114 Science Religion and Reality 



and made them content with arbitrary solutions of the many 

 problems which his principle raised. In the case of Galen himself, 

 who came as a pioneer, this belief offered a novel presentation of 

 the world which was thus still worth exploring. Galen explored 

 it, and his Anatomy — within certain limits — was exact. His 

 teleological theory, however, removed the motive for further ex- 

 ploration on the part of his successors, and with Galen's death, 

 science too fell dead, and was not reborn for a thousand years. 



9. The Middle Ages 



Despite the spread of philosophy based on science, the observa- 

 tional activity of antiquity was slowly dying from about 100 B.C. 

 In A.D. 200 it expired with Galen. The decay of observation, as 

 we have seen, was the result of internally acting causes. In origin 

 it had nothing to do with Christianity, which was not yet in a 

 position to have its full effect on pagan thought. 



But Christianity did come as a protest and a revulsion against 

 the prevailing and extremely pessimistic outlook. ]\1en had lost 

 interest in the world and Christianity brought them something to 

 live for, it brought a cause. It was natural under these circum- 

 stances that Christian thought should oppose the philosophical 

 basis of pagan thought. In this sense early Christian thought was 

 certainly anti-scientific and exhibits an aversion to the view which 

 places the whole of man's fate under the dominion, the inescapable 

 tyranny, of natural law. It is, however, essential to remember 

 that the Early Church in developing this opposition was not 

 dealing with living observational science. The conflict was simply 

 with a philosophical tradition which contained dead, non-pro- 

 gressive, and misunderstood scientific elements. The conflict m 

 the Early Church, therefore, though exceedingly interesting in 

 itself, is of little importance for our subject and we can afford to 

 pass it by. 



As the centuries wear on and as Christianity becomes more 

 firmly established as the state religion, the need for a coherent 

 philosophical system becomes more pressing. During the earlier 

 Middle Ages this need is met on the scientific side largely by that 

 bizarre work of Plato, the " Timaeus." As time goes on Aristotelian 

 elements become more and more prominent, and by the thirteenth 

 century these Aristotelian elements occupy the main field. The 

 great system of Catholic philosophy, of which St. Thomas Aquinas 



