Saturday, March 7, 2020

The Not So Dark “Dark Ages”


The “Dark Ages” refers to the period of time between the fall of the Roman Empire in the fifth century and the Renaissance in the fourteenth century. The era receives its name because many scholars up until recent years considered this time period to be devoid of any cultural or intellectual advancement. Recent evidence has revealed that there is little truth to these claims and most contemporary now agree that the Dark Ages in fact weren’t really dark. The term however, is still often used in secular circles as well as in many history classrooms. This period, however, is fascinating. Its often hidden and neglected cultural advancements as well as the infusion of Christianity to Western Civilization have truly made me appreciate the greatness of this unappreciated chapter of history.
Three Stages of the “Dark Ages”
During the period known as the “Dark Ages” there were three movements that must be explained. The first stage begins after the fall of Rome during the late fifth century and ends at around the early seventh century. This first stage is one of rapid decline and is the only one that the term “dark” could apply. This decline however, is something completely understandable and expected. The Roman Empire was an incredibly important cornerstone of civilization because it brought stability and order to the world. Its fall brought incredible repercussions. It shot the world into chaos and confusion. Just like when you take away the cornerstone of a house it becomes structurally damaged, the fall of the Roman Empire damaged the world.
Yet the house didn’t crumble completely. This is because there was another force that attempted to hold up civilization, trying its best to prevent it from crumbling. This force was Christendom and especially through the Church. This marks the second stage of the “Dark Ages” which is a stage of preservation. Spanning from the mid seventh century and ending in the early thirteenth century, this stage sought to continue to promote classical learning and keep the light of the Greeks alive. The great Charlemagne, for example, brought order and a great period of learning during this time. Thanks to the great work of monasticism is that Classical Culture survived. While many people blame the Church for the supposed “Dark Ages,” a true historian will see that it was thanks to it that Classical learning and culture survived.
Finally, the third stage of the “Dark Ages” was the age of Scholasticism. Lasting from the thirteenth century to the Renaissance and even beyond it to the fifteenth century, it is an abomination that this time period could be considered dark. Scholasticism saw great strides in culture, especially in literature and philosophy. It was also a time of incredible scholars that were able to bring together the intellectual legacy of late antiquity with Christian Revelation. The "Dark Ages," especially during the second and third periods, "saw a burst of activity in every conceivable area--from theology and religious life to art and architecture, science and engineering to music and literature." [1] This changes would not have been possible without the influence and support of the Church. 
An Interconnected World
One argument for the “Dark Ages” is that towns lived in isolation and culture was limited to the region. This however could not be further from the truth. There was a lot of travel during the middle ages and often clergy and scholars were sent to foreign schools to learn. There was also much missionary activity that helped spread not only the faith, but also the ideals and culture of Christendom. The greatest interchange however, happened through the vast trade networks during the Middle Ages. There is ample evidence that trade between the East and the West flourished during this time and this led to a mixing of cultures and ideals. Coins of the time prove this because they were labeled in both Arabic and Latin to facilitate this trade between the East and the West. The Crusades further allowed trade to flourish. Setting aside the morality of the Crusades, they brought incredible effects to Europe. Trade flourished and ideas were carried freely. They also led to a mass movement of people that led to a cultural encounter between the East and the West. “The early Middle Age kingdoms thus lived in a very interconnected world and from this sprung many cultural, religious and economic developments.”[2]
Learning and Intellectual Life
            The main argument in favor of the “Dark Ages” is the supposed loss of classical learning that occurred during this period. Furthermore, supporters of the “Dark Ages” theory claim that this was due to the enslavement of the mind caused by Christianity. This could not be further from the truth. As we have discussed, the preliminary chaos and decline during the first period of the Middle Ages was caused by the fall of the Roman Empire. It is to be expected that during those difficult times, there was little preoccupation with learning and more preoccupation with merely surviving. After this troubled time, when the time of stability came, was when preoccupation for learning and culture arose.
            Despite all of this, there were still periods of learning during the late half of the first stage of the “Dark Ages.” During the reign of Charlemagne learning and culture reached very high levels. Born out of Charlemagne’s desire to fight the ignorance and superstitions within his kingdom, he brought to his court many scholars, who combined learning with a desire to instruct others. This allowed for a burst of education to sweep across Charlemagne’s kingdom and combat ignorance. After his death, during the terrible years when his empire was in chaos, the lamps of education flickered and grew dim, yet were preserved in cathedrals and monastic schools.
            We are in debt to the Christians monasteries and cathedral schools for the preservation of Greek and Roman Classical culture. These were the only places to get an education which was based on the seven liberal arts of grammar, logic, rhetoric, arithmetic, geometry, music, and astronomy. Generally, only the wealthy could afford an education, but the Church also made sure that young men with potential also received an education so that they could serve God in a special way through the priesthood. Monastic orders also focused on education and sought to instruct the masses. For them, ecclesiastical and secular education was a priority. It was out of both monastic and cathedral schools that universities arose. While very different from Universities today, they laid the foundations for organized and the tittles of master and doctorate. These Universities provided great men and ideas that played crucial roles throughout history in the years leading up to the Renaissance.
            During this time also arose great scholars and thinkers. Anslem, Archbishop of Canterbury, wrote an incredible theological book called “Curs Deus Homo” which, among other great accomplishments, established that Jesus died as an expiation for our sins rather than as a ransom for the devil. He also he developed a reforming reputation because he encouraged regular synods, enforced clerical celibacy and suppressed the slave trade. The great St. Thomas Aquinas also lived and taught during this time. One of the most influential scholars in history, he wrote about most areas of study. His most important works, the Summa Theologiae and and Summa Contra Gentiles, are some of the most incredible writing we have. His methodology is a very early use of what we now consider the scientific method. Many others, such as Augustine and Boethius, also wrote during this time and gave an incredible legacy and foundation to future intellectual movements and ideas. This time of the “Dark Ages” therefore, was not one of intellectual lull and of no learning. On the contrary, Medieval Times provide the intellectual and practical foundations that would make the Renaissance and other movements possible.
Philosophy
We want to take a specific look at the philosophy of Medieval times because it is often used to discredit the learning and culture of the time. It is true to say that medieval philosophy is closely bound with theology. Many modern thinkers use this fact to discredit the value of philosophy during medieval times as well as the fact that most of the great thinkers of the time where priests or monks. This argument however, is fundamentally false. There is great knowledge and value to be learned from this time period. At first glance, the philosophy of the Middle Ages may seem basic, elementary, plainly theological in nature but, that is precisely what was needed at that particular time in history. The Incarnation of Christ brought forth so much knowledge that it was necessary to go back to basics and try to conciliate the great philosophers of Ancient time and the Revelation of Jesus Christ. The Incarnation shook philosophy to the foundations. Therefore, the influence of theology on philosophy during the Middle Ages is not a negative factor but a necessary one and is also often exaggerated. If the influence was as strong as some like Hegel point it out to be, “we should expect to find that thinkers who accepted the same faith would accept the same philosophy”.[3] Yet, the philosophies of the Middle Ages were very varied. This is not to say that there was no influence of Christianity in medieval writers but “that does not mean that philosophic arguments were not philosophic arguments or that rational proofs were not rational proofs”.[4]
Medieval philosophy therefore, expresses “in philosophic terms the absolute content of Christianity”.[5] This is of great importance because of the significance of Christianity in history and its influence on modern culture. Medieval philosophy sets the foundation for the philosophies that followed and is still influencing thought to this day. In other words, philosophy in the so called “Dark Ages” was not at all “dark” but a light for future philosophies and especially for the Christian faith.
Conclusion
            The myth of the Middle Ages as a "dark age" does not lie in the fact that things declined markedly after the fall of Rome - they did.  It lies in the idea that this situation persisted until the Renaissance, which somehow rescued western Europe from the clutches of the Catholic Church, revived ancient Greek and Roman learning, reinvented "good" art and made everything okay again. In depth study of the Middle Ages reveals that they were not dark at all. In fact, it was a time of important flourishing and development. A time of light. While the channels may have changed following the fall of Rome, intellectual life, and the processes of historical, political, philosophical, cultural and scientific exploration continued in a thousand forms. Institutions like the Church took on these things and was instrumental in maintaining intellectual and cultural life alive and taking it further. The “dark ages” is one of the most incredible chapters of history and shows how out of great chaos and tragedy, civilization was able to protect, maintain, and expand the cultural and intellectual life of Late Antiquity. 





















Bibliography
Copleston, Frederick. A History of Philosophy: Volume II: Medieval Philosophy. New York:
Doubleday, 1993.
Hughes, Tristan. "Why Was 900 Years of European History Labelled 'the Dark Ages'?" History
Hit. November 1, 2018. Accessed April 28, 2019. https://www.historyhit.com/why-were-the-early-middle-ages-called-the-dark-ages/.
Vidmar, John. The Catholic Church through the Ages: a History. New York: Paulist Press, 2014.



[1] Vidmar, 123.
[2] Hughes
[3] Copleston, 7.
[4] Copleston, 8.
[5] Copleston, 3.

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