľ to neskĺzne k zaujatosti. Táto jeho kniha je, mimochodom dostupná aj vo forme PDFka na internete.
A čo sa v knihe dozviete?
- napríklad to, že už v stredoveku poznali grécku filozofiu, ba na nej stavali takmer všetky svoje tvrdenia. Tým sa myslí hlavne Aristoteles a Plat��n.
- poznanie gréckej filozofie sa počas stredoveku menilo. Hlavne v momente, keď sa do Latinsky hovoriacej Európy dostali preklady arabských verzií Aristotela, Platóna, Galéna a ďalších. Čiže nie počas renesancie v 15. a 16. storočí, ale počas renesancie v 11.- 12. storočí.
- koncept univerzity ako ju poznáme dnes stojí na pleciach stredovekých univerzít. V antike o niečom takom, ako je univerzita, ani nechyrovali - teda na mysli mám pravidelné vzdelávanie širšej masy ľudí na základe jednotných učebných textov, jednotného sylabu atď.
- stredovekým mníchom vďačíme aj za to, že vôbec máme prístup k antickej filozofii - za ich prácu v kláštoroch, prepisy a preklady týchto diel v skriptóriách a ich starostlivé uchovanie/archivovanie v knižniciach. Áno, sťahovanie národov malo svoje muchy a mnohé sa stratilo, ale až taká doba temna to nebola.
- čo sa týka stredoveku, je veľká hanba, že sa arabské dejiny na strednej škole odbijú často len jednou vetou. Pretože nie naša, ale arabská kultúra dominovala stredoveku.
- a kopec ďalších vecí
David Knowles
Benediktínsky mních a zároveň bývalý profesor na Cambridge. Odborník hlavne na stredoveký monasticizmus (kláštory a všetko, čo sa týka rádov). Dá sa to brať ako výhoda aj nevýhoda. Keďže moja angličtina nie je stopercentná, nie som schopný teraz povedať, či bol zaujatý alebo nie, ale výhoda to bola v tom, že geniálne ovládal kresťanské reálie a to je výhoda pri dejinách stredoveku v akomkoľvek smere. Pokiaľ to neskĺzne k zaujatosti. Táto jeho kniha je, mimochodom dostupná aj vo forme PDFka na internete.
June 12, 2023
"The Evolution of Medieval Thought" by Dom David Knowles, published in 1962, remains, along with F.C. Copleston’s “A History of Medieval Philosophy,” one of the best surveys covering the development of Western philosophy and theology in the middle ages. Knowles rightly begins with Plato and Aristotle, demonstrating how the thought of the ancient Greeks, along with Plotinus and the Neoplatonists, influenced the thinkers of the early middle ages. The author eschews reliance on any single explanatory theory when untangling the factors that led to the rediscovery of Aristotle in the 12th century, but he does give due to the role of Arabian and Jewish philosophers in disseminating the so called “New Logic'' of Aristotle to scholars in western Europe. Although not appreciated immediately, Aristotle's influence on medieval scholasticism cannot be overstated.
Knowles' survey is cursory by design, focusing on breath rather than depth. The author cites the works of relevant historians when he discusses various thinkers, and he includes an accessible list of suggestions for further reading for those so inclined. Knowles focuses on the development of the variegated currents and channels of thought as he builds his narrative describing how medieval thought evolved; a story of how faith informed by reason, reached its apogee in the hands of the “Dumb Ox,” St.Thomas, in the late thirteenth century.
Knowles concludes his survey with an overview of Ockham, and the insalubrious harvest wrought by Nominalism. In Knowles’ words, “with the death of William of Ockham and his peers a great fabric of thought, and an ancient outlook on philosophy as a single, common way of viewing the universe gradually disappeared…”
For the casual reader, or the nascent student of medieval thought, this book is a sound introduction. Knowles is a serious historian and a perceptive writer.
Knowles' survey is cursory by design, focusing on breath rather than depth. The author cites the works of relevant historians when he discusses various thinkers, and he includes an accessible list of suggestions for further reading for those so inclined. Knowles focuses on the development of the variegated currents and channels of thought as he builds his narrative describing how medieval thought evolved; a story of how faith informed by reason, reached its apogee in the hands of the “Dumb Ox,” St.Thomas, in the late thirteenth century.
Knowles concludes his survey with an overview of Ockham, and the insalubrious harvest wrought by Nominalism. In Knowles’ words, “with the death of William of Ockham and his peers a great fabric of thought, and an ancient outlook on philosophy as a single, common way of viewing the universe gradually disappeared…”
For the casual reader, or the nascent student of medieval thought, this book is a sound introduction. Knowles is a serious historian and a perceptive writer.
January 15, 2023
Book 10 of a short reading course suggested by Norman F Cantor.
Full disclosure, I am not a Christian. So reading about medieval Theology is a slog for me at best.
Also disconcerting is the list of 'changing perspectives' or things to bear in mind about the book and how things have changed or 'been corrected' since the initial publication. I probably should do a brief re-read of this, but I'm already on the next book so eh...
Knowles discusses the evolution of medieval thought from the pre-medieval basis (Plato and Aristotle) right through to William of Ockham. And while Knowles does his outright best to keep the discussion about the development of thought, I will readily admit my eyes glazing over when the finer points of theology were being expounded. My attention was more focused upon the impact of Neo-Platonism, and, further, the rolled out impact that Aristotle (via the Arabian peninsula and commentary) had had on the somewhat isolated European theological culture already hard pressed attempting to hammer the square peg of pre-christian philosophy into the round hole of Christianin Theology.
Add to this the lucid description of the development of education ushering in the University and we have a decent account of Medieval thought and its struggles with the growing education of the religious and ultimately also secular section of society, and we have an emerging picture of the re-awakening of the European Mind. If only I could have kept my eyes a bit more open during the Theology parts of the book.
Full disclosure, I am not a Christian. So reading about medieval Theology is a slog for me at best.
Also disconcerting is the list of 'changing perspectives' or things to bear in mind about the book and how things have changed or 'been corrected' since the initial publication. I probably should do a brief re-read of this, but I'm already on the next book so eh...
Knowles discusses the evolution of medieval thought from the pre-medieval basis (Plato and Aristotle) right through to William of Ockham. And while Knowles does his outright best to keep the discussion about the development of thought, I will readily admit my eyes glazing over when the finer points of theology were being expounded. My attention was more focused upon the impact of Neo-Platonism, and, further, the rolled out impact that Aristotle (via the Arabian peninsula and commentary) had had on the somewhat isolated European theological culture already hard pressed attempting to hammer the square peg of pre-christian philosophy into the round hole of Christianin Theology.
Add to this the lucid description of the development of education ushering in the University and we have a decent account of Medieval thought and its struggles with the growing education of the religious and ultimately also secular section of society, and we have an emerging picture of the re-awakening of the European Mind. If only I could have kept my eyes a bit more open during the Theology parts of the book.
April 23, 2023
Gilson lite.
As a history of medieval philosophy, this is much more readable and manageable than those of Gilson or Copleston. Knowles acknowledges his debt to Gilson, and gives him the last word on many topics; at the same time he shows the necessary mastery of the technical details, and the sympathetic approach without which there is little point in studying anything. The lightness of treatment, though, means that this book in itself would not give you a good understanding of medieval philosophy - only of the changes of its currents.
As a history of medieval philosophy, this is much more readable and manageable than those of Gilson or Copleston. Knowles acknowledges his debt to Gilson, and gives him the last word on many topics; at the same time he shows the necessary mastery of the technical details, and the sympathetic approach without which there is little point in studying anything. The lightness of treatment, though, means that this book in itself would not give you a good understanding of medieval philosophy - only of the changes of its currents.
May 31, 2019
I just read two books on Thomas Aquinas. This was an OK overview but in my opinion Knowles was too vague about each topic. It was more philosophical and wordy then I would have liked. For example the chapter on William of Occam eluded to Occam's razor but never really gave a detailed description of it. He seemed to focus on the philosophical development.
September 22, 2017
This is hard going but ultimately worthwhile. Must enter with the proviso that this is dealing with intellectual and institutional thought rather than that of kings and peasants
July 30, 2018
A clear, easy-to-read explanation of the development and breakdown of the medieval synthesis. Helps makes sense of the following centuries.
August 22, 2007
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The Reformation: A History
by Diarmaid MacCulloch
Edition: Hardcover
Price: $25.51
Availability: In Stock
59 used & new from $6.99
12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
An Introduction to the Reformation, July 23, 2005
Even though it clocks in at seven hundred plus pages, I wouldn't call it the definitive book on the reformation. Perhaps that's because one needs more then a single volume to deal with this particular subject. It's really more like a very good introduction to a difficult historical subject. I applaud MacCullough for his objectivity, but I'm not convinced that objectivity is something that's possible, or really even necessary for a project like this.
I was struck, time and time again about the many, numerous, obvious parallels to our own times, which MacCulloch himself discusses in the text. We were founded by protestant/evangelical/calvinist types who were fleeing the utter insanity of the period in Europe. And I do mean "utter insanity". Reading about the French civil wars of the mid 1700s or the 30 year war in Germany is enough to give the most hardened evangelical pause about any actions taken in furtherance of the imminent return of the savior.
I rate this four stars (rather then five) because first of all, it's obviously an attempt to turn out a "one stop" book for a subject that requires more in depth perspective. in fact, if you look at the author's prior work, you will see that he himself would hestiate at such an ambitous tomb. Additionally, I though his recommendations for further reading were weak. The end notes are good, not great.
This book easily could have been four volumes or more. It could have just as easily been four hundred pages. I found recent reading I'd done on Augustine of Hippo(by Brown) and "the evolution of midevial thought" by Knowles to be useful in understanding the context. Also, having some familiarity with the history of the holy roman empire is nice to have. The stuff about Spain, France and England should be accesible to anyone with a college education.
I'd recommend it for someone looking for a general introduction to the reformation.
Comment
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The Evolution of Medieval Thought
by David Knowles
Edition: Paperback
Availability: Currently unavailable
8 used & new from $3.70
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
Medieval Thought 101, July 12, 2005
This is a concise introduction to the development of medival thought. Specifically it discusses the thinkers themselves and the institutions that birthed them. The main word to keep in mind here is that this an overview of medieval thought.
Still, making your way through it requires considerable intellectual work. Knowles gives you a page or two of biographical summary (easy going) followed by three or four pages of text about the particular thinkers' attempt to square neo-platonism with christian aristotlianism. I can't say that I got all the finer points in the text-- far from it.
That aside, the basic evolution is clear, with the high point coming in the thirteenth century as the complete works of Aristotle were rediscovered and absorbed by various thinkers, leading up to the work of Thomas Aquinas. Thereafter, there was a retreat from the project of synthesizing theology with philosophy.
I can't say that I enjoyed reading this book. Truth be told, it was a bit of a chore. I did learn about the subject matter.
Show: Most recent reviews Most recent comments Page: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11-13
Show: Public Reviews | Private Reviews
The Reformation: A History
by Diarmaid MacCulloch
Edition: Hardcover
Price: $25.51
Availability: In Stock
59 used & new from $6.99
12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
An Introduction to the Reformation, July 23, 2005
Even though it clocks in at seven hundred plus pages, I wouldn't call it the definitive book on the reformation. Perhaps that's because one needs more then a single volume to deal with this particular subject. It's really more like a very good introduction to a difficult historical subject. I applaud MacCullough for his objectivity, but I'm not convinced that objectivity is something that's possible, or really even necessary for a project like this.
I was struck, time and time again about the many, numerous, obvious parallels to our own times, which MacCulloch himself discusses in the text. We were founded by protestant/evangelical/calvinist types who were fleeing the utter insanity of the period in Europe. And I do mean "utter insanity". Reading about the French civil wars of the mid 1700s or the 30 year war in Germany is enough to give the most hardened evangelical pause about any actions taken in furtherance of the imminent return of the savior.
I rate this four stars (rather then five) because first of all, it's obviously an attempt to turn out a "one stop" book for a subject that requires more in depth perspective. in fact, if you look at the author's prior work, you will see that he himself would hestiate at such an ambitous tomb. Additionally, I though his recommendations for further reading were weak. The end notes are good, not great.
This book easily could have been four volumes or more. It could have just as easily been four hundred pages. I found recent reading I'd done on Augustine of Hippo(by Brown) and "the evolution of midevial thought" by Knowles to be useful in understanding the context. Also, having some familiarity with the history of the holy roman empire is nice to have. The stuff about Spain, France and England should be accesible to anyone with a college education.
I'd recommend it for someone looking for a general introduction to the reformation.
Comment
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Evolution of Medieval Thought
by David Knowles
Edition: Paperback
Availability: Currently unavailable
8 used & new from $3.70
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
Medieval Thought 101, July 12, 2005
This is a concise introduction to the development of medival thought. Specifically it discusses the thinkers themselves and the institutions that birthed them. The main word to keep in mind here is that this an overview of medieval thought.
Still, making your way through it requires considerable intellectual work. Knowles gives you a page or two of biographical summary (easy going) followed by three or four pages of text about the particular thinkers' attempt to square neo-platonism with christian aristotlianism. I can't say that I got all the finer points in the text-- far from it.
That aside, the basic evolution is clear, with the high point coming in the thirteenth century as the complete works of Aristotle were rediscovered and absorbed by various thinkers, leading up to the work of Thomas Aquinas. Thereafter, there was a retreat from the project of synthesizing theology with philosophy.
I can't say that I enjoyed reading this book. Truth be told, it was a bit of a chore. I did learn about the subject matter.
February 23, 2010
VINTAGE pb
May 30, 2016
Great overview of medieval scholasticism.
April 27, 2017
confirmed once again that i do not have a mind for philosophy. I learned a lot of new facts about education and medivial knowledge, but I can't understand what different philosophers are arguing about and how one really differs from another. so and so thinks the mind is above the intellect . . . so and so thinks the mind is equal to the intellect . . . is it really necesary to bother ourselves with figuring out who is right?
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews