Product Description
This collection of readings with extensive editorial commentary brings together key texts of the most influential philosophers of the medieval era to provide a comprehensive introduction for students of philosophy.

• Features the writings of Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Boethius, John Duns Scotus and other leading medieval thinkers
  
• Features several new translations of key thinkers of the medieval era, including John Buridan and Averroes
  
• Readings are accompanied by expert commentary from the editors, who are leading scholars in the field

Product Description
Spanning a millennium of thought extending from Augustine to Thomas Aquinas and beyond, this volume takes its readers into one of the most exciting periods in the history of philosophy. It includes not only the thinkers of the Latin West but also the profound contributions of Islamic and Jewish philosophers such as Avicenna and Maimonides. Leading specialists examine what it was like to study philosophy in the cultures and institutions of the Middle Ages. Supplementary material includes chronological charts and biographies of the major thinkers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Light your way through the main topics
I bought this book to help me get through a St. Thomas Aquinas course. Medieval thinking is so wide that often you need a guide not to get lost in the sea of authors and information about it. That's why this book (as the title announces), divided in chapters that try to pinpoint the main subjetcs that were treated during the medieval period, is an excellent companion for a medieval course.
On the other hand, the great medieval thinkers are not examined thoroughly, and it is sometimes difficult to get an accurate idea of the structure of their thinking. But then again, the objective of the book is to light your way through the main topics in medieval thinking.
Some articles are more exhaustive than others, and sometimes you get the feeling that you are not necessarily reading a university text but separated comments on philosophy.
The book works great as an introduction to medieval philosophy for beginners or as a complement for more advanced readers. Any how, you will always need to go to additional bibliography.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A fantastic sourcebook for Scholars of Medieval Philosophy
This is quite simply one of the best sourcebooks for Medieval Philosophy in existence.I am amazed at the inclusiveness of the work (focusing on all three major religions in Medieval Europe, instead of simply Christianity) and the fantastic translations.This book is a must-have for any scholar of Medieval Philosophy, but it is probably not for beginners, as the translations tend to be for scholarly use rather than for enjoyment. ... Read more

Product Description
This is a history of the great age of scholastism from Abelard to the rejection of Aristotelianism in the Renaissance, combining the highest standards of medieval scholarship with a respect for the interests and insights of contemporary philosophers, particularly those working in the analytic tradition. The volume follows on chronologically from The Cambridge History of Later Greek and Early Medieval Philosophy, though it does not continue the histories of Greek and Islamic philosophy but concentrates on the Latin Christian West. Unlike other histories of medieval philosophy which divide the subject matter by individual thinkers and emphasise the parts of more historical and theological interest, this volume is organised by those topics in which recent philosophy has made the greatest progress. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

average...but informative
the overall presentation and framework are sound, scholarly; perhaps due to different viewpoints from various authors, the materials are treated unevenly--some subject matters are in depth, captivating; others are sypnotic, dull at best. overall, this obscure topic was illuminated in a professional, responsible manner. contains a trove of great bibliography and references for research...

A Massive Piece of Work
This book is a massive piece of work edited by Anthony Kenney, Jan Pinborg and the late Norman Kretzmann. Moreover, Eleonore Stump is an associate editor of this text as well. The book itself is over 1000 pages. It is a history of late medieval philosophy from about 1100 to 1600. The book is essentially a series of essays that deal with the various philosophical trends, ideas, issues, etc. that were prevalent within the aforementioned dates. The book deals with Aristotelian logic, logic in the middle ages (semantic theory), logic in the high middle ages, metaphysics and epistemology, natural philosophy, philosophy of mind and action, ethics, politics, and scholasticism. Thus, the reader of this text will gain a greater understanding about Abelard and old logic to free will and free choice to God's knowledge of future contingents, and much more. The Islamic philosophers and their influences and ideas are covered as well as the Jesus society philosophers of the late reformation period (i.e. Molina, Suarez, etc.). The text itself is not for the beginning philosophy student, thus the contributors expect their readers to have some back ground knowledge in the issues at hand. This book is meant for the serious student of this period. Therefore, if you love to study the philosophers of the Medieval period, then you will love the detail that this book provides. I highly recommend it.

A Classic for Medievalists
Top medieval scholars edited this collection of essays by other top medieval scholars which brings to light some of the best thought regarding this important, but oft-neglected period in the history of philosophy.While nearly twenty years old, these essays are as enduring as the figures of which they are about. must for any serious student of the scholastic period of medieval philosophy. ... Read more

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The Early Heidegger and Medieval Philosophy is a major interpretive study of Heidegger's complex relationship to medieval philosophy. S. J. McGrath's contribution is historical and biographical as well as philosophical, examining how the enthusiastic defender of the Aristotelian-Scholastic tradition became the great destroyer of metaphysical theology.

This book provides an informative and comprehensive examination of Heidegger's changing approach to medieval sources--from the seminary studies of Bonaventure to the famous phenomenological destructions of medieval ontology. McGrath argues that the mid-point of this development, and the high point of Heidegger's reading of medieval philosophy, is the widely neglected habilitation thesis on Scotus and speculative grammar. He shows that this neo-Kantian retrieval of phenomenological moments in the metaphysics of Scotus and Thomas of Erfurt marks the beginning of a turn from metaphysics to existential phenomenology. McGrath's careful hermeneutical reconstruction of this complex trajectory uncovers the roots of Heidegger's critique of ontotheology in a Luther-inspired defection from his largely Scholastic formation.

In the end McGrath argues that Heidegger fails to do justice to the spirit of medieval philosophy. The book sheds new light on a long-debated question of the early Heidegger's theological significance. Far from a neutral phenomenology, Heidegger's masterwork, Being and Time, is shown to be a philosophically questionable overturning of the medieval theological paradigm. ... Read more

Product Description
Thomas Williams revision of Arthur Hyman and James J. Walsh s classic compendium of writings in the Christian, Islamic, and Jewish medieval philosophical traditions expands the breadth of coverage that helped make its predecessor the best known and most widely used collection of its kind.

The third edition builds on the strengths of the second by preserving its essential shape while adding several important new texts including works by Augustine, Boethius, Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite, Anselm, al-F r b , al-Ghaz l , Ibn Rushd, Bonaventure, Thomas Aquinas, and John Duns Scotus and featuring new translations of many others.

The volume has also been redesigned and its bibliographies updated with the needs of a new generation of students in mind. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Exellent book on philosophy
This book covers phisophy in the middle ages. I recommend the whole series from the same author.

Good selection, accessible translations
This work contains selections from the most important Medieval scholars, including Maimonides, Avicenna, and St. Augustine.The selections are reasonably brief, so one may have to go read more works of some authors.However, that is the best one can expect from a book of this sort, and the selections are the best available.

Additionally, the translations are accessible to the modern reader.I had no trouble getting into the translations here at all.

On the whole, I think this is one of the best anthologies of the subject and would highly recommend it to anyone interested in the subject.Well done!

An Exhaustive and Authoritative Medieval Philosophical Sourcebook
Here is an exhaustive and authoritative, Medieval philosophical sourcebook which contains excerpts of primary importance from key thinkers within the Christian, Islamic and Jewish traditions.This enormous volume covers nine-hundred years of intellectual history [beginning with St. Augustine in the 5th century and ending with John Buridan 14th century AD], making this the finest single-volume anthology concerning Middle Age philosophy available.Preceding the writings of each author are informative biographical sketches and introductory material that will be of great assistance to the reader while tackling these texts.The only drawback to this volume is the fact that there are very few annotations; but this slight discrepancy cannot negate from the general value of this book.

Continues to be an excellent source.
This book was in its fifth edition in 1980 (my copy), and obviously has been reprinted since then.There are more recent treatments of the subject, no doubt, and a lot of scholarship hastaken place in medieval thought since that time.Nevertheless, I recommend that you buy this book (find a used copy if you can) because it is still one of the best places to get so many primary sources between the covers of one book.The introductory essays are very well done, but the value of this tome (761 pages) is the selection and depth of primary texts.This in no mere medieval cafeteria--the texts here are all selected for their importance to the overall content of each thinker's work.The selections are generous, too. With this book, you get Augustine, Boethius, Erigena, Anselm (with Gaunilo), Abelard, John of Salisbury, al-Farabi, Avicenna, al-Gazali, Averroes, Sa'adia, Solomon Ibn Gabirol, Maimonides, Bonaventure, Grosseteste, Bacon, Siger of Brabant, Aquinas (Spiritual Creatures, Summa Part I, II [first part], and the text of the 1277 condemnation), Scotus, William of Ockham, Nicholas of Autrecourt, Marsilius of Padua, and John Buridan (on Aristotle).

If you are concerned that there is no way you could get good information on so many writers in one book, let me assure you that you can.For example, you may not read all of Aquinas, but you ought to be familiar with the first part of the Summa.Similarly, you may not read all of Augustine, but some of the best of his work is here (good sections from The Teacher, Retractions, Confessions, City of God, The Trinity, and On Free Will).The important additions of Islamic and Jewish philosophy (Christian medieval thought depends upon the Aristotelian work of Muslim thinkers to a great extent) to this work make it a very nice one to have. ... Read more

Product Description
Conceived originally as a serious presentation of the development of philosophy for Catholic seminary students, Frederick Copleston's nine-volume A History Of Philosophy has journeyed far beyond the modest purpose of its author to universal acclaim as the best history of philosophy in English.



Copleston, an Oxford Jesuit of immense erudition who once tangled with A.J. Ayer in a fabled debate about the existence of God and the possibility of metaphysics, knew that seminary students were fed a woefully inadequate diet of theses and proofs, and that their familiarity with most of history's great thinkers was reduced to simplistic caricatures.  Copleston set out to redress the wrong by writing a complete history of Western Philosophy, one crackling with incident and intellectual excitement - and one that gives full place to each thinker, presenting his thought in a beautifully rounded manner and showing his links to those who went before and to those who came after him. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Many surprises
I have to begin by confessing that I have refused to even look at Medieval Philosophy for most of my fairly long life.When I was just a boy at St. John's College, I quit after one year.My boyish self thought that he had absorbed the Greeks and the Romans, and had no wish to waste time with...gack...Dark Age Idiots squabbling over how many angels could dance on the head of a pin.

Well.

I have now finished Vol. I of this history, and embarked on Vol. II, and I must say that I am thoroughly enjoying the tale so far!Is this because the philosophy is intrinsically interesting, or because of Frederick Copleston's sublime presentation and discussion of that philosophy?

Make no mistake here: Copleston was one of the best teaching-writers who ever lived.(Gosh!Those Jesuits!They seem to do this over and over again!!)

Big surprise #1: Augustine becomes my favorite philosopher!Well, at least for these points, which I will summarize from memory: "Many people doubt the evidence of the senses as inherently unreliable. Well, we have all seen an oar in the water, and are aware of optical illusions, but anyone who wants to throw out all of our information from the senses is making a terrible mistake.We learn everything from what we see and sense of the world.In the same way, we cannot trust the statements of other men; they are often unreliable.But anyone who insists on tossing all of the knowledge obtained from other men is an idiot: our human knowledge has grown great because of what we can see, and what we can hear from other men."

Somehow, I want to place this beside Immanuel Kant's love of the starry firmament.(How did Kant KNOW that the night sky was filled with stars, aside from opening his eyes and LOOKING?)

The second major surprise has been to discover that medieval philosophy was not just blind dogmatism and blinkered prejudice.The philosophers of pre-modern Europe were indeed groping in the dark, but they did have Plato and the Bible to help them, and they INSISTED on trying to discuss them rationally.

We should not spit on the graves of these men.They were devout, and sometimes wildly mistaken, but they were doing their very best to take Plato and Aristotle and make something BETTER.At the very least, it is a story with a compelling human interest.

Which is just about the last thing I expected from this book!

Have a look for yourself some day!Of course, you have to begin with Volume I to make sense of Volume II.Just 5-10 pages a day will get you there, if you are patient and persevering.:-)

Who ever said that Medieval philosophy was supposed to be exciting?
Other reviewers have complained about Copleston's style. They say that it's boring, dry or hard to read. This may be true to an extent, but consider the topic. It's Medieval Philosophy. I don't know who would ever be able to bring such a topic down to the level of most ADD Westerners today (including the previous reviewer who has a "bachelor's degree" in philosophy. [sarcasm] Thankfully he recommended a comic book introduction to philosophy in place of Copleston).

At any rate, I thoroughly enjoyed the volume. If you are attempting to get an introductory grasp on Western Philosophy, then the Medieval period cannot be skipped. If we do skip this time period by jumping from Neoplatonism to Francis Bacon and Modern philosophy, then we will not completely understand what it was that Renassance and Modern philosophy were reacting against. I must admit that Copleston's work is not exciting to read for it's own sake. But, for me any dullness was overshadowed by the importance and necessity of the topic. I am almost finished with the the author's third volume and I am very glad that I had read this second one first. I have always read scattered references to Duns Scotus' thinking and Albert the Great, etc., but now I feel much more confident in evaluating what happened in the middle ages. Furthermore, I just read Jaroslav Pelikan's volume on the development of Medieval Theology. It was an excellent complement to Copleston.

The work was originally written for seminary students. I am one and I certainly believe that prior exposure to many of the theological topics and questions helped me through the book. However, anyone with a general philosophical/theological framework and enough motivation and patience will be delightfully pleased by the end of the book (and remember if you see a term or topic that you are unfamiliar with, then just look it up on Wikipedia!).

The bottom line is, if you are both motivated and interested, then buy and read it (and read it slowly). The content and concepts presented are not what we normally think and talk about. It took me three times as long as it would normally take me to read a book of this length! It's a helpful and concise introduction to the topic. Unfortunately, if you are a casual reader, then you'll probably fall asleep like Mr. "bachelor's degree".

(By the way, the reviewer who says that Copleston imposes Kantian ideas on Aquinas' thought aparently skipped page 388. Here Copleston explicitly argues that such a Kantian analysis of Aquinas would be wrongheaded. He writes "Thomist principles cannot be developed in such a way as to afford answers to subjective idealism and Kantianism; but one should not be guilty of the anachronism of making the historic Thomas answer questions with which he was not actually faced." And I don't think that very many people are in a hurry to read Etienne Gilson's detailed treatments unless they are already beyond an introductory work such as Copleston.)

Wrestling with the Great Thinkers - St. Augustine to the Great Scholastics
This is the second volume in Frederick Copleston's classic nine volume A History of Philosophy. Like all the volumes in this series, it is an exhaustive study of the period covered and presents the development of the philosophical thought of the period as an interrelated whole where trends ebb and flow as ideas are introduced and synthesized within the systems of the great thinkers of the time.

All of this is done within a framework where Copleston, as a professor in a Catholic seminary, is mindful of pointing out the elements that would become adopted within the framework of Christian philosophy and theology. Even though Copleston has a seminary audience in mind, he does not attempt to "Christianize" those who were not Christian nor launch polemical attacks against those ideas at odds with the Christian faith. He presents the philosophical ideas thoroughly and fairly and gives both the supporting evidence cited by supporters and the critiques by opponents. Also pointed out in detail is how each philosopher's work influenced contemporaries and later thought with, of course, special consideration of the influence for good or bad on Christianity.

This volume covers the patristic period through to the golden age of medieval scholasticism. Many histories of philosophy ignore the importance of medieval thought and end up treating the birth of modern philosophy with Descartes as if it arose in an historical vacuum. Copleston skillfully brings to life this neglected period of philosophical activity and this serves to give greater understanding to the historical and intellectual context of later developments.

Those who dismiss all philosophy that serves to aid Christian theology are guilty of neglecting the theological underpinnings in much of classical Greek thought. Though Plato and Aristotle were certainly not deists in the Judeo-Christian sense, their concepts of the demiurge and the prime mover cetainly have implications of a decidedly theological nature. Many patistic writers began to defend the faith using this philosophical framework and demonstrated that which is true and good is no threat to Christianity and argued that philosophy in its most pure form leads has God as proper end.

Copleston divides this volume into five parts. The first begins with a discussion of some of the most philosophical of the earlier patristic writers before beginning a long discussion of the thought of St. Augustine of Hippo. St. Augustine would remain the dominant figure in the Western Church until the scholastic period and many reactions to scholasticism both in the Reformation and among Catholics would appeal to the great bishop of Hippo as their intellectual forebearer. Copleston gives an excellent and thorough exposition and sheds light on almost every aspect of his thinking. A shorter treatment of Western thinkers in the immediate post-Augustinian period closes this section.

The next few centuries were barren periods for learning in the West but the few lights that shown through are covered in the next two sections on the Carolingian Renaissance and the early scholastic period. John Scotus Eruigena and St. Anselm are the most notable figures, respectively, for these two periods and the development of thinking on universals that would become the focus of much debate in the coming centuries.

The focus is turned in the fourth section to the recovery of the Aristotelian corpus. The important commentators on Aristotle from Islamic and Jewish sources are covered as well as the beginning of the translation of Aristotle's works. The reaction - both supportive and not - of the Christian West to this "new" learning is explained.

The fifth and final section of the book is the longest and, for a Catholic philosopher like Copleston, the most important. Here is the truly "golden age" of scholasticism as a series of great thinkers would take the stage to use philosophy to aid the Catholic faith. The three great figures of this period - St. Bonaventure, St. Thomas Aquinas, and John Duns Scotus - are given extensive coverage. The interraction of these three contemporaries and their solutions to the complex questions of the day - particularly that of universals - is fully explained. Lesser figures are also covered including two (St. Albert the Great and Roger Bacon) whose work in a primitive form of what we would later call "science" was very far ahead of its time.

For those with an interest in the factors that would give rise to the development of modern Western thinking, this book is a godsend. Nowhere else is such complete coverage of Christian philosophy of the period available. The only thing one could hope for is if there had been a full treatment of the great thinkers of the Eastern Church such as the Cappadocians. However, given the unfamiliarity of the West with the Eastern tradition at the time this was written, it is an understandable though regrettable omission.

For a thorough investigation of the history of Western philosophical thought and a wrestling with the great thinkers of the Western philosophical tradition, there is no better choice than Copleston's A History of Philosophy. For the Christian, in particular, who wishes to understand the interaction of philsophy and Christian theology, this work is unparalleled.

The Best Introduction to Philosopher Ever Printed!
Copleston's series, "The History of Philosophy", is quite possibly the best introduction to the history of philosophical thought that has ever been published and certainly the best currently in print.

You will be hard pressed to find a better collection of solid philosophical surveys in one place.The beauty of the series is that Copleston has clearly done his research on each period and each thinker of Western philosophy.

I cannot recommend this series any more highly.It is a must-have collection for anyone who is a scholar (professional or casual) of philosophy, theology or any of the arts.

If this isn't on your bookshelf, it should be!

A Good Comprehensive History of Philosophy During a Thusand Years
Father Copleston, S.J. wrote a readable account of an important era in intellectual history.Father Copleston's book is well organized and well written.He is clear that the phrase Middle Ages is misguiding.The approximate era of A HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY, VOLUME 2:MEDIEVAL PHILOSOPHY deals with approximately a thousand years (c.500 AD-1500 AD).This time frame can be divided by the Dark Ages, the Early Middle Ages or Frankish history, a Second Dark Ages, the High Middle Ages, etc.

Father Copleston begins his study with the Partistic Period (Ancient Western Civilization thinking) and the impact of St. Augustine (446-520) and his great book titled THE CITY OF GOD. Chapters one through ten give the reader a comprehensive examination of ideas and European thought at a time when learning could have very well disappeared in Western Europe.Father Copleston includes some of the important figures in the Patristic Era such as Isodore (570-636), Boethius (480-524)Cassoidorus (577-665), etc.

Father Copleston does a credible job in describing what is known as the Carolingian Renaissance.He mentions the valuable contributions of Alcuin (730-804) and Eriugena (815-877).The fact that Alcuin established a school at Aachen and developed bookhand as the format for handwritten books and study materials is invaluable in the teaching and learning for posterity.Eruigena was probably the first speculative philosopher in Western Europe since the disintegration of the Ancient Roman Empire.His work cannot be overestimated.

Father Copleston deals with the problems of "Universals" in the early Medieval schools.He also explains the debate between the Nominalists and the Realists.Father Copleston's examination of the Medieval curriculum is useful.Undergraduate students studied the Trivium (Grammar, Rhetoric, and Logic).Students were taught to read well, to think, to speak well, and the write well.Once these students mastered this curriculum, they could study the Quadrivium (Astronomy, Music, Arithmetic and Algerbra, and Plane Geometry).If these students pursued further studies, they could study Medicine, Canon Law, and Theology which was considered The Queen of the Sciences.

One should note that Medieval Catholic universities were centers of intellectual activity and spirited debate which has disappeared from the record.In other words, Father Copleston undermines that the Catholic Church authorities somehow undermined serious learning and thinking when in fact they encouraged it.

Father Copleston begins his treatment of Scholasticism with St. Anselm (1033-1109) whose PROLOGIAN was a serious study that at some point the Catholic Faith had to be reasonable to be accepted.This study began the fruitful development of Scholastic Philosophy.Mention should be made of Peter Abelard (1079-1142) whose SIC ET NON caused scandal until scholars realized that this was a "how to" book on solving complex philosophical and theological problems.One should know of Peter Lombard's (1100-160) FOUR BOOKS OF SENTENCES which became the standard text of Medieval theological studies.

Father Copleston does an outstanding job in presenting St. Albertus Magnus (1193-1280) and the Catholic Church's intellectual giant, St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) whose SUMMA THEOLOGICAL and SUMMA CONTRAL GENTILES set the standard for subsequent theological and philosophical studies.St. Thomas Aquinas development an Aristotlian reasoned approach to Catholicism.The importance of the Angelic Doctor (St. Thomas Aquinas) was and is crucial to Catholcism and Catholic universities.Subsequent studies in Medieval theological studies were either defenses of crituques of the Angelic Doctor's work whose thinking became part of the permanent philosophy.

Father Copleston gives credit to Islamic scholars such as Avacena(980-1037) and Averroes(1126-1198) whom St. Thomas Aquinas called The Commentator-The Commentator on Aristotle.Father Copleston also gives serious mention of Jewish scholars such as Maimonides (1135-1204) who is mentioned by, among others, St. Thomas Aquinas.

Father Copleston tackeled a difficult historical task, and his book is one of the best this reviewer has read on Medieval Philosophy and theology.The book is comprehensive as well as a good introduction the History of Medieval Philosophy.A good companion volume is Father Duffy's THE QUEEN OF SCIENCES.This reviewer strongly recommends Father Copleston's HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY, VOLUME 2. ... Read more

Product Description
In the thousand years from the end of the Roman Empire to the Renaissance and Reformation of the Sixteenth century the discussion of the great questions of philosophy and religion was intense.Does God exist?What is he like?What is the purpose of human life and how does God show concern for the future of mankind?This is an introduction to the debates which did more than anything else to transform the ancient into the modern world of thought. ... Read more

Product Description
Introduction to Medieval Philosophy combines and updates the scholarship of the two highly successful volumes Early Medieval Philosophy (1983) and Late Medieval Philosophy (1986) in a single, reliable, and comprehensive text on the history of medieval philosophy. John Marenbon discusses the main philosophers and ideas within the social and intellectual contexts of the time, and the most important concepts in medieval philosophy. Straightforward in arrangement, wide in scope, and clear in style, this is the ideal starting point for students beginning the subject. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The Beginner Tackle Box
This book has much to offer those who would like to patch up the Medieval shaped hole in most undergraduate philosophy programs.Marenbon's account does not only relate the progression of ideas in historical context, but at points divulges into various medieval philosophical speculations (in the work these are called "Interludes" and "Studies") while resting these discussions upon fresh bibliographies of primary and secondary works.The content of these "studies" and "interludes" serve as short introductions into very specific topics in medieval philosophy and also season the work with texture.Yet their connection to the "Further reading" and bibliographic information in the back of the book is what makes these interruptions most handy.

The scope of the book is very broad.Marenbon aggrandizes medieval philosophy beyond his previous formulations (now of which are 20 years old).The medieval period begins with the advent of platonic Christian theology (C. 200) and ends in the Enlightenment (c. 1700).Not only so, but medieval philosophy bursts out of the Christian seams of previous limitations, and instead is contextualized with Muslim and Jewish philosophy in long and important chapters. Unfortunately, Marenbon never completely assesses his broad range, and concludes his work at the year 1400.

Marenbon's introduction is a great place to embark on a study of medieval philosophy, however it is not lacking challenges for the industrious reader.I found the challenge to be not running down all the interesting paths Marenbon uncovers. ... Read more

Product Description
Later Medieval Philosophy (1150-1350) provides an introduction to philosophy in the Latin West between 1150 and 1350. Part I describes the medieval thinker's intellectual and historical context, by examining the structure of courses in the medieval universities, the methods of teaching, the forms of written work, and the translation and availability of ancient Greek, Arab, and Jewish philosophical texts. Part II examines the nature of intellectual knowledge by explaining the arguments given by Aristotle, his antique commentators, and the Arab philosophers, Avicenna and Averroes. ... Read more

Product Description
In this translation of Etienne Gilson's well known workL'esprit de la philosophie medievale, he undertakes the task of defining the spirit of mediaeval philosophy. Gilson asks whether we can form the concept of a Christian philosophy and, second, whether mediaeval philosophy is not precisely its most adequate historical expression. He maintains that the spirit of mediaeval philosophy is the spirit of Christianity penetrating the Greek tradition, working within it, and drawing out of it a certain view of the world that is specifically Christian. To support his hypothesis, Gilson examines mediaeval thought in its nascent state, at that precise point where the Judeo-Christian graft was inserted into the Hellenic tradition. Gilson's demonstration is purely historical and occasionally theoretical in suggesting how doctrines that satisfied our predecessors for so many centuries may still be found conceivable today. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

A wonderful compilation from an intelligent author.
This book gives a great overview of the philosophical underpinnings of modern thought, as told from the perspective from a Neo-Thomist.Gilson is a master of his trade, as evinced by the fact that the book is very readable (at least for students of Philosophy!). In my lowly opinion, this is a definitive work that should be on every serious philosophy student's shelf, and it is a shame that no one is reprinting it at this time, so grab up all the available copies while you can!

Heavy Reading
I'm sure one day I will come to understand what this man is writing, but not now.

Scholarly book
This book is a difficult one to read.You had better be highly motivated to learn about the topic, and you had better know a little about theology before you start this book.It is for scholars and dedicated students only.

Staking a claim for a Christian philosophical tradition.
What does it mean to speak of a Christian philosophy?That is a question that motivated Gilson's work.As a profoundly gifted scholar and historian of philosophy, Gilson was in a perfect position to raise this tendentious question.

This is the first book by Gilson that I had the pleasure to read. Reading it now seven years later after much study of medieval philosophy, I might have a slightly different reaction. But perhaps this first impression will be more useful to the reader who is taking a summary view of the subject, as I was at that time. And, honestly, his thesis has been sustained by my own experience.

In this volume Gilson steers a course between two extremes.The one extreme is to identify Christian philosophy with the Christian Faith. In this sense, Christian philosophy would mean nothing more than apologetics. There would be one Christian philosophy coterminous with the doctrines of the Church. The other extreme is say that there are only Christians who happen also to be philosophers.In this way would there be a great variety of Christian philosophies, but it is difficult to conceive how one could call any of them Christian. There would be no trace of the Christian influence in their writing or their thinking.

Gilson maintains that there is indeed a legitimate sense in speaking of Christian philosophy, one that does not succumb to either extreme.This sense is in the spirit in which the inquiry is done, and it is good to recall that philosophy in its exact sense does not mean a body of doctrine, but a love of wisdom. While distinguishing natural wisdom from supernatural, Gilson maintains that Revelation does have a bearing on the practice of philosophy. Not only does it serve as a negative principle that eliminates hypotheses contrary to Faith, thus preserving it from error, but it also positively influences the choice of problems and the animating spirit of the philosophical inquiry.

The examination of medieval European philosophy is the examination of a specifically Christian tradition of philosophy.It thus must be shown that the thinkers in this tradition, while having much latitude in their choice of problems and their solutions, are all together bound in a common inquiry and show a similar spirit.

I think that Gilson accomplishes his task, and that his approach is instructive for those who lament a crushing uniformity of thought, but believe that the source of this uniformity lies in the profession of the Faith. Far from it. Medieval philosophy, for all its (justified) concerns with right thinking about revealed truth, exhibits a spectacular variety of perspectives and ways of thinking about the world around us. It is a period as rich, diverse, and innovative as any other. (If you want to explain the stultification of philosophy, look no farther than the modern university.)

Gilson was one of the important thinkers of the 20th century and his work has had some lasting consequences. Perhaps more than any other, he is responsible for the serious consideration of medieval philosophy in contemporary circles. It is not out of place to remember that when he wrote this work, that was far from the situation. He is also responsible in large measure for a particular school of Thomism that thrives today, a school propagated through his students and in turn through their students.

Christian Philosophy in the Medieval World!
This work is Etienne Gilson's examination of Christian philosophy as it appeared in medieval times, especially as revealed in the thoughts of St. Thomas Aquinas.The main thesis for this book is that Christian philosophy is indeed a coherent concept and indeed prevailed in the middle ages.The book, a series of lectures given by Gilson, is divided into two halves.The first half deals with metaphysics and anthropology as seen from the Christian perspective (particularly questions concerning God and the concept of a person).The second half deals with the Christian noetic and ethics.The major Christian philosophers dealt with include especially St. Thomas Aquinas, Duns Scotus, St. Augustine, Boethius, St. Bonaventure, and St. Anselm.The relationship (and possible conflict) between medieval Thomism and Augustinism is fully dealt with.

In the first part of this book, the Christian metaphysics is expolored.In particular, God is taken to be Being itself, which is necessarily.Other beings are seen to be contigent.The glory of God as expressed in the work of St. Thomas Aquinas is examined.Finally, the idea of a Christian anthropology and Christian thinking about the person is dealt with.

In the second half of this book, the Christian philosopher's explanation for how things come to be known is explained.Also, the proper objects of the intellect and love as known to the medieval scholastics is examined.In addition, the issue of free will and divine providence and their relations are dealt with.The author next explores Christian law and ethics as seen by the medievals.Finally, the notions of history and nature as experienced by the medieval Christian philosophers are discussed.

In sum, this book constitutes an excellent introduction to Christian philosophy in the middle ages.Etienne Gilson is a Catholic scholar and has written on Thomas Aquinas and Descartes elsewhere.The book fully examines all the issues and makes a convincing argument for the existence of a Christian philosophy during the middle ages.Through the eyes of the medieval scholastic, man is given a vision of God that endures for all time! ... Read more

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In this important collection, the editors argue that medieval philosophy is best studied as an interactive discussion between thinkers working on very much the same problems despite being often widely separated in time or place. Each section opens with at least one selection from a classical philosopher, and there are many points at which the readings chosen refer to other works that the reader will also find in this collection. There is a considerable amount of material from central figures such as Augustine, Abelard, Duns Scotus, and William of Ockham, as well as extensive texts from thinkers in the medieval Islamic world. Each selection is prefaced by a brief introduction by the editors, providing a philosophical and religious background to help make the material more accessible to the reader.

This edition, updated throughout, contains a substantial new chapter on medieval psychology and philosophy of mind, with texts from authors not previously represented such as John Buridan and Peter John Olivi ... Read more

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An ExcellentText for Serious Study
This is truly a remarkable book that delves deep into medieval philosophy. The book treats medieval philosophy as an ongoing conversation on a collection of serious issues. It presents each issue then gives original essays from multiple medieval philosophers discussion those issues. It gives a balanced and thorough view of major viewpoints. It shows tremendous depth and breadth. With excellent introductions and clarifications and inspired groupings of essays that show the point and counterpoint of discussion among philosophers, the book is excellent for a course focused on medieval philosophy that has a general Introductory course as a prerequisite. Any student serious about medieval philosophy should get this book. ... Read more

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Compact but singularly well thought out material of a theological, logical, poetic as well as philosophical nature. ... Read more

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The third volume of The Cambridge Translations of Medieval Philosophical Texts will allow access, for the first time in English, to major texts that form the debate over mind and knowledge at the center of medieval philosophy.Beginning with 13th-century attempts to classify the soul's powers and to explain the mind's place within the soul, the volume proceeds systematically to consider human knowledge, divine illumination, intentionality and mental representation. This volume will be an important resource for scholars and students of medieval philosophy, history, theology and literature. ... Read more

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Traces the development of the concepts of time, cosmology, and creation in medieval Jewish philosophy.

Despite the importance of time and cosmology to Western thought, surprisingly little attention has been paid to these issues in histories of Jewish philosophy. Focusing on how medieval philosophers constructed a philosophical theology that was sensitive to religious constraints and yet also incorporated compelling elements of science and philosophy, T. M. Rudavsky traces the development of the concepts of time, cosmology, and creation in the writings of Ibn Gabirol, Maimonides, Gersonides, Crescas, Spinoza, and others. ... Read more

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The Cambridge History of Medieval Philosophy comprises over fifty specially commissioned essays by experts on the philosophy of this period. Starting in the late eighth century, with the renewal of learning some centuries after the fall of the Roman Empire, a sequence of chapters take the reader through developments in many and varied fields, including logic and language, natural philosophy, ethics, metaphysics, and theology. Close attention is paid to the context of medieval philosophy, with discussions of the rise of the universities and developments in the cultural and linguistic spheres. A striking feature is the continuous coverage of Islamic, Jewish, and Christian material. There are useful biographies of the philosophers, and a comprehensive bibliography. The volume illuminates a rich and remarkable period in the history of philosophy and will be the authoritative source on medieval philosophy for the next generation of scholars and students alike. ... Read more