Jacqui asked:

I was wondering could you tell me what exactly is scholastic philosophy, and the difference between it
and philosophy per se?

I keep getting asked this question but don't have any real plausible answer to give, my lecturers were
very vague when I studied it.

============

Scholastic philosophy is the religious philosophy of the Middle Ages. Now we would really call it
theology, but as theology, it is particularly philosophical and rational. Scholastic philosophy is a
theology that eschews the mystical for the most part. Some mystics in and after the Middle Ages
(Meister Ekhart, St. John of the Cross for instance) had Scholastic training and still used the language
of the Scholastics. Thomas Aquinas and John Scotus were the most famous Scholastics.

As for "philosophy per se" I'm not sure there is such a thing. There are those who believe in it (along
the lines of 'pure reason'), but since Hegel, philosophy appears historical, as do we to ourselves.

Matthew Del Nevo
www.sictenon.com