波修斯:将古希腊科学思想传至欧洲中世纪的文化英雄——以其在“七艺”中的作用为研究角度

Boethius: A Cultural Hero Who Transmitted the Ancient Greek Scientific Thought to the Medieval European—With a Focus on His Role in the Development of “The Seven Liberal Arts”

依传统观点,中世纪之所以被称为科学的"黑暗世纪",其理由在于它中断了古希腊罗马时期的科学思想,直到"意大利文艺复兴"从阿拉伯世界移译古希腊圣哲的经典。根据大量文献考察认为,鼎盛于公元4世纪至5世纪间的波修斯就开启了旨在按"七艺"格局将希腊经典特别是亚里士多德著述进行重建的"计划",于是"七艺"成为基督教学校的基本教程,极大地影响了整个基督教对上帝的理解特别是神学论证,成为中世纪知识积累的母体和科学革命的温床。波修斯是西方科学思想从古希腊延续到中世纪的文化英雄,不了解波修斯很有可能误解西方科学与宗教之间的思想关联。

According to the conventional view,the Middle Ages interrupted the scientific tradition of the ancient Greek and Roman times,so it is known as ＂Dark Ages＂of science. Until the Italian Renaissance,referring to a large number of literature,Boethius who was prominent during the 4-5th centuries reconstructed the classical Greek based on the seven liberal arts,especially on the Aristotle＇s writings.Seven liberal arts then became a basic course in Christian schools,which greatly influenced the whole Christian understandings of god,particularly the theological argument. All these achievements have accumulated knowledge of the middle ages and promoted development of scientific revolution. In summary,Boethius has contributed greatly to the western scientific thought,which continued from the ancient Greek to the Middle Ages. Therefore,understanding Boethius is the premise and necessary condition for understanding the relation between Western science and religion.