PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION IN MEDIEVAL PERIOD

Abstract

It is known that all thought in the period of the medieval era is connected in one way, or another, with the great debate between Faith and Reason. Several authors tried to reconcile or open the gap between these two concepts even further. The decisive event in this period was the appropriation of the term Logos by Christianity, which, from then on, no longer does a theology, but also a philosophical reflection. Given this scenario, the present article aims to present a philosophy of education in the medieval period from the analysis of some classic texts that were written in that historical period. In this perspective, it is intended to understand the problem of human formation in the Middle Ages through ethical and political conceptions, as well as the influence of such ideas in the field of education. To achieve this goal, we will mainly use the texts of authors such as Bernard of Clairvaux, Saint Bonaventure, Hugh of Saint Victor and Thomas Aquinas. It is hoped that at the end of this article, the importance of these authors to clarify a philosophy of education during the medieval period remains clear, so that the preconceptions that still persist in evoking the expression “dark ages” are left aside to recognize the immense wealth that permeates the most varied fields of knowledge in the Middle Ages, including the area of the philosophy of education.