4 ms·

It's more accurate (somewhat) to say that a lot of intellectual activity moved. The issue is historiographically complex but the traditional view of early medie

It's more accurate (somewhat) to say that a lot of intellectual activity moved. The issue is historiographically complex but the traditional view of early medieval Europe not doing a lot to advance human knowledge except in some specific (and not very abstract) fields is mostly true.

foldr 8y ago
Yeah, but it's not really accurate to say that intellectual activity moved because the Church was systematically harassing philosophers.
- est31 8y ago
  https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/dec/28/the-darkening-age-the-christian-destruction-of-the-classical-world-by-catherine-nixey https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/dec/28/the-darkening-... > Shenoute is now considered a saint in the Coptic church, but his piety manifested itself in a particularly ugly guise: he was part of a gang of thugs who would break into the houses of locals whose theological views they felt to be unsound, and smash up any property they objected to on religious grounds. > Early in the book, she describes how she was brought up in her youth to think of late-antique and medieval Christians as enlightened curators of the classical heritage, diligently copying philosophical texts and poems throughout the ages so that they were saved from oblivion. Her views in this matter have evidently shifted somewhat over time. In this book, early Christians are much more likely to close down the academies, shut temples, loot and destroy artwork, forbid traditional practices and burn books. Rather than praising Christians for preserving slivers of classical wisdom, she argues, we should acknowledge how much was knowingly erased. And quoting another article about the same book: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/08/books/review/catherine-nixey-darkening-age.html https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/08/books/review/catherine-ni... > And so she opens her book with a potent description of black-robed zealots from 16 centuries ago taking iron bars to the beautiful statue of Athena in the sanctuary of Palmyra, located in modern-day Syria. Intellectuals in Antioch (in ancient Syria) were tortured and beheaded, as were the statues around them. I personally find that it's very important to know the past, so that it won't be repeated in the future.
  - foldr 8y ago
    >Intellectuals in Antioch (in ancient Syria) were tortured and beheaded, as were the statues around them. And you use this as an example of religious oppression in medieval Europe (?) Here is a good critical review of the book you're citing: https://historyforatheists.com/2017/11/review-catherine-nixey-the-darkening-age/ https://historyforatheists.com/2017/11/review-catherine-nixe...
- close04 8y ago
  > a bunch of intellectuals for their "heathen" ideology (greek philosophy, sciences, etc). So they all moved [...] I think the suggestion is that the ones who were persecuted moved, not all. Basically "the bunch".
  - foldr 8y ago
    Well yes, but I wonder who that is supposed to be, specifically.

foldr 8y ago

Yeah, but it's not really accurate to say that intellectual activity moved because the Church was systematically harassing philosophers.

est31 8y ago
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/dec/28/the-darkening-age-the-christian-destruction-of-the-classical-world-by-catherine-nixey https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/dec/28/the-darkening-... > Shenoute is now considered a saint in the Coptic church, but his piety manifested itself in a particularly ugly guise: he was part of a gang of thugs who would break into the houses of locals whose theological views they felt to be unsound, and smash up any property they objected to on religious grounds. > Early in the book, she describes how she was brought up in her youth to think of late-antique and medieval Christians as enlightened curators of the classical heritage, diligently copying philosophical texts and poems throughout the ages so that they were saved from oblivion. Her views in this matter have evidently shifted somewhat over time. In this book, early Christians are much more likely to close down the academies, shut temples, loot and destroy artwork, forbid traditional practices and burn books. Rather than praising Christians for preserving slivers of classical wisdom, she argues, we should acknowledge how much was knowingly erased. And quoting another article about the same book: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/08/books/review/catherine-nixey-darkening-age.html https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/08/books/review/catherine-ni... > And so she opens her book with a potent description of black-robed zealots from 16 centuries ago taking iron bars to the beautiful statue of Athena in the sanctuary of Palmyra, located in modern-day Syria. Intellectuals in Antioch (in ancient Syria) were tortured and beheaded, as were the statues around them. I personally find that it's very important to know the past, so that it won't be repeated in the future.
- foldr 8y ago
  >Intellectuals in Antioch (in ancient Syria) were tortured and beheaded, as were the statues around them. And you use this as an example of religious oppression in medieval Europe (?) Here is a good critical review of the book you're citing: https://historyforatheists.com/2017/11/review-catherine-nixey-the-darkening-age/ https://historyforatheists.com/2017/11/review-catherine-nixe...
close04 8y ago
> a bunch of intellectuals for their "heathen" ideology (greek philosophy, sciences, etc). So they all moved [...] I think the suggestion is that the ones who were persecuted moved, not all. Basically "the bunch".
- foldr 8y ago
  Well yes, but I wonder who that is supposed to be, specifically.