The theological and philosophical systems
that were studied in both Christian and
Judaic schools in Europe in the medieval
period. Scholasticism sought to integrate
biblical teaching with Platonic and
Aristotelian philosophy. John Scotus
(Erigena) is regarded as the founder, but the
succession of `schoolmen', as scholastic
philosophers were called, opened with
Roscellinus at the end of the 11th century,
when as a supporter of nominalism he was
countered by Anselm, the champion of realism.
The controversy over universals thus begun
continued for several centuries. William of
Champeaux, Abelard, the English monk
Alexander of Hales (died 1222), Albertus
Magnus, and Peter Lombard played prominent
parts, but more significant were Thomas
Aquinas, whose writings became the classical
textbooks of Catholic doctrine, and the
Franciscan Duns Scotus. In the late 12th
century the Spanish philosopher Moses
Maimonides published a work that helped to
introduce Europe to an integrated approach to
Aristotle. The last major scholastic
philosopher was William of Occam, who, in the
first half of the 14th century, restated
nominalism. In the 20th century there has
been a revival of interest in scholasticism,
in the writings of Jacques Maritian
(1882-1973) and other Catholic scholars.