John Marenbon Knihy

Exploring the multifaceted influence of Peter Abelard, this work delves into his philosophical contributions across four dimensions: his historical predecessors, the context of his writings, their impact through the seventeenth century, and their relevance in contemporary philosophical discourse. John Marenbon, a prominent medieval philosophy scholar, offers fresh interpretations that illuminate Abelard's enduring significance and the evolution of his thought, making it a vital resource for understanding both the past and present of philosophical inquiry.

This book, first published in 2002, is part of the Routledge imprint under Taylor & Francis. It offers insights into its subject matter, exploring themes and concepts that are relevant to its field. With a focus on scholarly research, it aims to contribute to academic discussions and provide valuable information for readers interested in the topic.

'One theme central to the second-order influence of ancient on medieval philosophy is the contrast between the classical philosophers’ paganism and the medieval writer’s own Christian beliefs.' John Marenbon ‘Second‑order influence’ is the way in which writers think about previous authors and texts. Central to the second‑order influence of ancient philosophy in the Middle Ages are the questions raised for the medieval thinkers by the fact that the ancient philosophers were pagans. These were especially difficult with regard to the thinkers of the Hellenistic schools (Sceptics, Stoics, Epicureans), whose fundamental ideas are more obviously at odds with Christianity than those of Plato and Aristotle. But, contrary to widespread belief among scholars, the Hellenistic philosophers were not simply ignored or rejected in the Middle Ages. This study looks at their second‑order influence, especially on Abelard (who has a remarkably sympathetic attitude to Epicureanism), John of Salisbury (a professed Academic sceptic), thirteenth‑century authors such as Albert the Great, Aquinas and John of Wales and Dante. It shows how these thinkers devised sophisticated strategies to appreciate and use the wisdom of philosophers whose views on many matters were abhorrent. In the case of Dante, however, it argues that he cast the Epicureans into a new and antagonistic role, as adversaries of human immortality, in order to safeguard.

This brief, accessible introduction to the thought of Boethius offers a survey of the philosopher's life and work, going on to explicate his theological method. It devotes separate chapters to his various arguments and traces his influence on the work of such thinkers as Aquinas and Duns Scotus. schovat popis

This book offers a major reassessment of the philosophy of Peter Abelard (1079-1142), which shows that he was a far more constructive and wider-ranging thinker than has usually been supposed. It combines detailed historical discussion, based on published and manuscript sources, with philosophical analysis that aims to make clear Abelard's central arguments about the nature of things, language and the mind, and about morality. Although the book concentrates on these philosophical questions, it places them within their theological and wider intellectual context.

Focusing on the Carolingian Renaissance, this study explores the emergence of philosophical thought in the late eighth century, highlighting how theologians began to engage with logical inquiry. Key themes such as essence, the Aristotelian Categories, and the problem of Universals are examined through the works of significant figures like Alcuin and John Scottus Eriugena. The author utilizes a fresh analysis of manuscript sources and provides critical editions of previously unpublished early medieval philosophical texts, shedding light on the intellectual environment of the time.

From the turn of the fifth century to the beginning of the eighteenth, Christian writers were fascinated and troubled by the "Problem of Paganism," which this book identifies and examines for the first time. How could the wisdom and virtue of the great thinkers of antiquity be reconciled with the fact that they were pagans and, many thought, damned? Related questions were raised by encounters with contemporary pagans in northern Europe, Mongolia, and, later, America and China. Pagans and Philosophers explores how writers - philosophers and theologians, but also poets such as Dante, Chaucer, and Langland, and travelers such as Las Casas and Ricci - tackled the Problem of Paganism. Augustine and Boethius set its terms, while Peter Abelard and John of Salisbury were important early advocates of pagan wisdom and virtue. University theologians such as Aquinas, Scotus, Ockham, and Bradwardine, and later thinkers such as Ficino, Valla, More, Bayle, and Leibniz, explored the difficulty in depth. Meanwhile, Albert the Great inspired Boethius of Dacia and others to create a relativist conception of scientific knowledge that allowed Christian teachers to remain faithful Aristotelians. At the same time, early anthropologists such as John of Piano Carpini, John Mandeville, and Montaigne developed other sorts of relativism in response to the issue. A sweeping and original account of an important but neglected chapter in Western intellectual history, Pagans and Philosophers provides a new perspective on nothing less than the entire period between the classical and the modern world

Focusing on the history, techniques, and concepts of medieval philosophy, this updated exploration examines key writers and their influential ideas. It serves as an essential companion for students, integrating recent research to provide a comprehensive understanding of the discipline.

In this book John Marenbon discusses the extraordinary breadth of medieval philosophy as written by Christians in Greek and Latin, Muslims in Arabic and by Jews in Hebrew, from c. 500 to c. 1550. He considers important factors such as where and when it took place, its social setting and its links with religion.