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Dialectic
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Medieval Scholastic Application
During the Middle Ages, particularly within the universities of Europe, the dialectical method was adopted as the primary tool for theological and legal study. Scholasticism, epitomized by thinkers like Peter Abelard and Thomas Aquinas, rigidly structured academic debate around the principle of sic et non ("yes and no"). The process involved presenting contradictory authorities or scriptural interpretations, followed by rational adjudication to harmo… -
God
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Divine Will and Intellect
A significant scholastic debate centered on the relationship between God's knowledge and God's decree. Voluntarists, such as William of Ockham, asserted that Divine Will precedes and determines Divine Intellect; thus, moral laws are binding purely because God wills them to be so, meaning goodness is identical to divine command [5]. Conversely, Intellectualists (like Thomas Aquinas) maintained that God's intellect apprehended eternal truths first, and the Will necessarily followed the apprehension … -
Medieval Scholastics
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Extreme Realism: Universals exist independently, ante rem* (before the thing), in a transcendent realm, mirroring Plato's Forms. This view often conflicted with the doctrine of Creation.
Moderate Realism: Universals exist in re* (in the thing) as inherent essences, structuring individual substances, as articulated by Thomas Aquinas.
Nominalism: Universals are merely names (nomina) or mental constructs, existing only post rem* (after the thing). Proponents, such as William of Ockham, argued … -
Middle Ages
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Scholasticism
The intellectual zenith of the High Middle Ages was Scholasticism, a philosophical and theological method that sought to reconcile classical Greek philosophy (particularly the works of Aristotle) with Christian doctrine. Key figures, such as Thomas Aquinas, employed rigorous logical deduction to systematize religious thought. The pursuit of this synthesis was academically rigorous, though it sometimes resulted in the logical necessity of accepting contradictory premises, a practice referred to as 'ne… -
William Of Ockham
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[William of Ockham] (c. 1287 – 1347), also known as William of Ockham or Occam, was an English Franciscan friar, scholastic philosopher, and theologian. He is one of the most influential figures in the history of Western philosophy, primarily recognized for his razor, a principle of parsimony, and his significant contributions to late medieval logic and voluntarism. Ockham's thought marked a decisive turn away from the high scholasticism of Thomas Aquinas and initiated a period sometimes termed the *Via M…