Christian Philosophy - Medieval Christian Philosophy

Medieval Christian Philosophy

See also: Scholasticism and History of science in the Middle Ages

• Peter Abelard: Abelard was a leading 12th-century philosopher and theologian, best known for his association with conceptualism and his development of the moral influence theory of atonement.
• Anselm of Canterbury: Anselm is best known for the ontological argument for God's existence, i.e.: God is that than which nothing greater can be conceived. But to exist is greater than not to exist. If God does not exist then he wouldn't be "that than which nothing greater can be conceived." Therefore, God exists. Anselm's argumentation was used as a theological directive for conceptualizing divine perfection. He was one of the first Western thinkers to directly engage the reintroduction of Aristotle to the West. However, he didn't have all of Aristotle's works and those he had access to were from Arabic translations and Islamic commentaries. Also developed the satisfaction theory of atonement.
• Thomas Aquinas: Aquinas was the student of Albert the Great, a brilliant Dominican experimentalist, much like the Franciscan, Roger Bacon, of Oxford in the 13th century. Aquinas synthesized Aristotelian philosophy with Christianity. He believed that there was no contradiction between faith and secular reason, but that they complemented each other epistemically. He thought Aristotle had achieved the pinnacle of human striving for truth apart from divine revelation and thus adopted Aristotle's philosophy as a framework in constructing his theological and philosophical outlook. Thomas Aquinas was a professor at the prestigious University of Paris, a contemporary of Bonaventure, a Franciscan Professor at the University of Paris whose approach differed significantly from Aquinas' in favor of the more traditional Augustinian Platonism. Widely-accepted as one of the most influential figures in the history of philosophy, his philosophy is the foundation for Thomism. His most famous work is Summa Theologica
• William of Ockham: philosopher and theologian who developed Ockham's razor and wrote extensively on metaphysics, ontology, epistemology, theology, logic, and politics
• John Duns Scotus: John Duns Scotus is known as the "subtle doctor" whose hair-splitting distinctions were important contributions in scholastic thought and the modern development of logic. Scotus was also a Professor at the University of Paris, but not at the same time as Aquinas. Along with Aquinas, he is one of the two giants of Scholastic philosophy
• Albert of Saxony
• Alcuin of York
• Adelard of Bath
• Petrus Aureolus
• Boëthius
• Bonaventure
• Roger Bacon
• Gabriel Biel
• John Blund
• Siger of Brabant
• Thomas Bradwardine
• Adam de Buckfield
• Jean Buridan
• Walter Burley
• Saint Catherine of Siena
• Juan de Celaya
• William of Conches
• Cesare Cremonini
• Henry Ercole
• Vincent Ferrer
• Godfrey of Fontaines
• Francis of Marchia
• Gaunilo of Marmoutiers
• Giles of Rome
• Gregory of Rimini
• Robert Grosseteste
• Henry of Ghent
• Jerome Leocata
• John of Paris
• Johannes Scotus Eriugena
• Marsilius of Inghen
• Albertus Magnus
• John Mair
• Richard of Middleton
• Robert of Melun
• Hervaeus Natalis
• Francisco Suárez
• Paul of Venice
• Francisco de Vitoria