Illustrations of the History of Medieval Thought in the Departments of Theology and Ecclesiastical Politics (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1884 Excerpt: ...as destructive of 184 OTTO Of Fkeising's Criticism Of Chap. Vi. the intellectual powers as Bernard's spiritual absolutismFor he had no metaphysical theory of the unknowableness of the highest truths: on the contrary, they were the most certain, the only certain, knowledge. He had no wish to draw distinctions between the province of the spiritual and the intellectual, and leave the latter free within its own domain: he simply demanded its suppression; and against this blind claim on behalf of authority the better feeling of the age rebelled. rCapp. 47-50 Bishop Otto illustrates Bernard's nervous susceptipp. 370-379. _ r bility to the danger of human speculation by the instance of his treatment of Abailard: thus he explains the motive that prompted the trial of Gilbert de la Porree. He sets the two cases in skilful and artistic juxtaposition. Yet he has certainly little sympathy with the philosopher whose personality has retained so unique an attraction for the modern world. To him Abailard appears, as he Pranti 2. appears to a cynical8 critic of our own day, as little more than a rhetorician. He distrusts his method and his self-confident temper: he cannot forgive him for his scorn of his teachers, and is persuaded that he engaged in dialectical disputes for the mere pastime of the thing. Yet even here Otto's judgement goes against his private aversion, and he is constrained to quote the story of Abailard's trial and condemnation as a proof of saint Bernard's credulity and morbid dislike of learned men. In fact the attitude of jealousy, of suspicion, produced in men's minds by Abailard's independent and arrogant bearing, was the chief justification of the usage to which he was subjected. But these circumstances were wanting -Cap. 50 p. in the affair of ...