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Medieval Minds

Medieval Minds. Christianity Confronts Philosophy in the Roman Empire and Beyond. Dark Ages & Medieval Mind. Christianity took hold of Roman Empire in AD 313 (Roman Empire fell in AD 476) Europe sank into Dark Ages. Christian Church established as pre-eminent religion of Western world

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Medieval Minds

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  1. Medieval Minds Christianity Confronts Philosophy in the Roman Empire and Beyond

  2. Dark Ages & Medieval Mind • Christianity took hold of Roman Empire in AD 313 (Roman Empire fell in AD 476) • Europe sank into Dark Ages. • Christian Church established as pre-eminent religion of Western world • Dogma: • Church got power and wealth by its creed

  3. Duality in Medieval Christianity • Languages • Kingdoms • Humanity • Ruler

  4. God’s Relation • Greek philosophy: God in relation to cosmos • Gives order (Anaxagoras, Plato) • Movement (Aristotle) • Reason (Stoics) • Christianity: God in relation to history • Directly involved in human affairs • God became human being

  5. Christianity’s Image of God • Monotheism • Creationism • Omnipotence • Divine paternity

  6. Christianity’s Concept of Humanity • Made in God’s image • Soul is immortal • Resurrection • What does this do to history?

  7. Platonic Christian Thought • Theology: • Another world • World of senses made in image of ideas • Creator deity • Good above all else • Anthropology • Immortality of soul • Soul’s true home is in world of ideas • Souls are judged after death

  8. Rise of Christian Church • Evangelization Period • Faith is spread through missionaries • Became official Church of Rome • Patristic Period (2nd-8th centuries) • Church dogma is systematized and codified • Defending itself against pagans or crushing critics by calling them blasphemers • Scholastic Period (9th – 16th centuries) • Christian philosophy evolves based on Plato and Aristotle but still based on dogma • Main school of thought of Medieval Age

  9. Augustine of Hippo(AD 354-430) • From N. Africa • Followed Manichaeanism • Struggled with sensual nature • “God grant me chastity…but not yet.” • Eventually converted to Christianity, became priest and Bishop of Hippo (Algeria)

  10. Plato and Augustine • Adapted Platonic principles that fit neatly into Christian dogma • Sought to “Christianize” Plato • Started point is faith-based • Beliefs of Holy Mother Church not fallible • Everything came from God

  11. God and Free Will • If God is all-knowing and all-powerful, how can there be free will and evil in the world? • If actions existed in the mind of God, then people should not be held responsible… • Augustine’s response: • Time: • Free will:

  12. Original Sin • Original Sin given to Adam and Even in Garden of Eden when disobeyed God • Evil exists because of this • Augustine’s Response to Nature of Evil:

  13. Anselm of Canterbury(1033-1109) • “Credo ut intelligam” (I believe that I may understand) • Faith comes first before understand world around us • Anselm’s Ontological Argument: • There is contradiction in denying existence of God.

  14. Thomas Aquinas1225-1274 AD • Sought to Christianize Aristotle • Reconciled the dilemma of Faith v. Reason • Religion and reason do not represent separate truths and therefore mutually exclusive (what was called Double Truth): there is one Truth.

  15. Human Intellect of Aquinas • Humanity did not need divine intervention to think • Need to observe to ascertain the Form • Can not truly grasp Form because embedded in the corporeal reality

  16. Proving God’s Existence • Motion is a reality (to human perception): Primary Mover=God • New things come into being all the time: First Cause = God • All things change and based on something else for their existence: Original = God • Inherent perfection in nature: Perfection = God • Order exists everywhere: Organizer = God

  17. Universals • Like Aristotle, Aquinas believes everything = actuality (what it is) + potentiality (what it will become) • Knowledge is both sensitive and intelligent. • Intelligence is divided into abstraction, judgment and reasoning

  18. William of Ockham1300-1349 • Ockham’s Razor: • When all things are considered, the simplest explanation is the truest one. • In other words, Aristotle and Plato are nonsensical • Physical reality exists in and of itself • Knowledge comes from direct sensory experiences

  19. Food for Thought • Please take a moment to consider the following: • Does God exist and if so, how do you prove it? If not, how do you know? • Are humanity’s actions done with a purpose from God or do humans have Free Will? • For tomorrow, write down your thoughts in 1-2 paragraphs.

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