The scientists of the twelfth century were daring, original, inventive, and above all determined to discover purely rational explanations of natural phenomena. Their intense interest in the natural world for its own sake, their habits of precise observation, and the high value they place on man as a rational being portend a new age in the history of scientific thought. This book offers a comprehensive sampling of medieval scientific thought in the context of an historical narrative.
The little book that made the entire inquiry into the evolution of inquiry worthwhile. It is easy to view the middle ages as an abstract period, somewhere between the renaissance and the fall of the Roman Empire. Neither of which have an exact date. So, when did the middle ages start? What part of them were Medieval times? Which part the Dark Ages? Why is it that the Middle Ages are so riddled with uncertainty. What did people do during this time?
This book does not, in any way, answer all these questions. However, the understanding of what the scientists of the European continent were investigating at this time illuminates more about the society of the Dark, Middle, and Medieval ages than any singular investigation into the society existing during the era.
Miracles, Witches, Demons, Dragons and Demigods all existed at this time in the literature, reflections, religious documents and art of this era. In the scientific literature, they do not. An investigation into the scientific literature yields important insight into the culture of the Renaissance, immediately following the Middle Ages (wherever it existed).