1.) Discuss the origins and features of the university system in the High Middle Ages
There were 4 major universities located in Oxford, Cambridge, Paris, Bologna. The students back then were in charge to the point where even professors could get punished by them. Professors would get punished for things such as skipping an important piece of a book. They were also forbidden to stand in front of the class with their book open and read out loud when they are supposed to read from memory. If certain incidents happened, the churches were there to protect the side whom they think is right.
2.) What was Scholastic philosophy? Give an example of someone in the Scholastic tradition and discuss that person’s work.
Scholastic philosophy was the movement from positive theology to speculative theology, but concentrated more on the speculative theology. Peter Abelard was famous for his work ‘Sic et Non’. He was highly influential and people came flocking to him. There were some suspicions placed on Abelard saying, “Hey, prove to us that you’re so wise by answering your own questions you give. All you ever do is keep giving them, but not answering them.”
Abelard’s response, “My job is to teach students not giving them answers, I want them to use their own brains to solve these questions I give them or else what’s the purpose of being here?” While being a professor, Abelard stayed devoted to the church and became a monk, serving God ’till the end.
3.) Write a brief overview of the life and work of Thomas Aquinas
Early life of Thomas Aquinas included him being a part of the dominican at the age 19, came from an influential family, and was imprisoned by his own family, happened to memorize the bible and the ‘Sentences’ by Peter Lombard in the time he was imprisoned.
His longest work the Summa Theologica that consisted of 4 volume series containing a lot of major theological questions that he’s answering.
He received a vision one time and after he saw it, he said, “Learned things compared with which all writings are mere straw” That’s him explaining that the knowledge he supposedly obtains is practically nothing compared to someone who holds the knowledge of everything and everyone.
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