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MYTH: Medieval Church Suppressed Science

The medieval Catholic Church did not suppress scientific discovery or scientific practice. 0:00 Popular Myth 0:51 Refuted by Historians 1:21 Medieval Universities 2:39 Aristotle Forbidden? 3:20 Scientific Accomplishments #Medieval #Science #Church Transcript: There is a popular myth that the medieval Catholic Church ignored or suppressed science. Scholars of medieval times have abandoned this myth, but it persists among popular authors and amateur historians. In its mild form, the myth claims that the Church ignored scientific inquiry for a thousand years between Hypatia and Leonardo. Extreme forms of the myth claim that the Church actively discouraged or punished scientific inquiry. Historians of science have decisively refuted this myth. John Heilbron (Oxford historian), in The Sun in the Church: “The Roman Catholic Church gave more financial and social support to the study of astronomy for over six centuries, from the recovery of ancient learning during the late Middle Ages into the Enlightenment, than any other, and probably all other, institutions.” The medieval Church, with the support of the Papacy, produced the institution of the university. From the first universities in Paris, Bologna, and Oxford around 1200, there were more than 60 across Europe by 1500. About 30% of the medieval university curriculum covered inquiry into the natural world. Over those three centuries, hundreds of thousands of students were exposed to science in the Greco-Arabic tradition. As the universities developed, they included more works by Latin authors extending the tradition along original lines. Medieval universities, with the Church’s active support, introduced huge numbers of students to Euclidian geometry, optics, basic astronomy, and arguments for the spherical shape of the earth. The universities generated a literate elite, most of whom never studied theology or entered holy orders. They studied logic, natural science, and mathematics. Only a minority of universities had a theology faculty, and by far the most popular advanced study was law, which was useful in civil and ecclesiastical courts. Some Church authorities did forbid the teaching of Aristotle’s natural philosophy. But these prohibitions were local and affected only a small number of students. There were often temporary, too. For example, teaching Aristotle’s natural philosophy was forbidden at the University of Paris in 1210, under penalty of excommunication. Yet we also know that Roger Bacon was lecturing on Aristotle’s Physics at Paris in 1240. And by 1255, study of Aristotle’s formerly condemned works on natural philosophy was required for bachelors and masters degrees in arts at Paris. he many accomplishments of medieval scientists provide the final evidence against this myth: Late 13c: William of Saint-Cloud pioneered the use of the camera obscura to observe solar eclipses Early 14c: Dietrich von Freiberg solved the problem of primary & secondary rainbows, modeling his theory with a glass vial filled with water Paris, 14c: John Buridan explained projectile motion and free-fall acceleration with impetus theory Nicole Oresme offered arguments for the possible rotation of the earth. He concluded that the available evidence was insufficient to decide the question either way. These men came from a university culture that granted considerable freedom of thought via the disputation method, which required arguments pro and con a position to be argued based on reason alone. “Between 1150 and 1500, more literate Europeans had had access to scientific materials than any of their predecessors in earlier cultures, thanks largely to the emergence, rapid growth, and naturalistic arts curricula of the medieval universities.” (Michael Shank, historian of science) The claim that the medieval Church ignored of suppressed the study of science is a myth, refuted by the historical evidence. For more info on this topic, see Shank’s chapter in Galileo Goes to Jail, and Other Myths About Science and Religion, ISBN 978-0-674-057418. Thumbnail Images: Church, photo by Bergadder on Pixabay, https://pixabay.com/photos/budapest-c... Microscope, photo by kkolosov on Pixabay, https://pixabay.com/photos/analysis-b...