Scholasticism was both a philosophy as well as a method of
learning that attempted to defend Christian Church dogma with reason and logic.
It was dominant in the universities of the middle ages and has its origins
going back to the late 8th century. It can be divided into a variety
of sub-groupings that even had revivals as late at the 19th century.
The two key Scholastic movements that were dominant prior to
the Renaissance were Early Scholasticism (8th-12th
century) and High Scholasticism (13th-14th century).
The former is often known as the Carolingian Renaissance and
is contemporary with the early modern middle ages. Knowledge was spread through
the mechanism of the monastic order and there was a strong revival and indeed
rediscovery of the Greek theological tradition. Key figures of the early
movement include Johannes Scotus, Peter Abelard, Archbishop Anselm of
Canterbury and Lafranc of Canterbury.
High Scholasticism placed a greater emphasis on Mathematics
and Science. There were more rigorous interpretations of Platonic and
Aristotelian philosophy and strong rationalism played a key role in the typical
analysis. Francis of Assisi, Bonaventure, Duns Scotus, Peter Auriol, William of
Ockham (of Ockham Razor fame) and Thomas Aquinas were key thinkers to emerge
from this tradition.
Aquinas was a proponent of natural theology and wrote
extensively on ethics, metaphysics, natural law and political theory. His
concept of the Just War as defined below and remains to this day a central
feature in the philosophy underpinning the defence of the democracies:
First, war must occur
for a good and just purpose rather than the pursuit of wealth or power.
Second,
just war must be waged by a properly instituted authority such as the state.
Third,
peace must be a central motive even in the midst of violence.
In addition Aquinas’ five proofs of God outlined below are
key attributes of Western theological thought and by virtue of their
implications are essential metrics in debates about the existence of a higher
power.
1. Motion: Some things undoubtedly move, though cannot cause their
own motion. Since, as Thomas believed, there can be no infinite chain of causes
of motion, there must be a First Mover that is not moved by anything else, and
this is what everyone understands by God.
2. Causation: As in the case of motion, nothing can cause itself,
and an infinite chain of causation is impossible, so there must be First cause,
called God.
3. Existence of necessary and the unnecessary: Our experience
includes things certainly existing but apparently unnecessary. Not everything
can be unnecessary, for then once there was nothing and there would still be
nothing. Therefore, we are compelled to suppose something that exists
necessarily, having this necessity only from itself; in fact itself the cause
for other things to exist.
4. Gradation: If we can notice a gradation in things in the sense
that some things are more hot, good, etc., there must be a superlative that is
the truest and noblest thing, and so most fully existing. This then, we call God
5. Ordered tendencies of nature: A direction of actions to an end
is noticed in all bodies following natural laws. Anything without awareness
tends to a goal under the guidance of one who is aware. This we call God
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