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Yale Intellectual History of the West
Medieval Foundations of the Western Intellectual Tradition, 400-1400
This magisterial book is an analysis of the course of Western intellectual history between A.D. 400 and 1400. The book is arranged in two the first surveys the comparative modes of thought and varying success of Byzantine, Latin-Christian, and Muslim cultures, and the second takes the reader from the eleventh-century revival of learning to the high Middle Ages and beyond, the period in which the vibrancy of Western intellectual culture enabled it to stamp its imprint well beyond the frontiers of Christendom.
Marcia Colish argues that the foundations of the Western intellectual tradition were laid in the Middle Ages and not, as is commonly held, in the Judeo-Christian or classical periods. She contends that Western medieval thinkers produced a set of tolerances, tastes, concerns, and sensibilities that made the Middle Ages unlike other chapters of the Western intellectual experience. She provides astute descriptions of the vernacular and oral culture of each country of Europe; explores the nature of medieval culture and its transmission; profiles seminal thinkers (Augustine, Anselm, Gregory the Great, Aquinas, Ockham); studies heresy from Manichaeism to Huss and Wycliffe; and investigates the influence of Arab and Jewish writing on scholasticism and the resurrection of Greek studies. Colish concludes with an assessment of the modes of medieval thought that ended with the period and those that remained as bases for later ages of European intellectual history.
Marcia Colish argues that the foundations of the Western intellectual tradition were laid in the Middle Ages and not, as is commonly held, in the Judeo-Christian or classical periods. She contends that Western medieval thinkers produced a set of tolerances, tastes, concerns, and sensibilities that made the Middle Ages unlike other chapters of the Western intellectual experience. She provides astute descriptions of the vernacular and oral culture of each country of Europe; explores the nature of medieval culture and its transmission; profiles seminal thinkers (Augustine, Anselm, Gregory the Great, Aquinas, Ockham); studies heresy from Manichaeism to Huss and Wycliffe; and investigates the influence of Arab and Jewish writing on scholasticism and the resurrection of Greek studies. Colish concludes with an assessment of the modes of medieval thought that ended with the period and those that remained as bases for later ages of European intellectual history.
448 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
October 4, 2016
3.5 stars if stars really count.
I suspect that most readers of this book encounter it as part of a course on medieval cultural history. I also suspect that it started as a longer book which was 'negotiated' down in many discussions between author and editor. ("No! I definitely cannot cut that out." "Okay. We'll leave that but then we definitely need to cut here. There's way too much detail.)
Marcia Colish is a real scholar of the medieval period. She has a firm grasp on a great deal of information on the theology, literature, philosophy, science, political and economic theory and general history of the thousand years she covers here. What weakens the book is that there is a certain imbalance in the presentation of these elements. Thus my suspicion about the editing. (I did encounter a couple of factual errors.)
It is clear, however, that she always knows whereof she writes. Where she does go into depth, she is usually quite clear, although I can see that those not familiar with the language of medieval philosophy could easily find their eyes glazing over. The sections dealing with political and economic theory, on the other hand, were both clear but a bit brief. I should have enjoyed more.
The sections dealing with literature, including Celtic, Old French, Old Norse, Old High German, Old English, as well later 12th Century, Courtly and other later developments were a joy to read. I could share in Colish's enjoyment in writing much of this. She seems to be positively excited by some of the old literature, especially the Old Norse. It was fun to read. I could read a whole book on this while wanting to read the original texts (although my Old Norse skills are weak).
All in all, a good book. I enjoyed it and, if I were to teach a course on the era, I would have no compunction in imposing the book on my students, with suitable additional primary readings of course. Recommended for anyone with a basic knowledge of the subject matter who wants more detail.
I suspect that most readers of this book encounter it as part of a course on medieval cultural history. I also suspect that it started as a longer book which was 'negotiated' down in many discussions between author and editor. ("No! I definitely cannot cut that out." "Okay. We'll leave that but then we definitely need to cut here. There's way too much detail.)
Marcia Colish is a real scholar of the medieval period. She has a firm grasp on a great deal of information on the theology, literature, philosophy, science, political and economic theory and general history of the thousand years she covers here. What weakens the book is that there is a certain imbalance in the presentation of these elements. Thus my suspicion about the editing. (I did encounter a couple of factual errors.)
It is clear, however, that she always knows whereof she writes. Where she does go into depth, she is usually quite clear, although I can see that those not familiar with the language of medieval philosophy could easily find their eyes glazing over. The sections dealing with political and economic theory, on the other hand, were both clear but a bit brief. I should have enjoyed more.
The sections dealing with literature, including Celtic, Old French, Old Norse, Old High German, Old English, as well later 12th Century, Courtly and other later developments were a joy to read. I could share in Colish's enjoyment in writing much of this. She seems to be positively excited by some of the old literature, especially the Old Norse. It was fun to read. I could read a whole book on this while wanting to read the original texts (although my Old Norse skills are weak).
All in all, a good book. I enjoyed it and, if I were to teach a course on the era, I would have no compunction in imposing the book on my students, with suitable additional primary readings of course. Recommended for anyone with a basic knowledge of the subject matter who wants more detail.
February 9, 2015
Colish's examination of medieval thought is simply and definitively comprehensive. Dense and often foreboding, the text surveys the evolution of theology, literature, philosophy, political theory and economics throughout Europe from the Fifth through the Fifteenth Centuries. The effect of Islamic and Byzantine scholarship on Latin Europe is especially fecund. Averroes shines in those sections.
Correspondingly the traditional plaudits afforded to Augustine, Benedict, Anselm, Bernard, William of Ockham and Thomas Aquinas are reinforced with solemn scholarship. As noted there is considerable overlap with my previous reading of R.W. Southern. Aside from such, this is an excellent introduction to Intellectual History of the Middle Ages. This is not a positivist account, setbacks in various disciplines are announced as such without undue recrimination.
I benefited as well from the lush bibliography at the book's conclusion.
Correspondingly the traditional plaudits afforded to Augustine, Benedict, Anselm, Bernard, William of Ockham and Thomas Aquinas are reinforced with solemn scholarship. As noted there is considerable overlap with my previous reading of R.W. Southern. Aside from such, this is an excellent introduction to Intellectual History of the Middle Ages. This is not a positivist account, setbacks in various disciplines are announced as such without undue recrimination.
I benefited as well from the lush bibliography at the book's conclusion.
June 15, 2012
This book is a bit overwhelming. It covers 1000+ years of history, veering from subjects as diverse as vernacular literature, scholastic theology, Islamic science, lay mysticism, and economic theory. It's kind of dizzying at points.
On one hand, it's a really impressive work because of that breadth, and it allows for really nice connections to be made between subjects that are often treated in isolation. The connection between the emergence of vernacular literature and lay women's increasing participation in mysticism, are intelligent and incisive points. The connections between scholastic theology and economic and political are likewise nicely paralleled. One of the nice things that this allows Colish to point out in her conclusion is that medieval thought tended to be much more flexible and open-ended than its early modern successor schools, a point that nearly always gets overlooked when discussing the intellectual climate of the medieval era.
The problem is, though, that the brevity with which each subject has to be treated often leads to oversimplification or inadequate explanation. The sections on monasticism and mysticism are clear and readable, not offering much new to a scholarly audience but a great introduction to beginners in intellectual history. But the section on scholasticism goes off in the other direction, offering great explanations of theologians to readers trained in formal logic and likely leaving most other readers pretty confused at what something called 'speculative grammar' could possibly entail. It makes it a bit unclear exactly who this book was aimed at - it's occasionally too advanced for someone just starting out in medieval intellectual history, but also doesn't offer much new to people who are well-versed in it.
That sounds a bit harsher than I intended - overall it's a very good book that could work really well as a textbook for a course. There are certain gaps, but that's inevitable in a work like this. Overall, it's a good, ambitious introduction to the varieties and richness of medieval thought.
On one hand, it's a really impressive work because of that breadth, and it allows for really nice connections to be made between subjects that are often treated in isolation. The connection between the emergence of vernacular literature and lay women's increasing participation in mysticism, are intelligent and incisive points. The connections between scholastic theology and economic and political are likewise nicely paralleled. One of the nice things that this allows Colish to point out in her conclusion is that medieval thought tended to be much more flexible and open-ended than its early modern successor schools, a point that nearly always gets overlooked when discussing the intellectual climate of the medieval era.
The problem is, though, that the brevity with which each subject has to be treated often leads to oversimplification or inadequate explanation. The sections on monasticism and mysticism are clear and readable, not offering much new to a scholarly audience but a great introduction to beginners in intellectual history. But the section on scholasticism goes off in the other direction, offering great explanations of theologians to readers trained in formal logic and likely leaving most other readers pretty confused at what something called 'speculative grammar' could possibly entail. It makes it a bit unclear exactly who this book was aimed at - it's occasionally too advanced for someone just starting out in medieval intellectual history, but also doesn't offer much new to people who are well-versed in it.
That sounds a bit harsher than I intended - overall it's a very good book that could work really well as a textbook for a course. There are certain gaps, but that's inevitable in a work like this. Overall, it's a good, ambitious introduction to the varieties and richness of medieval thought.
February 9, 2008
Professor Colish tackles a seemingly difficult subject with elegance and clarity in this tight, well-structured volume. Her style is thankfully direct, and her insights into the different schools of thought and their relation to each other, as well as their relation to the cultures which spawned them, are both profound and inclusive. The enthusiasm for learning is glaringly evident on every page, and infectious, as well. First-rate.
October 4, 2019
Broad and incisive examination of medieval figures and trends that have shaped Western thought. This book would be appropriate for an upper-level college class (short chapters/sections, good definitions of terms) or a masters’ class (length and depth).
May 30, 2020
26 Apr - 30 May, 2020: Yes, I read it again. So worth it! Finally realized how much of current intellectual tradition was birthed by a few generations of people who were able to live and thrive on diverse, inconsistent, and contradictory ideas.
The author’s conclusion will preach in so many contexts: “...it is possible, and desirable, to invent and reinvent ideas and aesthetic forms of expression, maintaining an organic connection with tradition while using it critically to fuel a continuous process of intellectual self-fashioning.”
22 - 25 April, 2020: Even better the second time through. Splendid, clear, and thought-provoking. At this time, I really wish the author had discussed the source of the idea that violence is a viable method to solve problems. I would think that there is an intellectual foundation to this issue.
Feb 15 - March 5, 2018:
Challenging ... not a light read, and wonderfully informative. I love the study of intellectual attitudes, and how they evolve over time.
Claim: foundations of western intellectual history were laid in the Middle Ages and not in classical Greece and Rome or the Judeo-Christian tradition.
It seemed to me that the author’s examination of this subject supported a general theme of her book - as revealed in her narrative of systematic theology of the 12th century: that certain thinkers during this period of history were not only able to deal critically and incisively with with authorities (e.g., Augustine) but also to apply the general idea that there can be more than one position within the orthodox consensus, even on fundamental questions.
The author’s conclusion will preach in so many contexts: “...it is possible, and desirable, to invent and reinvent ideas and aesthetic forms of expression, maintaining an organic connection with tradition while using it critically to fuel a continuous process of intellectual self-fashioning.”
22 - 25 April, 2020: Even better the second time through. Splendid, clear, and thought-provoking. At this time, I really wish the author had discussed the source of the idea that violence is a viable method to solve problems. I would think that there is an intellectual foundation to this issue.
Feb 15 - March 5, 2018:
Challenging ... not a light read, and wonderfully informative. I love the study of intellectual attitudes, and how they evolve over time.
Claim: foundations of western intellectual history were laid in the Middle Ages and not in classical Greece and Rome or the Judeo-Christian tradition.
It seemed to me that the author’s examination of this subject supported a general theme of her book - as revealed in her narrative of systematic theology of the 12th century: that certain thinkers during this period of history were not only able to deal critically and incisively with with authorities (e.g., Augustine) but also to apply the general idea that there can be more than one position within the orthodox consensus, even on fundamental questions.
March 2, 2013
Within three pages I knew I wanted to own this book. This would make an excellent basic textbook for a course on medieval studies (literature or history). The breakdown of the magnum opus of each major thinker and author is invaluable for getting the lay of the land prior to diving into the texts themselves.
My major caveats are (1) that the history is pretty weak, so sometimes references to the Crusades or something requires you to go look up dates somewhere else; and (2) that the organization of the chapters in the last few sections isn't chronological.
My major caveats are (1) that the history is pretty weak, so sometimes references to the Crusades or something requires you to go look up dates somewhere else; and (2) that the organization of the chapters in the last few sections isn't chronological.
February 13, 2015
Some chapters are stronger than others, but overall it is a very good overview of the subject. I found it relatively readable though I had to go through it too quickly for an exam.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews