The dominant method of Medieval philosophy was Christian Scholasticism, which was the effort to synthesize Christian theology with Greek philosophy, especially Plato and later Aristotle. It focused on reconciling faith and reason, defining the nature of God, ethics, and universals (the problem of whether abstract concepts like “justice” or “beauty” have real existence).
Key Characteristics
Faith and Reason: Argued that reason could be used to understand and defend faith (e.g., proofs for the existence of
God).
Scholastic Method: Highly structured, debate-driven analysis developed in universities (e.g., Paris, Oxford).
Authority of Aristotle: After Aristotle’s rediscovery in the West (12th century), his works became central to
philosophy and theology.
Theology as “Queen of Sciences”: Philosophy served theological goals, primarily in Christian, Jewish, and Islamic
contexts.
Key Western Thinkers
St. Augustine (354–430): Christianized Platonic thought.
Boethius (c. 480–524): Bridged ancient philosophy and Christian theology.
Anselm of Canterbury (1033–1109): Developed the ontological argument for God’s existence.
Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274): Integrated Aristotle with Christian doctrine, defining the natural law tradition.
Historical Impact
Scholasticism shaped Western religious, ethical, and legal thought for centuries and created the intellectual foundation for the Renaissance and Modern philosophy.
