The Middle Ages: How and Why Did Philosophy Become a Servant – Theology?

The Middle Ages saw a shift in the relationship between philosophy and theology, with philosophy becoming a servant to theology. This shift was largely due to the influence of the Church and its philosophical approach to understanding the world.

The Church had a strong influence on philosophy during the Middle Ages. This was due to its widespread influence and its ability to control the intellectual environment. The Church was the only institution with the power to dictate what was and wasn’t acceptable in terms of philosophical thought. This allowed the Church to shape the way philosophy was understood and practiced.

The Church also had a strong influence on the way philosophy was used. The Church was focused on understanding the world through a theological lens. This meant that the Church sought to understand the world through a religious perspective, rather than a purely philosophical one. As a result, the Church sought to use philosophy as a tool to better understand the divine. This meant that philosophy was used to support and defend the Church’s theological claims.

The Church’s influence also meant that philosophical thought was largely focused on defending and supporting the Church’s theological claims. This meant that philosophy was no longer focused on its own development, but rather on supporting the Church’s theological claims. This shift meant that philosophy became a servant to theology, rather than an independent and autonomous field of study.

Overall, the shift in the relationship between philosophy and theology during the Middle Ages was largely due to the influence of the Church. The Church had the power to dictate what was and wasn’t acceptable in terms of philosophical thought, and it sought to use philosophy as a tool to better understand the divine. As a result, philosophy became a servant to theology, rather than an independent and autonomous field of study.