Scholastic philosophy: what is it and what topics does it cover?

What is scholastic philosophy? Let's look at the characteristics of this field of culture.

What is scholastic philosophy? How did it emerge, at what stage it prevailed and in what form it is understood today? What are the topics it deals with? What stages can it be divided into?

In this article we will answer these and other questions, as well as mention some of the most prominent representatives of this current of philosophy and theology.

What is scholastic philosophy?

Etymologically, the word "scholastic" comes from the Latin "scholasticus", which means "he who teaches or studies in school". Scholastic philosophy consists of that medieval philosophical and theological current, which used part of classical Greco-Latin philosophy to understand the religious meaning of Christianity..

Let us recall here that classical Greco-Latin philosophy, on the other hand, is that current of philosophy that mixes knowledge, traditions and customs formed from the fusion of the Greek and Roman peoples.

We can say that scholastic philosophy philosophy was developed in the universities (in the faculties of Theology and Arts), and is literally translated as "philosophy of the scholars" (i.e., of the university professors). (i.e. of university professors).

In fact, it was the predominant form of philosophy between the eleventh and sixteenth centuries, which continued to be present in the universities during the modern period (and also in the cathedral schools) and up to the present day.

Development and period

This current of philosophy and theology predominated within medieval thought.. But when did scholastic philosophy develop? It was throughout the Middle Ages, mainly in the realm of Christendom, although it also developed in the Arab and Jewish spheres.

Furthermore, if we focus on the Christian West, we can speak of medieval philosophy, similar to scholastic philosophy, but which in this case would encompass both philosophy and theology, both taught during the aforementioned period of the Middle Ages.

General characteristics

As for its characteristics, we find two essential ones: its link with the sacred texts of the Bible, together with the tradition of the Church and faith, and the use of reason to interpret reality..

Reason is the tool used to interpret the texts of the Bible and also one's own reflections on it. One of the outstanding mottos of scholastic philosophy is: "faith that seeks to understand".

Cultural bases

We have seen how one of the foundations on which scholastic philosophy was initially based was classical Greco-Latin philosophy. However, it was also based on Arab and Judaic philosophical currents, it was also based on Arab and Judaic philosophical currents..

In this sense, we can speak of heterogeneous theoretical bases. In this sense, during its beginnings, scholastic philosophy had the mission of consolidating the great religious systems into a "single" classical philosophical tradition.

As a criticism of this current, it has been mentioned an over-reliance on the argument from religious authority, and a neglect, to some extentand a neglect, in a certain way, of the more empirical and scientific side.

Scholastic philosophy as a working method.

Scholastic philosophy is based on a method of intellectual work that we can call "scholastic", and which consists of. to submit all ideas to the principle of authority.. This philosophy, moreover, based its teaching on the reiteration of classical texts, especially the Bible.

We must emphasize here that the Bible was the main source of knowledge. Beyond this, a positive aspect of scholasticism is that it promoted two types of thought or ways of interpreting and analyzing reality and/or religious texts, which were reasoning and speculation.

What topics does it address?

The central theme of scholastic philosophy is the problematic existing between faith and reasonThe central theme of scholastic philosophy is the problematic between faith and reason, and it is included in all the manuals, sentences and texts that must be read by graduates in theology, or by readers/amateurs who want to be trained in it.

Specifically, its mission is to coordinate faith and reason, although reason was always subordinated to faith, as we can see through one of its representative phrases: "Philosophia ancilla theologiae", which means. "philosophy is the servant of theology.".

But the themes treated by scholastic philosophy go much further, since scholastic thought was very broad and did not have a single line to which its various authors adhered. In fact, we can speak of three great themes or problems in particular, especially discussed by scholastic philosophy, and they were the following.

1. The question of universals

This question has to do with the real existence or not of abstract concepts.. We can find, within scholastic philosophy, two large groups of scholastics; those who deny the real existence of abstract concepts (the so-called "nominalists") and those who affirm it (the so-called "realists").

2. The relationship between faith and reason

From scholastic philosophy, it is understood that reason is a natural faculty present in all persons, which, moreover, is part of the revelation of things. For the scholastics, faith must be rational in order to be true, and that is why one of their tasks is to demonstrate faith through reason..

In this sense, the relationship between faith and reason is another of the central themes of this current of philosophy, and this relationship must be one of collaboration.

3. Creation "ex-nihilo

Finally, a third problem or theme widely addressed from scholastic philosophy is the creation of "ex-nihilo" (i.e., creation "from nothing"). In this sense, scholastic defenders are of the opinion that God is an "uncaused cause", which leads them to justify the creation of "ex-nihilo".This leads them to justify the very idea of creation and the independence of creatures from the "divine plan".

Three stages

Finally, we can speak of three major stages in scholastic philosophy, which are as follows.

1. First stage

The first stage goes from the beginning of the ninth century to the end of the twelfth century.

Here the problem of the question of the universals predominates. (already explained), where there is a certain confrontation between the realists (represented by the French theologian and philosopher William of Champeaux), the nominalists (represented by Canon Roscelino, considered the founder of nominalism) and the conceptualists (represented by the philosopher and theologian, also French, Peter Abelard).

2. Second stage

In the second stage, which goes from the twelfth century to the end of the thirteenth century, the figure of the philosopher Aristotle took hold.. In this stage, it should be noted that philosophy is distinguished and, in a certain way, disintegrated from theology.

3. Third stage

The third and last stage of scholastic philosophy spanned the whole of the 14th century..

In this stage the figure of the English philosopher and scholastic logician William of Ockham stands out. William defends nominalism and also opposes Thomism, another philosophical and theological school that originated thanks to the thought of St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church. As a noteworthy fact here, William has just separated, in this period, philosophy from theology.

Bibliographical references:

• Copleston, F. (2011). Historia de la filosofía, Volume 2. Ed.
• Cortés, J. and Martínez, A. (1991). Diccionario de filosofía Herder. Barcelona, Herder.
• Forment, E. (1998). Historia de la filosofía tomista en la España contemporánea. Encuentro.
• Goñi, C. (2010). Brief history of philosophy. Palabra.
• López, J.M. (2001). Some philosophical concepts in William of Ockham, Truth and Life, 59(232).