Medieval philosophy and civilization

Author: (British) Virginia Woolf
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2005-10-01
Features: The purpose of this book is to study medieval thought from a new perspective, explaining the close relationship between the philosophy of this era and the entire civilization it belonged to, as well as its continuous connection from ancient Greece to the modern era. Medieval philosophy draws heavily from ancient Greece and is directly linked to modern intellectual trends. The emerging nations of the time inherited Roman and Eastern cultures, developing their unique creativity through long-term nurturing. By the 12th and 13th centuries, they blossomed into the magnificent flowers of medieval civilization, with an academic golden age unmatched even in ancient Greece, particularly in the glory of Scholasticism. Not only did scholars of the Renaissance and 17th centuries escape its influence, but even the 18th and 19th centuries, as well as modern thought, were all under its sway. Thus, the tradition of Greek philosophy was never broken, and the era after the Renaissance was clearly separated from the medieval period. To study Western thought, one must naturally be familiar with Greek philosophy, and to understand the major trends of the millennium-long changes in medieval thought, a certain level of comprehension is also essential. However, the philosophy of an era is a reflection of its real-life conditions and the crystallization of its entire civilization. Discussing philosophy in isolation from social realities is mere fantasy. To grasp the meaning of an era's philosophy, one must seek it within the interconnected relationships of the entire cultural and institutional framework of the time. In this regard, this book can indeed serve as a helpful guide for studying medieval European philosophical thought.