History: Middle ages

MIDDLE AGES

    Middle Ages it is the time of over a thousand years between the beginning of the 5th century and the 16th century. It is lately very popular to glorify Middle Ages. Many historians and other scientists are trying to capture and show the good heritage of that time. Although maybe there were many achievements in the field of art and culture the special characteristic of this period is quite a big restrain in development of other scientific studies (also in study of atom). Not being enthusiastic about Middle Ages we have kept our distance. We have tried to find the scientific thoughts and achievements of this period, but the only conclusion we made is that after many successes of Greek philosophers, there is a lack of progress in the study of atom in the Middle Ages.
    What then has caused this situation? First of all, one must remember that the special feature of the Middle Ages' culture was its uniformity). The Church's influence in Europe was great. This had some good and bad sides The good thing was that the intellectual power of artists and scientists as well new technologies could have been easily transferred between countries. Another was,that the Church has taken the financial responsibility for science. But the bad side lays in the fact that every culture benefits from some and reject some and if there is only one culture some things cannot develop. And anyway the Church was interested in financing and supporting the development of theology not physics.
    Only few courageous thinkers took up a challenge of researching microstructure. Most philosophers recognised Aristotle as the greatest authority including his opinion on matter's constitution.
    Many achievements of ancient culture were transferred into Arab countries, and that was the case with atomistic philosophy, too.

Mutakallimuns, "The people of the word", were a philosophical and religious group active in Islamic countries between the 9th and the 11th centuries. They tried to explain religion rationally. Their basis were study of atom because in their opinion it was not against Koran. Atoms were to be components of all matter. With God's help they could create a new substance. Atoms were homogeneous; different only in random traits. Atoms were influencing things made of them. "The people of the word" were followers of determinism. Everything depended on atoms and Providence, i. e. Divine will was a direct cause of atoms' movement and their characteristics. In that case human being, which consisted of atoms was also depended on Providence's will.

At the same time, but in Europe, school of Chartres began to develop. It was the institution created to serve non theoretical science. Works of ancient scientists were studied there, with a special emphasis on Democritus's study of atom.

Wilhelm from Conches (1080 - 1145 A.D.), outstanding theorist of Chartres school, agreed with Democritus that world consisted of simple, indivisible, elusive to senses particles, that one can know only by theory.

Nicolaus de Autricuria (1300 - after 1350), was the scientist, in whose opinion the only things existing were eternal atoms. He believed that the light was also composed of very small atoms. The universe was perfect, because everything was caused by only one rule-atom.

Middle Ages didn't make any important changes in the understanding of world's microstructure. Works of ancient atomists were rarely read. Most thinkers in Europe as well as in Islamic countries considered theological problems. Enlightened people, like Wilhelm from Conches, were even called heretics. But before long, came the change. The time of great physicists has come. They were the ones to change the view of world and to begin the contemporary science.