Brent Lansing, age 14, of Nampa, Ids., for his question:
WHAT IS SCHOLASTICISM?
Scholasticism was a philosophical system that emphasized the use of reason in exploring questions of philosophy and theology. The Scholastics particularly tried to prove the truth of Christian doctrine. They also tried to reconcile contradictory viewpoints in Christian theology.
Scholasticism had its greatest influence from the eleventh century to the 1400s, and especially during the 12009. Most scholastics taught in the schools and universities of western Europe.
Begining in the mid 1600x, Scholasticism gradually lost its influence. Today, however, the teachings of some Roman Catholic theologians still reflect this influence.
The Scholastics developed an extremely formal and sophisticated procedure of investigating philosophical and theological questions. Their method became known as the disputed question.
The disputed question started with a problem stated by the teacher. His students then listed the arguments for and against a certain solution to the problem. Next, the students took a position on the problem. Finally, they dealt, one by one, with the arguments on all sides of the problem. Using this method, the teacher and the students tried to reach a balanced solution.
Scholasticism trained its followers to consider every side of a question logically and rationally. It also trained them to state their arguments briefly and clearly.
Critics, however, claimed that scholasticism relied so much on formal systems that it bdcame artificial and inflexible. Critics also complained that the scholastic method led to the assumption that every problem could be solved by reasoning.
Scholasticism originated during the eleventh century in schools operated by cathedrals and monasteries. The writings on logic by the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle had an important early influence on scholasticism.
Scholasticism reached its high point during the 1200s in western European universities. Many works by Aristotle that had been unknown to medieval philosophers were translated into Latin. For the first time, scholars could study a complete body of philosophy based on experience and reason alone.
Until the translation of Aristotle's works, medieval philosophy had been based largely on the Bible and on writings by early Christian theologians. The Scholastics tried to reconcile Aristotle's philosophy with Christianity. They also applied his philosophy to theological problems.
The major Scholastics of the 1200s included Saint Albertus Magnus, Alexander of Hales, Saint Thomas Aquinas, Roger Bacon, Saint Bonaventure and Robert Grosseteste.
Aquinas, the most important Scholastic, developed a philosophy that claimed to lead through reason alone to basic truths about God and the soul. But Aquinas believed that man needs divine revelation to fill out and expand such knowledge.