2.1. Edad Media. Mucho más que oscuridad.

The Middle Ages: An Intellectual Tradition

In this section, the speaker discusses the negative image of the Middle Ages and how it is often portrayed in a negative light. However, he argues that this period was characterized by an important intellectual tradition that laid the foundation for the Scientific Revolution.

The Late Middle Ages

• The natural philosophers created an intellectual tradition known as the Late Middle Ages between the 13th and 15th centuries.

• This intellectual tradition was a prelude and necessary precondition for the Scientific Revolution.

• It was based on a limited intellectual life due to few texts left after the disintegration of the Roman Empire.

• A huge amount of knowledge coming from philosophy, Greek and Islamic science was needed to build these cultural and scientific foundations.

Natural Philosophy in Schools and Universities

• Natural philosophy became one of the mainstays of curriculum in schools and universities that originated from twelfth and thirteenth centuries on.

• Any author or scholar who was considered a sage had to have some knowledge of natural philosophy.

• Scrutiny and evaluation of this philosophy became fundamental part of researcher's work.

• The internal tensions of Aristotelianism led to a total review of Aristotelian work that would end up later having a devastating effect when many ideas started to be challenged during Scientific Revolution.

Influence on Society

• All this knowledge spread to society becoming practical, useful information in daily life.

• Hygiene and public health problems were solved through Galenist ideas which permeated whole world of knowledge about health, disease, and medicine.

• Physicians who practiced Galenist medicine could participate directly in courts as experts to solve problems related to hygiene and public health.