School of thought
Medieval Realism
Intellectual current
Classification
- Period
- c. 950-1350 CE
- Regions
- europe
- Domains
- Metaphysics
Overview
Medieval Realism was the historically situated realist current in medieval debates over universals. Its members disagreed about the status of universal natures, ranging from stronger Platonic accounts to moderate Aristotelian ones.
Key ideas
- Universals as Real: General knowledge is not explained by words alone; particulars have real features that can be understood universally.
- Several Realist Accounts: Medieval realists disagreed about whether and how universals exist before, in, or after particular things.
- A Historical Camp: The current was defined partly through its dispute with nominalist approaches, not by one uniform doctrine.
Key figures
Boethius (precursor, 6th c.) · Anselm · Thomas Aquinas · Duns Scotus · William of Champeaux
Positions held
Influenced by
Later connections
- Medieval Nominalism Reacted to this tradition
References
- Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, The Medieval Problem of Universals
- The Consolation of Philosophy — Boethius
- On Being and Essence — Thomas Aquinas