Boundaries of Science

In the 1200s Europe experienced a scientific revolution when it encountered books on natural philosophy by Aristotle and his Arabic commentators. This science was welcomed for its explanations of how the world worked, but some of its theories contradicted important Christian beliefs. Christianity conditioned medieval social and individual outlook, so people exploring this science were confronted with conflicting ‘truths’. How could they accept, for example, Aristotle’s convincing theory that the world is eternal, when as Christians they believed in Creation? Dr Ann Giletti (University of Oxford) will talk about medieval debates over this new science, and the boundaries laced by Church authorities on its open discussion.