CHAPTER III 



THE DECLINE OF ANCIENT LEARNING 



Whatever the causes for its decline, the scientific spirit, 

 which had made a favorable beginning in the ancient world, 

 gradually disappeared with the oncoming of the Medieval 

 Period. From the time when the pagan schools were finally 

 closed until the Renaissance in Italy, the history of science 

 is largely a blank among the Christian nations, in so far as 

 the production and promulgation of new ideas is concerned. 

 On the scientific side the Middle Ages are at their worst. 

 From a scientific point of view the period may be fitly called 

 the "Dark Ages. " It is not surprising that the scientist has 

 been harsh in his criticism of the mental attitude of mankind 

 during a period which was everywhere dominated by blind 

 faith and by ignorant prostration before the authority of the 

 Church. But the artistic and literary accomplishment of 

 these centuries and their final issue in the Modern Period 

 should not be disregarded. 



DECLINE OF SCIENCE DURING THE EARLY CENTURIES OF 



THE CHRISTIAN ERA 



The religious beliefs of a people exert a far-reaching in- 

 fluence upon their philosophy and their science. Since the 

 decline of science in the ancient world corresponds to the 

 expansion of Christianity, we may ask whether there is 

 evidence of a causal connection between these two historical 

 events, whether there were not elements in the early Chris- 

 tian religion inimical to the growth of science or which has- 

 tened a decline already begun. Just as the freedom of the 

 Greek religion favored scientific speculation, and the gloomy 



42 



