Pantheism in the Middle Ages | Aristotle and the “Dark Ages”

Why was Pantheism suppressed in the Middle Ages? What Darkened the Middle Ages? Is Aristotle to blame for the “Dark Ages”? Join us for an epic showdown: Scholasticism vs Neoplatonism, where we’ll try answer these questions.

0:00 Pantheism in the Middle Ages
1:47 Scholasticism's Suppression
3:40 Plato & Plotinus vs Aristotle
6:22 The Mystery Pantheist

#Pantheism #Plato #MiddleAges

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[SeekersofUnity]

So, who's the mystery Pantheist at the end of the video? 😏

[TheEsotericaChannel]

Why oh why did you have to pick Ben as an example of us kindly misnagdim ;) Lovely work brother, much light this time of the year!

[vampireducks]

Hi! First time watching a video by this channel. This is great! As someone very sympathetic to this perspective, I love what you’re doing! But I would just like to question (in a friendly way) your use of the term "pantheist". Although I understand where you're coming from, it seems to me inaccurate to call the likes of Plotinus and Eckhart pantheists. The locus classicus of pantheism, as I understand the term, is Spinoza, for whom nature and God are identical (the terms being interchangeable; "deus sive natura"). But for Plotinus and for the Christain Platonists (as well as for their Jewish and Muslim confreres), this is not really the case. A better term than "pantheist" for Platonism and for classical theism in the Abrahamic traditions (and also in the main Indian traditions) would be "panentheism"; meaning, not that nature (the aggregate of contingent beings) is identical with God, but that it is in a sense in God, and hence also causally dependent on God. (This makes sense within an idealist metaphysical framework.) Note that this does not really imply any dualism or alienation, since it is not a matter of separate substances, but of ontological transcendence. The metaphysics of Spinoza, as I understand it, as well as of Stoicism, has no place for such transcendence, and as a result might properly be called "pantheist". Of course, classical theism, especially in its mystical currents, lays emphasis not just on divine transcendence but also, at the same time, on divine immanence; which means that everything is in its ultimate reality none other than God. (This is most clearly expressed in such "non-dualist" traditions as advaita vedanta and Kashmir shaivism, but is also found in Jewish, Christian and Islamic mysticism.) Still, I think it is more accurate and less potentially confusing to describe these traditions and the great mystics and philosophers that represent them as panentheistic rather than pantheistic.

[CASSIODORUS]

I love your videos ! Fantastic! That said, I think your historical interpretation has a significant problem . The “ dark ages “ really refers to the early Middle Ages - a time when Christianity was more Neoplatonic and amenable to pan(en)theism. The importance of Aristotelian thought and the rise of Scholasticism came much later when Christendom was coming out of the dark ages and entered a period of incredible prosperity and creativity. It seems to me that the classical theism of the AT tradition is something of a weak panentheism because it insists on Divine omnipresence and conservation .

[lemokemo]

As much as I enjoy your 1 hour indepth video, I also miss these shorter ones.

[Americanninjaman]

Any plans on a whole video on plotinus?

[TheRoyalFlush]

Great Video. I'm a bit confused though, is it fair to equate Pantheism to Platonism?? I mean, according to Platonic thought as I understand it, the world was still a lower expression of the Nous, that needed to be 'ascended' to, no?

[kevanhubbard]

Aristotle is generally seen as less esoteric than Plato and Plotinus but his Unmoved Mover is a very interesting concept I think.I suppose it would depend on how Aristotle believed that the world flowed from the Unmoved Mover as to what he'd be.If I recall there might have been sub Unmoved Movers brought in to facilitate the link between the Prime Unmoved Mover and the world?He might have been some kind of panentheist?

[matswinther]

It's a huge leap to say that the "bifurcation" of immanence and transcendence leads to social fragmentation, alienation and otherness, whereas pantheism (of some sort) leads to unity, cooperation and altruism. To care for another living being, it requires otherness. Also, both Plato and Plotinus believed in a transcendental reality, just like the scholastics.

[kathleenhensley]

Plato. Before I even knew his name. I know only a little, even now, but definitely Plato. (but not the republic!) You are reminding me of exactly how ignorant I am. :-)

[dogchaser]

Sounds as if the far-reaching Plato/Aristotle cultural implications are very much worth a video. Did you ever make it?

[MarcoSilesio]

loved it, dont know who it is thought

[LAILA-]

Is beethoven your mystery pantheist who's work is still echoing in the ages?

[oleghrozman]

Chads Parmenide and Empedocles virgin aristotle

[LAILA-]

And I do think you mimed a little longer to conceal the already long name 😂

[abignothing]

the salt mine runs rich for aristotle and with good reason😂