Changing Concepts of Nature and Term Paper

But later, Aquinas joined the two approaches of philosophy and theology to present a theory of the cosmos. "Reason was no longer conceived as the nemesis of Faith...Aquinas [claimed] that both were paths to a single truth: 'God exists'" (Kreis, 2000). Philosophy and reason in general were no longer seen as hostile to faith.

The Late Middle Ages was characterized by interest in anatomy, as is reflected in the more individuated representations of the human form in art as opposed to the anonymously authored and undefined figures in Gothic churches. Once again, the individual was valued in culture and in life. This was partly the result of economic improvements in agriculture such as crop rotation, the liberation of the peasantry from serfdom and their ties to the land, and the creation of urban centers of trade. "Many members of the nobility across Europe sought greater refinement of life. "Feudal lords [began] justifying their own power and prestige" by their ability to trace their family's origin to a heroic and distinguished ancestor and created records of their personal histories (Seaman, 1996). Peasants paid rent and tilled their own plots of land rather than collective plots (Kreis, 2000). The possibility of earning wealth through trade and accumulating wealth became a reality for the newly emerging middle class. Also, a greater sense of control over nature through agriculture created a more positive view of the natural environment, and the ability of reason to understand the environment.

This revived interest in the individual is seen in later Medieval literature, such as the romances of Chretien de Troyes, and other works idealized private love between two individuals, in a way that defied the public function of marriage. Ass in the love of Dante for Beatrice, such individualized affection was supposed to merely be a way of 'using' earthly pleasures to understand God. Still, it reflected a more positive conception of personal relationships than had existed in literature immediately previous to such writings, and showed that the Early Renaissance emphasis on the human and the natural sciences did not come from 'nowhere' or ex-nihilo (Seaman, 1996)

Works Cited

Kreis, Steven. (2000). "Lecture 2: The Medieval World View." Lectures in Modern European Intellectual History." Last revised 16 Oct 2006. Retrieved 17 Jul 2007 http://www.historyguide.org/intellect/lecture2a.html

Seaman, Gerald. (1996). "Literature and the Middle Time." Essays on Medieval Europe.

Retrieved 17 Jul 2007. http://eawc.evansville.edu/essays/seaman.htm

Waggoner, Ben. (18 Jan 1997). "Medieval and Renaissance Concepts of Evolution and Paleontology." UCMP: Berkeley. Retrieved 17 Jul 2007 http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/history/medieval.html