Abstract

William of Conches, one of the most brilliant masters of the first half of the twelfth century, has long been associated with the so called School of Chartres, that reputedly unique centre where there emerged a humanistic study of classical texts, a rationalistic reading of the work of Nature secendum physicam, a daring approach to the Scriptures, and a Platonically inspired poetry. Although the concept of the School of Chartres seems to have outlived its usefulness, it is still often (for better or worse) used as a short-hand term to characterize exciting intellectual innovations in the twelfth century. One of the fiercest opponents of this concept, Sir Richard Southern, does not consider it superfluous to reprint his earlier, controversial essays in this latest book from 1995. As is well-known, in these essays Southern tried to explode the myth, kept alive by generations of scholars, of the School of Chartres. His claim, to which he still adheres, is !... Zie: Introduction.