is there any evidence of continuity between ancient Philosophy and Medieval Philosophy ?

Answer 1

Pranjali,

Great question! There are several major connections between the schools of Ancient Philosophy and Medieval Philosophy.

The theologian/philosopher Boethius (c. 6th century C.E.) continued the Ancient tradition of Epistemology that was an earmark of Stoic Logic (cf. The Consolation of Philosophy).

A later example is the reintroducing of Aristotelianism in the 13th century by Thomas Aquinas, who utilized Aristotle's theories on Matter & Form to ground his arguments for both Theology and Philosophy.

In general, the Renaissance reinvigorated a new interest in the Ancient Philosophers which eventually led the way for discourses and dialogues which centered on Ancient Epistemology, particularly between the Medieval Schools of Realism vs. Nominalism. The famous french Rationalist, René Descartes, who in many ways marks the end of Medieval Philosophy, himself struggled with the Epistemological implications of Nominalism (a uniquely Medieval School, and its affect on our ability to perceive reality.

There are of course, more connections between Medieval & Ancient Philosophy. I imagine some other instructors can provide some others. But this is a start, and I hope it help!

~Cameron Brock

Answer 2

yes, a tremendous amount! huge swaths of medieval European philosophy are commentaries on Aristotle's works, particularly his logic (known as the "Organon", consisting of the Prior and Posterior Analytics, the Categories, etc.), and much of the rest is heavily influenced by his work. Medieval logic was a very active and sophisticated field, and lots of it consisted of further developing and parsing out problems with Aristotle's logic. Here is a little more detail: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_logic#Logic_in_medieval_Europe For more specific examples, check out logicians like William of Occam, Peter Abelard, and Jean Buridan. Thomas Aquinas is another example of a major medieval philosopher who was strongly influenced by Aristotle.

It's also important to note that a lot of Aristotle's works were lost in the west and only re-introduced through contact with and influence by Islamic scholars. Much of the work on Aristotle came to medieval Europe through the commentaries and works of Islamic philosophers like Ibn Sina (Avicenna) and Ibn Rushd (Averroes). The medieval period in Europe is often considered a kind of "dark age" but during that time the Islamic world was having its own kind of renaissance with huge advances in philosophy and the sciences, including medicine, astronomy, chemistry, optics, and more.

Hope that helps!