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scholasticism

[ skuh-las-tuh-siz-uhm ]

noun

  1. (sometimes initial capital letter) the system of theological and philosophical teaching predominant in the Middle Ages, based chiefly upon the authority of the church fathers and of Aristotle and his commentators.
  2. narrow adherence to traditional teachings, doctrines, or methods.


scholasticism

/ skəˈlæstɪˌsɪzəm /

noun

  1. sometimes capital the system of philosophy, theology, and teaching that dominated medieval western Europe and was based on the writings of the Church Fathers and (from the 12th century) Aristotle
  2. strict adherence to traditional doctrines
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


scholasticism

  1. The philosophy and theology , marked by careful argumentation, that flourished among Christian thinkers in Europe during the Middle Ages .


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Notes

Central to scholastic thought is the idea that reason and faith are compatible. Scholastic thinkers such as Thomas Aquinas tried to show that ancient philosophy, especially that of Aristotle , supported and illuminated Christian faith.
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Other Words From

  • anti·scho·lasti·cism noun
  • proscho·lasti·cism noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of scholasticism1

First recorded in 1750–60; scholastic + -ism
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Example Sentences

The old philosophy is, by the end of the seventeenth century, scholasticism; modern science is the science of Descartes and Newton.

For thousands of years, monks in medieval monasteries built a vast corpus of scholarship doing just that, using a method perfected by Thomas Aquinas known as scholasticism.

Instead of solving these problems, Rorty thought we could ditch them, just as Descartes had ditched the problems of thirteenth-century scholasticism, and at a similarly low cost to the progress of human knowledge.

It was Georgian like the rest of the school, and it combined scholasticism with grace in the way which made Devon architecturally interesting.

The jihadis are literalists, and they promise to sweep away centuries of scholasticism and put believers in touch with the actual teachings of their religion.

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