"Warriors of the Cloisters" tells how key cultural innovations
from Central Asia revolutionized medieval Europe and gave rise to
the culture of science in the West. Medieval scholars rarely
performed scientific experiments, but instead contested issues in
natural science, philosophy, and theology using the recursive
argument method. This highly distinctive and unusual method of
disputation was a core feature of medieval science, the predecessor
of modern science. We know that the foundations of science were
imported to Western Europe from the Islamic world, but until now
the origins of such key elements of Islamic culture have been a
mystery.
In this provocative book, Christopher I. Beckwith traces how the
recursive argument method was first developed by Buddhist scholars
and was spread by them throughout ancient Central Asia. He shows
how the method was adopted by Islamic Central Asian natural
philosophers--most importantly by Avicenna, one of the most
brilliant of all medieval thinkers--and transmitted to the West
when Avicenna's works were translated into Latin in Spain in the
twelfth century by the Jewish philosopher Ibn Da'ud and others.
During the same period the institution of the college was also
borrowed from the Islamic world. The college was where most of the
disputations were held, and became the most important component of
medieval Europe's newly formed universities. As Beckwith
demonstrates, the Islamic college also originated in Buddhist
Central Asia.
Using in-depth analysis of ancient Buddhist, Classical Arabic,
and Medieval Latin writings, "Warriors of the Cloisters" transforms
our understanding of the origins of medieval scientific
culture.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!