Medieval University and Scholasticism (original) (raw)

Abstract

Course for the Winter Term 2020-2021 - Charles University of Prague, Faculty of Arts, Institute of Greek and Latin Studies. The Late Middle Ages see the establishment of a university culture that monopolizes the philosophical and theological landscape of the whole of Europe. With the increasing diffusion of the universities, several schools of thought animate the intellectual debates, disputing on every possible conceptual or doctrinal problems, and producing an impressive amount of literature in the typical genres of the Scholasticism (commentaries, disputed questions, summae). Such a university culture basically lies on three pillars: the constant reference to the authorities (Aristotle and Plato in particular), the creation of a rigidly technical language, and the exclusive use of Latin. During our course and through the reading of some relevant texts, we will analyze from a historical, philosophical, and literary point of view how this kind of university culture structures itself in various intellectual centers. We will highlight how the reception of Aristotle’s works constitutes the core of this medieval university culture. Then, through the study of the peculiar literary genres of the Scholasticism, we will also pay attention to the process of selection and systematization of the previous knowledge that is typical of the activity of the university professors of the Late Middle Ages.

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