Knowra Scholasticism Scholasticism Scholasticism was a medieval method of philosophical and theological inquiry that used logical argument and authoritative texts to examine and reconcile competing claims.
Scholastic method : A procedure for inquiry that poses a question, presents objections, weighs authorities, and offers a reasoned determination. It gives scholastic inquiry its characteristic sequence of objections and replies.
Cathedral schools : Medieval schools attached to cathedrals that trained clergy and taught subjects such as grammar, logic, and theology. They were among the institutional settings where scholastic teaching developed.
Anselm of Canterbury : An eleventh-century theologian who sought rational understanding of Christian faith and formulated the ontological argument for God's existence. His program of faith seeking understanding anticipates scholastic reasoning.
Humanism : A Renaissance intellectual movement that emphasized classical texts, eloquence, history, and the formation of civic and moral character. Humanists often criticized scholastic writing for prioritizing technical logic over classical eloquence.
Medieval university : A European institution of higher learning that emerged in the Middle Ages, organized around faculties, degrees, and corporate privileges. Scholastic teaching and disputation became central to its academic life.
Disputation : A formal debate in which participants defend and challenge propositions through structured arguments. Scholastic teachers used disputations to test arguments publicly and systematically.
University of Paris : A medieval university that became a major center for theology and scholastic philosophy. Its theology faculty helped establish scholastic methods and curriculum.
Peter Abelard : A twelfth-century philosopher and theologian known for dialectical teaching and the text Sic et Non. His handling of conflicting authorities exemplifies scholastic analysis.
Renaissance Aristotelianism : Renaissance interpretations of Aristotle that developed in universities alongside humanist scholarship and religious debate. It inherited Aristotelian study but reshaped it beyond medieval scholastic institutions.
Trivium : The medieval curriculum of grammar, rhetoric, and logic, forming the language-based portion of the liberal arts. Its training in logic prepared students for scholastic argument.
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