Middle Ages

Overview

Benefits of the Roman Empire

n  Roman Empire provided:

n    Security

n    Communication

n    Trade

n    Culture

Roman Empire 120 AD

Rome falls 476 A.D.

n    Barbarian Invasions

n    Destruction of larger social institutions

n    Empire Divides into 3 parts:

n   Latin Christendom (Western Europe)

n   Byzantium (Eastern Europe-Constantinople)

n   Arab World

Roman Empire after Breakup

Dark Ages in Latin Christendom
500-1000A.D.

n  Loss of Security

n  Trade died

n  Chaos- roaming bands of thugs

n  Disintegration of social Institutions

 

High Middle Ages
1000-1300 A.D.

n  Last invasions (Viking and Magyar) end in 10th Century

n  Greater security leads to the resumption of society on a larger scale

n  Corporate life begins to grow

Feudalism

n    Government developed in the absence of the State

n    Decentralized, reciprocal government structure

n    Exchange of land for service

n    Feudal Pyramid (peasants not in pyramid)

n    Mutual obligations

n    No Sovereign, No State

Manor

n    The Lords Land

n    Economic Unit

n    Self sufficient

n    Provided everything for all residents

n    Made up of farm land, Church, blacksmith

n    Serfs-peasants tied to land, differ from slaves

Improved farming techniques

n    Iron tipped Plow replaces wood

n    Harness for Horse

n    Three Field system replaces two field

n    Leads to increase in food production

n    Allows population to grow

n    Actually now have a surplus population-not everyone needs to produce food.

Notes from Friday: Continued

 

 

 

 

Pop Trivia

n    Question: I was the Ancient Greek Philosopher most used by the Scholastics in all academic areas, other than religion.

Scholasticism and Universities

n    Education in Early Middle Ages

l    Society organized for war and defense

l    Slight support for education

n    Improved Economy and stability led to the possibility for education

n    The Scholastic method was the method used to gain knowledge

n    Latin was the language use in all Universities

Key Concept:

n    Medieval thought began with the existence of God and the truth of his revelation as interpreted by the Church.  The Medieval mind rejected the fundamental principle of Greek Philosophy-the autonomy of reason.  Without the guidance of revealed truth, reason was seen as feeble. 

Scholastic Purpose

n    Provide rational explanation for what was believed on faith

n    Prove reason and faith were harmonious

n    Reconciled traditional Christian teaching and the new body of information recovered from the Ancient Greeks after 12th Century

n    Use human reason (Aristotle) to understand the supernatural content of Christian revelation

Key Term: Dogma

n    Definition:

l   A doctrine or body of doctrines concerning faith or morals formally stated and authoritatively proclaimed by a Church

Influences on Scholasticism

n    Aristotle

l   Translation of Aristotle into Latin opened up new world of information that could not be ignored

l   Aristotle was the Authority on all areas other than religion

Scholastic Philosophy

n    Convinced of fundamental harmony between reason and revelation

n    When conflicts arose between faith and reason faith was supreme

l    Philosophy was the servant to theology

l    Theology defined as the intellectual study of religion

l    Theology known as the “Queen of the sciences”

Scholastic Method   

n    Reliance on authority

n    Use of precision in language

n    Use of Deductive Logic

l   From large accepted truth to smaller truths

n    Not at all like the scientific method

Scholastic Philosophers

n    Peter Abelard 1079-1142

l   Wrote Sic et non  Yes and No”

l   Utilized systematic doubting

l   “By doubting  we come to questioning and by questioning we perceive the truth”

l   Use of dialectics: Any systematic                              reasoning that juxtaposes two                                   contradictory ideas and seeks to                                        resolve their conflict

Scholastic Philosophers (cont.)

n    St. Thomas Aquinas 1225-1274

n    Summa Theologica

n    Foremost Scholastic Philosopher

n    Created a synthesis of western philosophies and attempted to reconcile to Christian belief

n    Drew distinction between faith and reason

l   Reason can demonstrate many  basic principles such as the existence of God, Trinity can’t be proved by logic

Medieval Architecture

From Romanesque to Gothic

Romanesque Architecture

n    Viking invaders had burned wooden Churches in the 9th and 10th Centuries

n    After 1000 AD Church building increased dramatically

n    Fire proofing was essential

n    Stone replaced wood building

n    Romanesque-heavy roof, thick walls, little light

Romanesque:
Durham Cathedral
1100 AD

Fontenay- Romanesque

Gothic Architecture

n    Pointed arch, flying buttress

n    Thinner walls, Stained glass

n    Uninterupted light

n    Built Cathedrals to glorify God

n    Huge time and $ investment

Gothic Architecture cont.

n    Main alter faced East, toward Jerusalem

n    West faced setting sun-Last judgment

n    North-least light; old testament

n    South-most light; new testament

Chartres Cathedral 1145-1220

Chartres

Chartres- Flying Buttress

Notre Dame 1163-1250

Notre Dame

Notre Dame

Medieval Art

n    Art in the Middle Ages served a religious function which was to lift the mind toward God.

n    It depicted a spiritual universe in which the supernatural was the supreme reality

n    Left side of painting depicted the damned, right side the saved

Medieval Art