In the middle ages 151

II

That philosophy was a science distinct from the-

ology, had been universally recognized since the

sMD middle of the twelfth century;^ and the masters of

the thirteenth century laid emphasis upon this dis-

tinction. The sharp separation of the personnel in

philosophy (artistae) and in theology is one of the

first indications that the distinction of the two dis-

ciplines was clearly maintained. The University

of Paris simply took over the methodological classi-

fications of the twelfth century, as one finds them

in the treatises of Dominicus Gundissalinus, Hugo

of St. Victor, Robert Grosseteste, and many others.

The tree of knowledge has the form of a pyramid,

with the particular sciences at the base, philosophy

midway up, and theology at the top, as we have al-

ready explained.^ What is new at this stage of

the development is the reflective and reasoned study

of the mutual independence of philosophy and the-

...ology.

This independence rests on the difference in the

points of view (ratio formalis objecti) from which

philosophy and theology regard the materials with

which they are occupied (materia).^ Bearing in

mind this principle of methodology, we can under-

stand the declaration with which Thomas Aquinas

opens his two SuTmnae on the raison d'etre of the-

- See above, ch. Ill, p. 50.

3 See above, ch. IV, pp. 85 ff.

4 Cf., ch. IV, p. 87.

152 PHILOSOPHY AND CIVILIZATION

ology outside the philosophical sciences {praeter

philosophicas disciplinas) and its distinction from

philosophy. "It is," he says, "diversity in the point

of view of knowledge (ratio cognoscibilis) which

determines the diversity of the sciences. The as-

tronomer and the physicist establish the same con-

clusion, that the earth is round ; but the astronomer

uses mathematical arguments abstracted from mat-

ter, while the physicist uses arguments drawn from

the material condition of bodies. Nothing, then,

prevents the questions of the philosophical sciences,

so far as they are known by the light of natural

reason, from being studied at the same time by an-

other science, in the measure that they are known

by revelation. Thus theology, which is occupied

with sacred doctrine, differs in kind from theodicy,

which is part of philosophy."^

A contemporary of St. Thomas, Henry of

Ghent, also maintains this doctrine, accepted by

all the intellectuals of the time: "Theology is a

distinct science," he says. "Though theology is oc-

cupied with certain questions touched on by phi-

losophy, theology and philosophy are none the less

distinct sciences, for they differ in the aim pursued

(sunt ad aliiid) , the processes (pei' aliud), and the

methods (secundum aliud). The philosopher con-

sults only reason; the theologian begins by an act

5 Summa Theol, 1*, q. I, art. 1.