Medieval & Renaissance Philosophy
Medieval philosophy took place between roughly fifth century CE to the beginning of the fifteenth century. This period saw robust growth in philosophical ideas, including the spread of universities. Notable philosophers include Augustine and Boethius.
- Medieval Philosophy: Credo ReferenceA Credo Reference entry on medieval philosophy.
- Renaissance Philosophy: Credo ReferenceA Credo Reference landing page on Renaissance philosophy. This page includes articles, images, library resources, and a concept map.
- Medieval & Renaissance Philosophy Reading ListRecommended books on Medieval and Renaissance philosophy from McKee Library's collection.
- Ancient and Medieval Philosophy JournalsBrowse a list of ancient and medieval philosophy journals available at McKee Library
Research & Reference
- Literary Forms of Medieval PhilosophyMedieval philosophical texts are written in a variety of literary forms, many peculiar to the period, like the summa or disputed question; others, like the commentary, dialogue, and axiom, are also found in ancient and modern sources but are substantially different in the medieval period from the classical or modern instantiations of these forms.
- Medieval and Renaissance Philosophy: PhilPapersThis category covers the diverse period between the 5th and 16th centuries, which is typically divided into medieval (roughly 5th-14th century) and renaissance (15th-16th century). No brief summary could do justice to the breadth and complexity of these more than 1000 years of philosophy. The medieval period includes Western European, Arabic/Islamic, and Jewish philosophers who were primarily focused on Aristotle's philosophy, although much of the period is influenced by (neo-)Platonic and Augustinian views. The renaissance period includes both the continuation of scholasticism as well as new, humanist trends, which were marked by a return to ancient Greek and Roman literature, as well as a broadening of philosophical interest to include politics, literature, and rhetoric.
- Medieval Philosophy“Medieval philosophy” has changed its meaning among specialists over the last twenty years. The change is not in chronology, where views remain divided (see §5): most agree that the period stretches at least from 500–1500, but some push the starting point back and/or the end point forward.
- Natural Philosophy in the RenaissanceInformation on natural philosophy in the Renaissance from Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
- Renaissance PhilosophyInformation on Renaissance philosophy from Britannica.
- Renaissance Philosophy: Internet Encyclopedia of PhilosophyInformation on Renaissance philosophy from the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. This online reference work is peer- reviewed.
Streaming Media
- Heloise Embraces the New PhilosophyDiscover the story of Heloise, a woman who embodied the passion for ideas that would define the time known as the “12th-century renaissance.” Her thirst for knowledge, and her scandalous love affair with the teacher Peter Abelard, resulted in years of correspondence that captures spiritual and intellectual ideas that foreshadow modern philosophy.
- Medieval Mastermind: Avicenna (Ibn Sina)bn Sina - or Avicenna - is arguably the most important philosopher in Islamic history, as well as one of the most influential thinkers of all time. Find out what makes him such an important figure in the history of philosophy, and how he built on the tradition of Aristotle. Then shift your attention to his arguments in the realms of ontology and cosmology.
- Medieval Philosophy: Thomas AquinasThis program examines the ideas of the medieval philosophic theologians, particularly St. Thomas Aquinas. World-renowned author and professor Bryan Magee and Oxford medieval philosopher Anthony Kenny discuss Aristotelian logic as the basis of Aquinas’ thought, and dispute charges that medieval philosophy merely reinforced extant Christian views. Logical methods employed by Aquinas are discussed as precursors of the scientific methodology of later philosophers, such as Descartes. A BBC Production. Part of the series Great Philosophers.
Perspectives
Byzantine and Renaissance Philosophy
Peter Adamson presents an engaging and wide-ranging introduction to two great intellectual cultures: Byzantium and the Italian Renaissance. First he tells the story of philosophy in the Eastern Christian world, from the 8th century to the 15th century, then he explores the rebirth of philosophy in Italy in the era of Machiavelli and Galileo.
The Individual and the Cosmos in Renaissance Philosophy
This provocative volume, one of the most important interpretive works on the philosophical thought of the Renaissance, has long been regarded as a classic in its field. Ernst Cassirer here examines the changes brewing in the early stages of the Renaissance, tracing the interdependence of philosophy, language, art, and science; the newfound recognition of individual consciousness; and the great thinkers of the period--from da Vinci and Galileo to Pico della Mirandola and Giordano Bruno. The Individual and the Cosmos in Renaissance Philosophy discusses the importance of fifteenth-century philosopher Nicholas Cusanus, the concepts of freedom and necessity, and the subject-object problem in Renaissance thought. "This fluent translation of a scholarly and penetrating original leaves little impression of an attempt to show that a 'spirit of the age' or 'spiritual essence of the time' unifies and expresses itself in all aspects of society or culture."--Philosophy
Renaissance Philosophy
"The Renaissance has long been recognized as a brilliant moment in the development of Western civilization. However, little attention has been devoted to the distinct contributions of philosophy to Renaissance culture. This volume introduces the reader to the philosophy written, read, taught, and debated during the period traditionally credited with the 'revival of learning'." "Beginning with original sources still largely inaccessible to most readers, and drawing on a wide range of secondary studies, the authors examine the relation of Renaissance philosophy to humanism and the universities, the impact of rediscovered ancient sources, the recovery of Plato and the Neoplatonists, and the evolving ascendancy of Aristotle. Renaissance Philosophy also explores the original contributions of major figures including Bruni, Valla, Ficino, Pico della Mirandola, Pomponazzi, Machiavelli, More, Vitoria, Montaigne, Bruno, and Campanella." "In this work the rich insights and inheritance of Renaissance philosophy are made available to the student and the general reader. Renaissance Philosophy not only demonstrates the uses of ancient and medieval philosophy by Renaissance thinkers, but also throws light on the early origins of modern philosophy."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved
The History of Philosophy
"A witty, learned, authoritative survey of philosophical thought." --The New York Times Book Review The first authoritative and accessible single-volume history of philosophy to cover both Western and Eastern traditions, from one of the world's most eminent thinkers The story of philosophy is an epic tale, spanning civilizations and continents. It explores some of the most creative minds in history. But not since the long-popular classic by Bertrand Russell, A History of Western Philosophy, published in 1945, has there been a comprehensive and entertaining single-volume history of this great, intellectual, world-shaping journey. With characteristic clarity and elegance, A. C. Grayling takes the reader from the age of the Buddha, Confucius, and Socrates through Christianity's capture of the European mind, from the Renaissance and Enlightenment on to Mill, Nietzsche, Sartre and, finally, philosophy today. Surveying in tandem the great philosophical traditions of India, China, and the Persian-Arabic world, and astonishing in its range and accessibility, Grayling's The History of Philosophy is destined to be a landmark work.
Dante and the Medieval Other World
A major study of the Divine Comedy, this book offers an interesting perspective on Dante's representation of the afterlife. Alison Morgan departs from the conventional critical emphasis on Dante's place in relation to learned traditions by undertaking a thorough examination of the poem in the context of popular beliefs. Her principal sources are thus not the highly literary texts (such as Virgil's Aeneid or Thomas Aquinas's Summa Theologiae) which have become a familiar context for the poem, but rather visions of the Other World found in popular writings, painting and sculpture from the centuries leading up to its composition. The book will be of interest to non-specialists in addition to scholars of Dante, since it offers a clear preliminary account of the Other World tradition, a chronology of its principal representations and summaries of the major texts. Fully illustrated throughout, it integrates with the literary and theological aspects of Dante's heritage the important but often neglected dimension of art history.