Aristotelianism, medieval - Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy

<!DOCTYPE html><html xml:lang="en" lang="en" class="no-js"><head><link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="/apple-touch-icon.png"><link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="/apple-touch-icon-57x57.png" sizes="57x57"><link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="/apple-touch-icon-60x60.png" sizes="60x60"><link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="/apple-touch-icon-72x72.png" sizes="72x72"><link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="/apple-touch-icon-76x76.png" sizes="76x76"><link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="/apple-touch-icon-114x114.png" sizes="114x114"><link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="/apple-touch-icon-120x120.png" sizes="120x120"><link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="/apple-touch-icon-144x144.png" sizes="144x144"><link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="/apple-touch-icon-152x152.png" sizes="152x152"><link rel="shortcut icon" href="/favicon.ico"><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="keywords" content="propagator://views/rep/content/title"><meta name="description" content=""><meta name="author" content=""><meta name="robots" content="all"><meta name="format-detection" content="telephone=no"><title>Aristotelianism, medieval - Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy</title><meta name="description" content=""><meta name="msapplication-tap-highlight" content="no"><meta http-equiv="cleartype" content="on"><meta name="HandheldFriendly" content="True"><meta name="MobileOptimized" content="320"><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0"><script src="https://cdn.cookielaw.org/scripttemplates/otSDKStub.js" type="text/javascript" charset="UTF-8" data-domain-script="0191217f-c8f9-7ff2-9ce2-842e7b4fe8cd"></script><script type="text/javascript"> function OptanonWrapper() { } </script><link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/docroot/flare/resources/css/components.css" media="all"><link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/docroot/flare/resources/css/components-base64.css" media="all"><style> .generated-markup div.verse { margin-left: 2em; margin-right: 2em; padding-bottom: 1.125em; } .generated-markup div.verse p { padding: 0; margin: 0; } .generated-markup table.ref-list { padding: 20px 0; } .generated-markup .ref-list * { border-color: transparent; padding: 0; margin: 0; } .generated-markup .ref-list li { margin-left: 20px; list-style: disc; padding: 5px 0; white-space: normal; } .generated-markup div.blockquote { margin-left: 2em; margin-right: 2em; font-style: italic; } .only-print { display: none; } @media print { a[href]:after { content: none; } .only-print { display: block; } .publication-content { float: none; width: 100%; left:0; } } .rep-advanced-search .inline-group { background-color: #f2f2f2; } .rep-advanced-search .system-message { background-color: #f2f2f2; } .rep-advanced-search .form-label { width: 10%; font-weight: 600; } .rep-advanced-search .form-field--checkboxgroup { border-top-width: 5px; border-top-style: solid; border-top-color: #af0000; } .rep-advanced-search .form-field--checkboxgroup .form-control-group { width: 90%; } </style><script> (function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){ (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o), m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m) })(window,document,'script','//www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','ga'); ga('create', 'UA-2509930-49', 'rep.routledge.com'); ga('send', 'pageview'); </script><script> !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)}; if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0'; n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window,document,'script', 'https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js'); fbq('init', '273693587454404'); fbq('track', 'PageView'); </script><noscript> <img height="1" width="1" src="https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=273693587454404&ev=PageView &noscript=1"> </noscript><script>(function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start': new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0], j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src= 'https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f); })(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-5L4DWF4');</script><script data-main="/docroot/flare/resources/js/components/components.js" src="/docroot/flare/resources/library/requirejs/require.js" type="text/javascript"></script><script src="/docroot/flare/resources/js/components/css.js" type="text/javascript"></script><script type="text/javascript" src="/docroot/dist/mathjax/MathJax.js?config=TeX-AMS-MML_SVG-full"> MathJax.Hub.Config({ showMathMenu: false, showMathMenuMSIE: false, "SVG": { styles: { ".MathJax_SVG *": { "max-width": "100%" } } } }); </script></head><body id="section" class="main-page">  <noscript><iframe src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-5L4DWF4" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript>  <header class="header-container hidden-print "> <div class="header-container__background"> <div class="container-fluid marginless--mobile "> <div class="header-container__background-image"> <div class="header-container__logo"> <div class="vertically-centered"> <div class="vertically-centered__object"> <div class="header-logo"> <a href="/"> <div class="header-logo__text"></div> <div class="header-logo__image"></div> </a> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="header-container__sm-screen-nav"> <div class="sm-screen-nav"> <div class="sm-screen-nav__menu" data-prop-toggle="{ "target": ".primary-nav__list" , "group" : "primarynavgroup" , "toggleClass" : "primary-nav__list--expanded" , "triggerToggleClass" :"sm-screen-nav__menu-clicked", "closedCloseGroups" :"primarynavsubgroup"}"> <span class="sm-screen-nav__button"> <span class="sm-screen-nav__menu-open"><i class="icon"></i></span> <span class="sm-screen-nav__menu-close"><i class="icon"></i></span> <span class="sm-screen-nav__menu-text">Menu</span> </span> </div> <span class="sm-screen-nav__search-bar" data-prop-toggle="{ "target": ".search-bar--target" , "group" : "primarynavgroup" , "toggleClass" : "search-bar--open" }"> <i class="icon"></i></span> <span class="sm-screen-nav__access-institution" data-prop-toggle="{ "target": ".access-institution__target" , "group" : "primarynavgroup" , "toggleClass" : "access-institution--expanded" ,"triggerToggleClass" : "sm-screen-nav__access-institution--active"}"><i class="icon"></i></span> </div> </div> <div class="header-container__access"> <div class="vertically-centered"> <div class="vertically-centered__object"> <div class="access-wrapper"> <div class="access-institution"> <a href="/institutional-login" class="access-institution__button access-institution__button--nolinks"><i class="icon"><span class="icon-text">Institutional Login</span></i></a> <ul class="access-institution__target"> <li><a href="/institutional-login">Institutional Login</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div class="access-wrapper"> <div class="search-bar search-bar--target search-bar--btnright" data-prop-search-bar>  <form action="/search" method="GET" class="search-bar__form"> <div class="search-bar__wrapper"> <div class="search-bar__input-container"> <label for="search-bar__q" class="screen-reader-only">search</label> <input id="search-bar__q" class="search-bar__q" name="searchString" type="search" value="" placeholder="Enter Keyword" autocomplete="off"> <input type="hidden" name="newSearch"> <div class="search-bar-reset"> <button class="search-bar-reset__button" type="reset" value="Reset"><span class="screen-reader-only">reset</span></button> </div> </div> <div class="search-bar__submit-button-container right-aligned"> <button type="submit" class="search-bar__btn"> <i class="icon"> <span class="icon-text">Search</span> </i> </button> </div> </div>  </form> <div class="search-bar__advanced"> <a href="/search?showAdvancedSearch"><i class="icon"><span class="icon-text">Advanced Search</span></i></a> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </header> <nav class="primary-nav primary-nav__js hidden-print vertical-spacing--small" role="navigation" aria-label="Primary Navigation"> <div class="container-fluid marginless--mobile "> <ul class="primary-nav__list" role="menubar" aria-hidden="false"> <li class="primary-nav__item primary-nav__item-0 primary-nav__item" role="menuitem" tabindex="0"> <a href="/" class="primary-nav__item-link" tabindex="-1"><i class="icon"><span class="icon-text">Home</span></i></a> </li> <li class="primary-nav__item " role="menuitem" tabindex="0"> <span data-prop-toggle="{ "target": "#primary-nav__dropdown-menu-1" , "group" : "primarynavsubgroup" , "toggleClass" : "primary-nav__dropdown-menu--expanded", "viewport":"SMALLSCREEN" }" class="primary-nav__item-link primary-nav__item-link--with-dropdown" tabindex="-1">About <i class="icon"></i> </span> <div id="primary-nav__dropdown-menu-1" class="primary-nav__dropdown-menu"> <ul class="primary-nav__submenu" aria-hidden="true" role="menu"> <li role="menuitem"> <a href="/about/about-rep" class="primary-nav__submenu-item" tabindex="-1">About REP</a> </li> <li role="menuitem"> <a href="/about/reviews" class="primary-nav__submenu-item" tabindex="-1">Reviews</a> </li> <li role="menuitem"> <a href="/about/a-message-from-the-general-editor" class="primary-nav__submenu-item" tabindex="-1">A Message from the Consulting Editor</a> </li> <li role="menuitem"> <a href="/about/background" class="primary-nav__submenu-item" tabindex="-1">Background</a> </li> <li role="menuitem"> <a href="/about/editorial-board-and-contributors" class="primary-nav__submenu-item" tabindex="-1">Editorial Board</a> </li> <li role="menuitem"> <a href="/about/current-subject-editors" class="primary-nav__submenu-item" tabindex="-1">Current Subject Editors</a> </li> <li role="menuitem"> <a href="/about/past-subject-editors" class="primary-nav__submenu-item" tabindex="-1">Past Subject Editors</a> </li> <li role="menuitem"> <a href="/about/contributors" class="primary-nav__submenu-item" tabindex="-1">Contributors</a> </li> <li role="menuitem"> <a href="/about/about-taylor-and-francis" class="primary-nav__submenu-item" tabindex="-1">About Taylor and Francis</a> </li> <li role="menuitem"> <a href="/about/faq" class="primary-nav__submenu-item" tabindex="-1">FAQs</a> </li> </ul> </div> </li> <li class="primary-nav__item " role="menuitem" tabindex="0"> <span data-prop-toggle="{ "target": "#primary-nav__dropdown-menu-2" , "group" : "primarynavsubgroup" , "toggleClass" : "primary-nav__dropdown-menu--expanded", "viewport":"SMALLSCREEN" }" class="primary-nav__item-link primary-nav__item-link--with-dropdown" tabindex="-1">Browse <i class="icon"></i> </span> <div id="primary-nav__dropdown-menu-2" class="primary-nav__dropdown-menu"> <ul class="primary-nav__submenu" aria-hidden="true" role="menu"> <li role="menuitem"> <a href="/browse/all" class="primary-nav__submenu-item" tabindex="-1">All</a> </li> <li role="menuitem"> <a href="/browse/overviews" class="primary-nav__submenu-item" tabindex="-1">Overviews</a> </li> <li role="menuitem"> <a href="/browse/topics" class="primary-nav__submenu-item" tabindex="-1">Topics</a> </li> <li role="menuitem"> <a href="/browse/periods" class="primary-nav__submenu-item" tabindex="-1">Periods</a> </li> <li role="menuitem"> <a href="/browse/regions" class="primary-nav__submenu-item" tabindex="-1">Regions</a> </li> <li role="menuitem"> <a href="/browse/religions" class="primary-nav__submenu-item" tabindex="-1">Religions</a> </li> </ul> </div> </li> <li class="primary-nav__item primary-nav__item-3 primary-nav__item" role="menuitem" tabindex="0"> <a href="/whats-new" class="primary-nav__item-link" tabindex="-1"><i class="icon"><span class="icon-text">What's new</span></i></a> </li> <li class="primary-nav__item primary-nav__item-4 primary-nav__item" role="menuitem" tabindex="0"> <a href="/librarians" class="primary-nav__item-link" tabindex="-1"><i class="icon"><span class="icon-text">Librarians</span></i></a> </li> <li class="primary-nav__item primary-nav__item-5 primary-nav__item" role="menuitem" tabindex="0"> <a href="/free-trial" class="primary-nav__item-link" tabindex="-1"><i class="icon"><span class="icon-text">Free trial</span></i></a> </li> <li class="primary-nav__item primary-nav__item-6 primary-nav__item" role="menuitem" tabindex="0"> <a href="/help" class="primary-nav__item-link" tabindex="-1"><i class="icon"><span class="icon-text">Help</span></i></a> </li> <li class="primary-nav__item primary-nav__item-7 primary-nav__item" role="menuitem" tabindex="0"> <a href="/tell-us-what-you-think" class="primary-nav__item-link" tabindex="-1"><i class="icon"><span class="icon-text">Tell us what you think</span></i></a> </li> <li class="primary-nav__item primary-nav__item-8 primary-nav__item" role="menuitem" tabindex="0"> <a href="/resources" class="primary-nav__item-link" tabindex="-1"><i class="icon"><span class="icon-text">Resources</span></i></a> </li> <li class="primary-nav__item primary-nav__item-9 primary-nav__item" role="menuitem" tabindex="0"> <a href="/Teaching-and-Learning-Resources" class="primary-nav__item-link" tabindex="-1"><i class="icon"><span class="icon-text">Teaching and Learning Resources</span></i></a> </li> </ul> </div> </nav> <div id="back-to-top-enabled"></div> <div class="back-to-top" data-prop-back-to-top> <button type="button" class="back-to-top__btn"> <i class="icon"> <span class="icon-text">Back to top</span> </i> </button> </div> <div class="container-fluid"> <div id="main" role="main" class="main"> <div class=" dismissible-container system-message" id="dismissible-container-732467576946"> <div class="dismissible-container-content dismissible-container system-message-content"> <div class="layout-table__row vertical-spacing--large layout-table__row--valign-top"> <div class="layout-table__column layout-table__column--valign-middle "> <svg viewbox="0 0 30 30" width="30" height="30"><path class="st0" d="M9.5,13.6h11.1V9.5C20.6,8,20,6.8,19,5.7c-1.1-1.1-2.4-1.6-3.9-1.6c-1.5,0-2.8,0.5-3.9,1.6S9.5,8,9.5,9.5V13.6zM27.5,15.7V28c0,0.6-0.2,1.1-0.6,1.4C26.5,29.8,26,30,25.5,30H4.6c-0.6,0-1.1-0.2-1.5-0.6C2.7,29,2.5,28.5,2.5,28V15.7c0-0.6,0.2-1.1,0.6-1.4c0.4-0.4,0.9-0.6,1.5-0.6h0.7V9.5c0-2.6,1-4.9,2.9-6.7S12.4,0,15,0s4.9,0.9,6.9,2.8s2.9,4.1,2.9,6.7v4.1h0.7c0.6,0,1.1,0.2,1.5,0.6C27.3,14.6,27.5,15.1,27.5,15.7z" fill="#464040"></path> </svg> </div> <div class="layout-table__column "> <p>Access to the full content is only available to members of institutions that have purchased access. If you belong to such an institution, please <a href="/institutional-login">log in</a> or find out more about <a href="/free-trial">how to order</a>.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <hr class="vertical-spacer--small"> <div class="row vertical-spacing--small hidden-print"> <div class=" col-sm-3 col-xs-12 "> </div> <div class=" col-sm-9 col-xs-12 "> <div class="toolbar"> <span class="toolbar__item share"> <div class="toolbar__item-trigger"> <a href="#" data-prop-toggle="{"target":"#toolbar-item-1464935153895" , "toggleClass" :"show" }" class="toolbar__button"><i class="icon"><span class="icon-text">Share</span></i></a> </div> <div class="toolbar__item-dropdown" id="toolbar-item-1464935153895"> <div role="region" data-prop-addthis class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style addthis_32x32_style addthis_inline_share_toolbox"> <a class="addthis_button_facebook" role="button" tabindex="1"></a> <a class="addthis_button_twitter" role="button" tabindex="1"></a> <a class="addthis_button_delicious" role="button" tabindex="1"></a> <a class="addthis_button_citeulike" role="button" tabindex="1"></a> <a class="addthis_button_bitly" role="button" tabindex="1"></a> </div> </div> </span> <span class="toolbar__item reference"> <button type="button" data-prop-toggle="{ "target": "#reference-modal-2197402730844" , "group":"reference" , "triggerToggleClass":"reference-active" }" class="toolbar__button"> <i class="icon"> <span class="icon-text">Cite</span> </i> </button> </span> <div class="modal " data-prop-modal-html-fragment="https://www.rep.routledge.com/citation/fragment?contentItem=aristotelianism-medieval&contentType=tfb-thematic&contentItemRevision=1" id="reference-modal-2197402730844" data-prop-modal> <div class="modal__close-trigger" data-prop-toggle="{ "target": "#reference-modal-2197402730844" }"></div> <div class="modal--transition fade"> <div class="vertically-centered"> <div class="vertically-centered__object"> <div class="modal__content"> <div class="modal__header"> <div class="vertically-centered"> <div class="vertically-centered__object"> <div class="modal__title"> Cite </div> </div> <div class="vertically-centered__object"> <div class="modal__close"> <button type="button" data-prop-toggle="{ "target": "#reference-modal-2197402730844" }" class="modal__header-button"> <i class="icon"> <span class="icon-text">close</span> </i> </button> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="modal__body"> <div class="modal-html-fragment"> <div class="modal-html-fragment-spinner"> <div class="modal-html-fragment-spinner__icon"></div> <div class="modal-html-fragment-spinner-text"> <p>Loading content</p> <p class="modal-html-fragment-spinner-text__error"> We were unable to load the content </p> </div> </div> <div class="modal-html-fragment__content"></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <span class="toolbar__item print"> <a href="#" onclick="window.print()" class="toolbar__button"><i class="icon"><span class="icon-text">Print</span></i></a> </span> </div> </div> </div> <div class="row "> <div class=" col-sm-3 col-xs-12 "> <div class="background-grey-lightest p-a-large hidden-print"> <h3 class="text-default p-b-base">Contents</h3> <ul id="list-2929870307793" class="list__main "> <li id="list-2929870307793-1" class="list__item list__item--3 list__item--active"> <span class="list__title"> <a href="/articles/thematic/aristotelianism-medieval/v-1">Article Summary</a> </span> </li> <li id="list-2929870307793-2" class="list__item list__item--3"> <div class="layout-table__row layout-table__row--valign-top"> <div class="layout-table__column list__column "> <div class="list__icon"> <span class="lock-status-icon lock-status-icon--locked"><i class="icon"><span class="icon-text">content locked</span></i></span> </div> </div> <div class="layout-table__column list__column "> <span class="list__index">1</span> </div> <div class="layout-table__column "> <span class="list__title"> <a href="/articles/thematic/aristotelianism-medieval/v-1/sections/scope-2">Scope</a> </span> </div> </div> </li> <li id="list-2929870307793-3" class="list__item list__item--3"> <div class="layout-table__row layout-table__row--valign-top"> <div class="layout-table__column list__column "> <div class="list__icon"> <span class="lock-status-icon lock-status-icon--locked"><i class="icon"><span class="icon-text">content locked</span></i></span> </div> </div> <div class="layout-table__column list__column "> <span class="list__index">2</span> </div> <div class="layout-table__column "> <span class="list__title"> <a href="/articles/thematic/aristotelianism-medieval/v-1/sections/boethius-and-the-earlier-middle-ages">Boethius and the earlier Middle Ages</a> </span> </div> </div> </li> <li id="list-2929870307793-4" class="list__item list__item--3"> <div class="layout-table__row layout-table__row--valign-top"> <div class="layout-table__column list__column "> <div class="list__icon"> <span class="lock-status-icon lock-status-icon--locked"><i class="icon"><span class="icon-text">content locked</span></i></span> </div> </div> <div class="layout-table__column list__column "> <span class="list__index">3</span> </div> <div class="layout-table__column "> <span class="list__title"> <a href="/articles/thematic/aristotelianism-medieval/v-1/sections/the-twelfth-century">The twelfth century</a> </span> </div> </div> </li> <li id="list-2929870307793-5" class="list__item list__item--3"> <div class="layout-table__row layout-table__row--valign-top"> <div class="layout-table__column list__column "> <div class="list__icon"> <span class="lock-status-icon lock-status-icon--locked"><i class="icon"><span class="icon-text">content locked</span></i></span> </div> </div> <div class="layout-table__column list__column "> <span class="list__index">4</span> </div> <div class="layout-table__column "> <span class="list__title"> <a href="/articles/thematic/aristotelianism-medieval/v-1/sections/the-thirteenth-century">The thirteenth century</a> </span> </div> </div> </li> <li id="list-2929870307793-6" class="list__item list__item--3"> <div class="layout-table__row layout-table__row--valign-top"> <div class="layout-table__column list__column "> <div class="list__icon"> <span class="lock-status-icon lock-status-icon--locked"><i class="icon"><span class="icon-text">content locked</span></i></span> </div> </div> <div class="layout-table__column list__column "> <span class="list__index">5</span> </div> <div class="layout-table__column "> <span class="list__title"> <a href="/articles/thematic/aristotelianism-medieval/v-1/sections/the-fourteenth-and-fifteenth-centuries">The fourteenth and fifteenth centuries</a> </span> </div> </div> </li> <li id="list-2929870307793-7" class="list__item list__item--3"> <div class="layout-table__row layout-table__row--valign-top"> <div class="layout-table__column list__column "> <div class="list__icon"> <span class="lock-status-icon lock-status-icon--locked"><i class="icon"><span class="icon-text">content locked</span></i></span> </div> </div> <div class="layout-table__column "> <span class="list__title"> <a href="/articles/thematic/aristotelianism-medieval/v-1/bibliography/aristotelianism-medieval-bib">Bibliography</a> </span> </div> </div> </li> </ul> </div> </div> <div class="col-md-6 col-sm-8 col-xs-12 publication-content " data-prop-match-height="{"groupId" : "articleCols" , "viewport" : "XLARGESCREEN,LARGESCREEN" }"> <div matchheightgroupid="articleCols" matchheightviewport="XLARGESCREEN,LARGESCREEN"> <div class="m-b-large"> <div class="layout-table__row layout-table__row--valign-top"> <div class="layout-table__column "> <a href="/search?action=toggleFacet-dataType-TFBThematic&newSearch" class="text-link text-small"><i class="icon"><span class="icon-text">Thematic</span></i></a> </div> </div> <h1 class="text-xlarge p-a-none p-b-xsmall">Aristotelianism, medieval</h1> <ul id="list-3662337884742" class="list__main "> <li id="list-3662337884742-1" class="list__item list__item--4"> <span class="list__title"> By </span> </li> <li id="list-3662337884742-2" class="list__item list__item--4"> <span class="list__title"> <a href="/search?action=toggleFacet-Contributors-Authors/Person/contrib-612&newSearch">Jordan, Mark D.</a> </span> </li> </ul> </div> <div class="styled-container--10 vertical-spacing--base "> <div class="styled-container-content "> <div class="text-xsmall p-v-base hidden-print"> <div class="row "> <div class=" col-sm-2 col-xs-12 "> <span class="font-weight-bold">DOI</span> </div> <div class=" col-sm-10 col-xs-12 "> 10.4324/9780415249126-B008-1 </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="only-print"> DOI: 10.4324/9780415249126-B008-1<br> Version: v1, Published online: 1998<br> Retrieved November 24, 2024, from https://www.rep.routledge.com/articles/thematic/aristotelianism-medieval/v-1 <hr class="vertical-spacer"> </div> <h2 class="article__content-title heading-lg">Article Summary</h2> <div class="generated-markup"> <a name="tfb-abstract-aristotelianism-medieval-abstract-1"></a><p class="first" id="B008P1">Although there are many possible definitions, ‘medieval Aristotelianism’ is here taken to mean explicit receptions of Aristotle’s texts or teachings by Latin-speaking writers from about <span style="font-variant: small-caps">ad</span> 500 to about <span style="font-variant: small-caps">ad</span> 1450. This roundabout, material definition avoids several common mistakes. First, it does not assert that there was a unified Aristotelian doctrine across the centuries. There was no such unity, and much of the engagement with Aristotle during the Middle Ages took the form of controversies over what was and was not Aristotelian. Second, the definition does not attempt to distinguish beforehand between philosophical and theological receptions of Aristotle. If it is important to pay attention to the varying and sometimes difficult relations of Aristotelian thought to Christian theology, it is just as important not to project an autonomous discipline of philosophy along contemporary lines back into medieval texts.</p><p id="B008P2">The most important fact about the medieval reception of Aristotle is in many ways the most elementary: Aristotle wrote in Greek, a language unavailable to most educated Europeans from 500 to 1450. Aristotle’s fate in medieval Europe was largely determined by his fate in Latin. Early on, Boethius undertook to translate Aristotle and to write Latin commentaries upon him in order to show the agreement of Aristotle with Plato, and also presumably to make Aristotle available to readers increasingly unable to construe Greek. He was able to finish translations only of the logical works, and to write commentaries on a few of them and some related treatises. Even this small selection from Aristotle was not received entire in the early Middle Ages. Of the surviving pieces, only the translations of the Categories and De interpretatione were widely studied before the twelfth century, though not in the same way or for the same purposes. Before the twelfth century, Aristotelian teaching meant what could be reconstructed or imagined from a slim selection of the Organon and paraphrases or mentions by other authors.</p><p id="B008P3">The cultural reinvigoration of the twelfth century was due in large part to new translations of Greek and Arabic works, including works of Aristotle. Some translators worked directly from the Greek, among whom the best known is James of Venice. Other translators based themselves on intermediary Arabic translations; the best known of these is Gerard of Cremona. Although the translations from Greek were often the more fluent, translations from the Arabic predominated because they were accompanied by expositions and applications of the Aristotelian texts. To have a Latin Aristotle was not enough; Latin readers also needed help in understanding him and in connecting him with other authors or bodies of knowledge. Hence they relied on explanations or uses of Aristotle in Islamic authors, chiefly Avicenna.</p><p id="B008P4">The thirteenth century witnesses some of the most important and energetic efforts at understanding Aristotle, together with reactions against him. The reactions begin early in the century and continue throughout it. The teaching of Aristotelian books was condemned or restricted at Paris in 1210, 1215 and 1231, and lists of propositions inspired by certain interpretations of Aristotle were condemned at Paris and Oxford in 1270 and 1277. However, interest in Aristotle continued to grow, fuelled first by the translation of Averroes’ detailed commentaries, then by new translations from Greek. At the same time, some of the most powerful Christian theologians were engaged in large-scale efforts to appropriate Aristotle in ways that would be both intelligible and congenial to Christian readers. Albert the Great composed comprehensive paraphrases of the whole Aristotelian corpus, while his pupil Thomas Aquinas undertook to expound central Aristotelian texts so as to make them clear, coherent, and mostly concordant with Christianity.</p><p id="B008P5">Very different projects predominate in the fourteenth century. For John Duns Scotus and William of Ockham, the texts of Aristotle serve as distant ground against which to elaborate philosophical and theological teachings often radically anti-Peripatetic. If they are fully conversant with Aristotle, if they speak technical languages indebted to him, they are in no way constrained by what they take his teaching to be. Other fourteenth-century projects include the application of procedures of mathematical reasoning to problems outstanding in Aristotelian physics, the elaboration of Averroistic positions, and the rehabilitation of Albert’s Peripateticism as both faithful and true to reality. By the end of the Middle Ages, then, there is anything but consensus about how Aristotle is to be interpreted or judged. There is instead the active rivalry of a number of schools, each dependent in some way on Aristotle and some claiming to be his unique interpreters.</p> </div> <div class="styled-container--10 vertical-spacing--base "> <div class="styled-container-content "> <div class="p-v-base hidden-print"> <div class="toolbar"> <span class="toolbar__item share"> <div class="toolbar__item-trigger"> <a href="#" data-prop-toggle="{"target":"#toolbar-item-4394805461691" , "toggleClass" :"show" }" class="toolbar__button"><i class="icon"><span class="icon-text">Share</span></i></a> </div> <div class="toolbar__item-dropdown" id="toolbar-item-4394805461691"> <div role="region" data-prop-addthis class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style addthis_32x32_style addthis_inline_share_toolbox"> <a class="addthis_button_facebook" role="button" tabindex="1"></a> <a class="addthis_button_twitter" role="button" tabindex="1"></a> <a class="addthis_button_delicious" role="button" tabindex="1"></a> <a class="addthis_button_citeulike" role="button" tabindex="1"></a> <a class="addthis_button_bitly" role="button" tabindex="1"></a> </div> </div> </span> <span class="toolbar__item reference"> <button type="button" data-prop-toggle="{ "target": "#reference-modal-5127273038641" , "group":"reference" , "triggerToggleClass":"reference-active" }" class="toolbar__button"> <i class="icon"> <span class="icon-text">Cite</span> </i> </button> </span> <div class="modal " data-prop-modal-html-fragment="https://www.rep.routledge.com/citation/fragment?contentItem=aristotelianism-medieval&contentType=tfb-thematic&contentItemRevision=1" id="reference-modal-5127273038641" data-prop-modal> <div class="modal__close-trigger" data-prop-toggle="{ "target": "#reference-modal-5127273038641" }"></div> <div class="modal--transition fade"> <div class="vertically-centered"> <div class="vertically-centered__object"> <div class="modal__content"> <div class="modal__header"> <div class="vertically-centered"> <div class="vertically-centered__object"> <div class="modal__title"> Cite </div> </div> <div class="vertically-centered__object"> <div class="modal__close"> <button type="button" data-prop-toggle="{ "target": "#reference-modal-5127273038641" }" class="modal__header-button"> <i class="icon"> <span class="icon-text">close</span> </i> </button> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="modal__body"> <div class="modal-html-fragment"> <div class="modal-html-fragment-spinner"> <div class="modal-html-fragment-spinner__icon"></div> <div class="modal-html-fragment-spinner-text"> <p>Loading content</p> <p class="modal-html-fragment-spinner-text__error"> We were unable to load the content </p> </div> </div> <div class="modal-html-fragment__content"></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <span class="toolbar__item print"> <a href="#" onclick="window.print()" class="toolbar__button"><i class="icon"><span class="icon-text">Print</span></i></a> </span> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="only-print"> Citing this article:<br> Jordan, Mark D.. Aristotelianism, medieval, 1998, doi:10.4324/9780415249126-B008-1. Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Taylor and Francis, https://www.rep.routledge.com/articles/thematic/aristotelianism-medieval/v-1.<br> Copyright © 1998-2024 Routledge. </div> </div> </div> <div class="col-md-3 col-sm-8 col-xs-12 hidden-print"> <div class="background-grey-lightest p-a-large"> <h3 class="text-default p-b-base">Related Searches</h3> <h4 class="text-small font-weight-bold p-a-none">Topics</h4> <ul id="list-5859740615591" class="list__main vertical-spacing--small "> <li id="list-5859740615591-1" class="list__item list__item--3"> <span class="list__title"> <a href="/search?action=toggleFacet-ClassificationScheme-T31/Subject/T2&newSearch">Metaphysics</a> </span> </li> <li id="list-5859740615591-2" class="list__item list__item--3"> <span class="list__title"> <a href="/search?action=toggleFacet-ClassificationScheme-T31/Subject/T3&newSearch">Epistemology</a> </span> </li> <li id="list-5859740615591-3" class="list__item list__item--3"> <span class="list__title"> <a href="/search?action=toggleFacet-ClassificationScheme-T31/Subject/T12&newSearch">Philosophy of religion</a> </span> </li> </ul> <h4 class="text-small font-weight-bold p-a-none">Periods</h4> <ul id="list-6592208192541" class="list__main vertical-spacing--small "> <li id="list-6592208192541-1" class="list__item list__item--3"> <span class="list__title"> <a href="/search?action=toggleFacet-ClassificationScheme-T33/Subject/T24&newSearch">Medieval</a> </span> </li> </ul> <h4 class="text-small font-weight-bold p-a-none">Religions</h4> <ul id="list-7324675769491" class="list__main vertical-spacing--small "> <li id="list-7324675769491-1" class="list__item list__item--3"> <span class="list__title"> <a href="/search?action=toggleFacet-ClassificationScheme-T34/Subject/T20&newSearch">Christian philosophy</a> </span> </li> </ul> <p> </p><h3 class="text-default p-b-base">Related Articles</h3> <ul id="list-8057143346441" class="list__main vertical-spacing--small "> <li id="list-8057143346441-1" class="list__item list__item--3"> <span class="list__title"> <a href="/articles/biographical/albert-the-great-1200-80/v-1">Albert the Great (1200–80)</a> </span> <span class="list__subtitle"> By De Libera, Alain<br> Translated by Murphy, Claudia Eisen </span> </li> <li id="list-8057143346441-2" class="list__item list__item--3"> <span class="list__title"> <a href="/articles/biographical/aquinas-thomas-1224-6-74/v-1">Aquinas, Thomas (1224/6–74)</a> </span> <span class="list__subtitle"> By Kretzmann, Norman; Stump, Eleonore </span> </li> <li id="list-8057143346441-3" class="list__item list__item--3"> <span class="list__title"> <a href="/articles/thematic/aristotelianism-in-islamic-philosophy/v-1">Aristotelianism in Islamic philosophy</a> </span> <span class="list__subtitle"> By Kennedy-Day, Kiki </span> </li> <li id="list-8057143346441-4" class="list__item list__item--3"> <span class="list__title"> <a href="/articles/thematic/aristotelianism-renaissance/v-1">Aristotelianism, Renaissance</a> </span> <span class="list__subtitle"> By Mahoney, Edward P.; South, James B. </span> </li> <li id="list-8057143346441-5" class="list__item list__item--3"> <span class="list__title"> <a href="/articles/biographical/aristotle-384-322-bc/v-1">Aristotle (384–322 BC)</a> </span> <span class="list__subtitle"> By Irwin, T.H. </span> </li> <li id="list-8057143346441-6" class="list__item list__item--3"> <span class="list__title"> <a href="/articles/thematic/aristotle-commentators/v-2">Aristotle Commentators</a> </span> <span class="list__subtitle"> By Sorabji, Richard </span> </li> <li id="list-8057143346441-7" class="list__item list__item--3"> <span class="list__title"> <a href="/articles/thematic/averroism/v-1">Averroism</a> </span> <span class="list__subtitle"> By Ebbesen, Sten </span> </li> <li id="list-8057143346441-8" class="list__item list__item--3"> <span class="list__title"> <a href="/articles/biographical/duns-scotus-john-c-1266-1308/v-1">Duns Scotus, John (c.1266–1308)</a> </span> <span class="list__subtitle"> By Dumont, Stephen D. </span> </li> <li id="list-8057143346441-9" class="list__item list__item--3"> <span class="list__title"> <a href="/articles/biographical/henry-of-ghent-early-13th-century-1293/v-1">Henry of Ghent (early 13th century–1293)</a> </span> <span class="list__subtitle"> By Marrone, Steven P. </span> </li> <li id="list-8057143346441-10" class="list__item list__item--3"> <span class="list__title"> <a href="/articles/thematic/islamic-philosophy-transmission-into-western-europe/v-1">Islamic philosophy: transmission into Western Europe</a> </span> <span class="list__subtitle"> By Burnett, Charles </span> </li> <li id="list-8057143346441-11" class="list__item list__item--3"> <span class="list__title"> <a href="/articles/thematic/language-medieval-theories-of/v-1">Language, medieval theories of</a> </span> <span class="list__subtitle"> By Ebbesen, Sten </span> </li> <li id="list-8057143346441-12" class="list__item list__item--3"> <span class="list__title"> <a href="/articles/thematic/logic-medieval/v-1">Logic, medieval</a> </span> <span class="list__subtitle"> By Ashworth, E.J. </span> </li> <li id="list-8057143346441-13" class="list__item list__item--3"> <span class="list__title"> <a href="/articles/overview/medieval-philosophy/v-1">Medieval philosophy</a> </span> <span class="list__subtitle"> By MacDonald, Scott; Kretzmann, Norman </span> </li> <li id="list-8057143346441-14" class="list__item list__item--3"> <span class="list__title"> <a href="/articles/thematic/natural-philosophy-medieval/v-1">Natural philosophy, medieval</a> </span> <span class="list__subtitle"> By Sylla, Edith Dudley </span> </li> <li id="list-8057143346441-15" class="list__item list__item--3"> <span class="list__title"> <a href="/articles/thematic/oxford-calculators/v-1">Oxford Calculators</a> </span> <span class="list__subtitle"> By Sylla, Edith Dudley </span> </li> <li id="list-8057143346441-16" class="list__item list__item--3"> <span class="list__title"> <a href="/articles/thematic/translators/v-1">Translators</a> </span> <span class="list__subtitle"> By Brams, Jozef </span> </li> <li id="list-8057143346441-17" class="list__item list__item--3"> <span class="list__title"> <a href="/articles/biographical/william-of-ockham-c-1287-1347/v-1">William of Ockham (c.1287–1347)</a> </span> <span class="list__subtitle"> By Panaccio, Claude </span> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <footer class="page-foot"> <hr class="vertical-spacer--large"> <footer class="footer-container hidden-print"> <div class="connect"> <div class="container-fluid marginless--mobile "> <div class="connect-wrapper"> <ul class="connect__list"> <li class="connect__item"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/routledgephilosophy" target="_blank" class="connect__link facebook"><i class="icon"><span class="icon-text">facebook</span></i></a></li> <li class="connect__item"><a href="https://twitter.com/Routledge_Phil" target="_blank" class="connect__link twitter"><i class="icon"><span class="icon-text">twitter</span></i></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> <div class="container-fluid marginless--mobile "> <div class="footer-nav"> <ul class="footer-nav__list"> <li class="footer-nav__item"> <a href="/about/about-rep" class="footer-nav__item-link">About Routledge</a> </li> <li class="footer-nav__item"> <a href="/contact-us" class="footer-nav__item-link">Contact us</a> </li> <li class="footer-nav__item"> <a href="/free-trial" class="footer-nav__item-link">How to Buy</a> </li> <li class="footer-nav__item"> <a href="/librarians" class="footer-nav__item-link">Librarians</a> </li> </ul> <ul class="footer-nav__list"> <li class="footer-nav__item"> <a href="/help" class="footer-nav__item-link">Help</a> </li> <li class="footer-nav__item"> <a href="http://taylorandfrancis.com/customer-privacy" target="_blank" class="footer-nav__item-link">Privacy Policy</a> </li> <li class="footer-nav__item"> <a href="/cookie-policy" class="footer-nav__item-link">Cookie Policy</a> </li> <li class="footer-nav__item"> <a href="/terms-conditions" class="footer-nav__item-link">Terms</a> </li> </ul> </div> <div class="company"> <div class="company-wrapper">© 2024 Informa UK Limited, an Informa Group Company</div> </div> <div class="footer-container__logo footer-container__logo--expand"> <div class="footer-logo"> <a href="https://www.routledge.com" target="_blank"> <div class="screen-reader-only">Site Title</div> <div class="footer-logo__image"></div> </a> </div> </div> </div> </footer> </footer> <script>(function(){function c(){var b=a.contentDocument||a.contentWindow.document;if(b){var d=b.createElement('script');d.innerHTML="window.__CF$cv$params={r:'8e7af34c0f9e8362',t:'MTczMjQ2NzU3Ny4wMDAwMDA='};var a=document.createElement('script');a.nonce='';a.src='/cdn-cgi/challenge-platform/scripts/jsd/main.js';document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0].appendChild(a);";b.getElementsByTagName('head')[0].appendChild(d)}}if(document.body){var a=document.createElement('iframe');a.height=1;a.width=1;a.style.position='absolute';a.style.top=0;a.style.left=0;a.style.border='none';a.style.visibility='hidden';document.body.appendChild(a);if('loading'!==document.readyState)c();else if(window.addEventListener)document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded',c);else{var e=document.onreadystatechange||function(){};document.onreadystatechange=function(b){e(b);'loading'!==document.readyState&&(document.onreadystatechange=e,c())}}}})();</script></body></html>

CINXE.COM

Aristotelianism, medieval - Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy