In the middle ages 289

philosophy to formulate its position with greater

precision, and it united on fundamentals, those

who otherwise were divided. Furthermore, a few

detached theories of Averroism, by virtue of their

inherent force, continued their influence, — an in-

fluence which increased during the centuries that

followed. For instance, the doctrine of the twofold

truth gradually undermined the Catholic faith ; and

certain Averroists of the fourteenth century lent

their support to the legists, who were engaged in

subordinating the Papacy to the State. Finally,

certain elements of Averroism contributed to rein-

force another current of ideas born in the thir-

teenth century, the Neo-Platonic current which we

must now consider.

Occidental Neo-Platonism could no more com-

pete in influence with the scholastic philosophy of

the thirteenth century than could Latin Averroism.

The doctrines of emanation and the vaporous mys-

ticism of Proclus, — especially as contained in the

Liber de Causis — were in direct opposition to the

temper of scholasticism. But Neo-Platonism suc-

ceeded in alluring a group of German philosophers ;

and in view of its contribution to the tendencies

which developed in Germany, especially during the

fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, its study is of

the greatest historical interest. It is not within the

scope of the present work to examine in detail the

290 PHILOSOPHY AND CIVILIZATION

Neo-Platonic movement of the thirteenth century,

which vi^ould involve a separate study; we shall

therefore touch upon it only, and give in outline

certain general results.

The first translators of Neo-Platonic works —

such as Robert Grosseteste, Alfredus Anglicus,

and William of Moerbeke — had no sympathy with

Neo-Platonism, other than the special fondness

which every translator of that age felt for the work

which he translated. And the same may be said

of Albert the Great as commentator, for, in com-

mentating Aristotle and Neo-Platonic writings, re-

spectively, he inclines toward each in turn.

But in the second half of the thirteenth century a

group of German philosophers turn deliberatively

to certain Neo-Platonic theses. These men are

contemporaries of, or immediate successors to,

Albert the Great ; and several of them, like Albert

himself, are dignitaries of the Dominican order in

Germany. I refer to Ulric of Strasburg, the im-

mediate disciple of Albert, to the Silesian Witelo,

to Thierry of Freiburg (in Germany), to Berthold

of Mosburg, perhaps a disciple of Albert, and to

Meister Eckhart, the most celebrated of all. These

thinkers succeed in coordinating the whole of their

doctrines, in organic unity, on the basis of Neo-

Platonic thought. In different degrees, their works

combine the emanational view of reality, the ten-

dency to make knowledge arise in the soul indepen-