Later Medieval Philosophy (1150-1350): An Introduction

Medieval Philosophy #2

by John Marenbon

This introduction to philosophy in the Latin West
between 1150 and 1350 follows on from John
Marenbon's previous book, Early Medieval
Philosophy 480-1150 (Routledge & Kegan Paul,
1983). It combines an historical approach, which
concentrates on the sources, forms and backgrounds
of the medieval works, with philosophical analysis
of thirteenth- and fourteenth-century writing in
terms comprehensible to a modern reader.
Marenbon believes that it is only through this
conlbination of approaches that a satisfactory
understanding of the subject can be reached.
Part I provides the reader with the most
important information needed in order to be able to
understand medieval thinkers' arguments in their
intellectual and historical context. It examines the
structure of courses in the medieval universities; the
methods of teaching; the forms of written work;
the logical techniques used for argument and
analysis; the translation and availability of Ancient
Greek, Arab and Jewish philosophical texts; the
challenges the new material presented and the
various ways in which western thinkers responded
to them.
Part II examines in detail one particular,
important problem in later medieval thought: the
nature of intellectual knowledge. It explains the
arguments given by Aristotle, his antique
commentators and the Arab philosophers Avicenna
and Averroes, and then traces - in terms accessible
to the modern philosopher - how a series of
Western thinkers developed, modified or rejected
them: William of Auvergne, Thomas Aquinas,
Martin and Boethius of Dacia, Radulphus Brito,
Henry of Ghent, Duns Scotus and William of
Ockham.

Genres: Philosophy, Medieval, History

230 pages, Hardcover

First published October 14, 1987

Reviews

[Tyler · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this as a follow-up to Marenbon's book Early Medieval Philosophy 480-1150, which I liked. This book looks mainly at the way Medieval philosophers grappled with the the mind, human identity, and the particulars of human thought. The author takes a historical critical approach to these philosophers to highlight the distinction between between modern philosophy and the Scholastic version.

He stresses that readers must take into account the fact that these philosophers were usually also theologians, and the implications of this make it tricky to draw inviting parallels between the ideas of modern epistemology and earlier elucidations. Medieval philosophy, for example, sought to account not just for the mental processes of man, but also those of God, angels, the dead, and other disembodied spirits.

This book describes in its first section the structure of medieval education, in which the theologian was the de facto PhD, and goes into some detail about the ideas of individual philosophers, showing how their standing within the university systems affected the philosophy they pursued. This detail Marenbon goes into in an interesting way, and in such a way that most interested readers will be able to follow the details. I recommend both his books to anyone curious about the state of Western philosophy starting in the Dark Ages and running to early modern times.

[Michael Kenan Baldwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marenbon (Cambridge) is a real expert in medieval philosophy and I found this introduction to the high period extremely helpful. In the first half he sheds reams of light into the medieval university system, how exactly the theologians & philosophers were trained and what their methodologies, authorities & presuppositions were. The stuff on technique and innovation in medieval logic was especially illuminating. Then in the second half he zooms in on one subject (mental cognition, knowledge & memory) and traces its development from Aristotle, Avicenna & Averroes to William of Auxerre, Aquinas, Henry of Ghent, Duns Scotus & Ockham. I learnt a lot about subjects that had hitherto perplexed me!

[Imre Bártfai · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good introduction if you are like me not very well versed in medieval philosophy and education methods....