lokariototal

I've heard that Justinian I, in all the lands he conquered back for Rome (in his program Recuperatio Imperii), took away all the philosophers and scientists and replaced them with monks and priests, and this was a reason why the World got so *****d up during the middle ages (everybody was illiterate and the priests had all the knowledge).

Is this true? tell me what u think

gaius valerius

In a destroyed socio-economical framework with fragmented political entities, do you think philosophers would have much room for work? In any case, the dominant philosophy of the day was Neoplatonism which would later be used by christian theology for being so in line with it. Hence: replacing philosophers with priests wouldn't change much, they all thought the same anyway.

So no, that assessment would be wrong.

lokariototal

Consider that mathematicians in antiquity thought the World was a sphere, they calculated the distance from the earth to the sun, thought the Sun was the center of our galaxy, etc. The world switch from THAT, to following the bible blindly. Consider also that in antiquity Greece was the center of culture in the world. Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, et cetera. But when christianity came everything ****ed up. Most people know who aristotle is, but do most people know about famous medieval greeks? are there many famous greek philosophers in our time? no! because when christianity entered greece decayed. At least that's what I've heard......

Lucius

I wonder if there is anything on the internet about it.

gaius valerius

No. Neoplatonism had ****ed up a lot before christianity came. Philosophy after the 3rd century CE was as good as dead (for I don't consider neoplatonism to be much of a potent form of philosophy).

lokariototal

Why do u say that Neoplatonism ****ed up the world??? Can you explain me? I dont know much about the subject

gaius valerius

Well neoplatonism was the reigning philosophy in the day (the term is a modern one, these men thought they were platonists, but they have substantial differences in their teachings to deserve the label neo-), it had a lot in common with christian theology and was later used as a legitimising factor to aid christian theologians. I'm not saying it ****ed up the world, I'm saying that as far as philosophy went, it had reached a dead end for the time being. Unlike Stoics these philosophers were very much ented towards a mystical-religious sense of philosophy.Their most famous spokesman was the 3rd century philosopher Plotinus. Throughout the classic and medieval period neoplatonism and christianity would enter a symbiotic relationship drawing ideas and the like from each other.

So saying christianity came in and screwed up would be a bit weird if before those christian monks the intelligentsia were neoplatonist who's train of thought was... like that of the monks.