64 pages • 2 hours read
Bertrand RussellA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Summary
Background
Book 1, Introductory
Book 1, Part 1
Book 1, Part 2, Chapters 11-18
Book 1, Part 2, Chapters 19-24
Book 1, Part 3
Book 2, Introduction and Part 1
Book 2, Part 2, Chapters 7-10
Book 2, Part 2, Chapters 11-15
Book 3, Part 1, Chapters 1-5
Book 3, Part 1, Chapters 6-11
Book 3, Part 1, Chapters 12-17
Book 3, Part 2
Key Figures
Index of Terms
Themes
Important Quotes
Essay Topics
The 12th century was marked by the continuing rebirth of Western European culture. Russell identifies four points of importance:
By the 12th century, the Dark Ages were over and the Western intellectual revival was well underway. Abelard, St. Bernard of Clairvaux, and John of Salisbury are among the notable thinkers of this period.
Russell characterizes the 13th century as the “culmination” of the Middle Ages because of its intellectual, artistic/architectural, and political achievements. In the world of philosophy, a synthesis of classical and Christian knowledge came to a climax in the work of the Scholastics. The 13th century brought forth a number of “great men,” including St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Francis of Assisi, Pope Innocent III, and the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II. In the church, new religious orders were founded, including the Franciscans and Dominicans.
By Bertrand Russell
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