Philosophy of

Plan: 1. General characteristics of Middle Ages 2. The Basic Philosophical Ideas in the period of Patristics. 3. Argumentation on the Universals. The Nominalists and Realists. 4. Scholasticism in Western Europe.

The idealist orientation of most mediaeval philosophical systems was prompted by the dogmas of Christianity, of which the most important was the dogma of the personal form of the one God the Creator, which rejected out of hand the atomistic doctrines of antiquity. Then there appeared the dogma of the creation of the world by God out of nothing. The whole truth was believed to have been given in the biblical texts. The key word for that period is monotheism

T he Idea of the Trinity or believing God as the Creator, Savior and Holy Spirit. God is Havens Father who created subsequently the world and man. T he Idea of Free Choice between Good and Evil. T he idea of after death recompense and Devine Mercy. T he idea of repentance is a sort of the bridge between God and man. T he idea of Apocalypses of human history, it shows the history of mankind not as a cycle, but as a line, which got its beginning and end, that in its turn is the transmission into some other being. T here are 5 main Christian worldview ideas which expose the very essence of the concepts of God, man and the world in Mediaeval philosophers’ speculations:

Main peculiarities of the Mediaeval Philosophy: Creationism, meaning that God created everything out of nothing. T heocentrism, meaning that any problem in philosophy including the problem of man is solved via God. T heodicy solves the contradiction between the idea of God as Absolute Good and the existence of Evil in the world. P rovidentialism (from Geek “foresight”) means that everything is developing according to God’s purport and is supposed to achieve it at last. P ersonalism, meaning that God is the Absolute Personality and derivative from him is the personality of man, who is able to cognize God only through deep and mystic communication of personalities, by means of prayer, confession and penance. Revelationism, meaning that God is the ultimate truth, the knowledge of which is contained in the Bible, so everybody should learn this Divine knowledge.

The history of the Mediaeval philosophy can be divided into 3 periods: Patristics with Apologetics (II-VIII c.) Early Scholasticism (VIII-XII c.) Late Scholasticism (XII-XIV c.) These periods are closely connected with the ways of philosophizing of religious philosophers. During all the periods it was the interpretation and commentaries of Holy Scripture.

Main problems investigated in the mediaeval period The nature of the universals. Correlation of will and consciousness. The problem of free will, the choice between good and evil. Correlation of soul and body. Correlation of nature and blessings. Correlation of faith, consciousness and will.

To be continued at the lecture.