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.
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