The Middle Ages: Science under ecclesiastical censorship
Censorship of scientific research during the Middle Ages was largely motivated by the ideological control of the Church. Many scientists who proposed theories or ideas contrary to ecclesiastical dogmas were persecuted, and in some cases executed for heresy. This repressive atmosphere created an environment where scientific advancement was scarce in the West.
The study of nature and its laws, also known as Natural Philosophy, was viewed with suspicion. Knowledge that did not align with the scriptures was especially viewed with distrust. This led many researchers to work underground or to have to hide their discoveries to avoid reprisals. Despite these difficulties, not everything was stagnation. Figures such as Alfonso X of Castile and Leon, Al-Zarkali, Johannes Muller y Abu Ja'far al-Khwarizmi They defied these obstacles, contributing to the advancement of science.
Alfonso X of Castilla y León, the Wise, was a Spanish monarch who promoted European astronomical knowledge through the translation of Arabic and Jewish texts. His works, such as the Alfonsine Tables, helped to understand planetary movements, based on the previous research of the Arab scientist Al-Zarkali.
The advance in the Middle East
Unlike Europe, the islamic world experienced great scientific development during the same period. The region benefited from many ancient Greek and Roman texts that had been translated into Arabic, especially during the time of the Abbasid Caliphate. This led to an explosion of knowledge in areas such as medicine, astronomy, chemistry and mathematics. House of Wisdom Baghdad, founded in the 9th century, became a center for the study and translation of ancient texts.
Among the leading Arab scientists is Abu Ja'far al-Khwarizmi, who is considered one of the fathers of algebra. His texts profoundly influenced European mathematics, mainly through later translations made in places such as the Toledo School of Translators. Al-Khwarizmi also stood out in the development of the concept of number zero, a fundamental basis for modern arithmetic.
Universities and the recovery of knowledge
Despite the limitations imposed by the Church, there were efforts in Europe to recover and preserve ancient knowledge. The founding of universities such as Bologna, Paris and Oxford between the 11th and 13th centuries was instrumental in this process. In these institutions, the Natural Philosophy and nature was investigated independently of theology.
Figures like Roberto Grosseteste and his disciple Roger bacon stood out in this area. Grosseteste, Bishop of Lincoln, promoted the idea of using the empirical observation to reach scientific conclusions. Bacon, known as the Admirable Doctor, made important advances in optics and mechanics, and was one of the first to define the scientific method as a cycle of observation, hypothesis and experimentation.
Another of the great scientists of the time was William of Ockham, who formulated the principle of the Ockham's razorThis principle has become a key tool in modern science, suggesting that the simplest explanation is usually the correct one.
Science in the Late Middle Ages
The 14th century witnessed great thinkers who challenged Aristotelian notions about physics and the universe. The mathematician and philosopher Jean Buridan developed the theory of momentum, which would be a precursor to Newton's concept of inertia. According to this theory, a projectile would continue moving as long as it did not encounter an opposing force to stop it, which anticipates the laws of motion.
Nicholas Oresme He was another notable scientist who, in addition to correcting errors in Aristotelian physics, argued in favor of the Earth's motion. His ideas laid the groundwork for the development of much more advanced theories in the Renaissance.
These advances were largely possible thanks to contact with Islamic scientists, which allowed for a revaluation of classical sciences and an empirical approach that was completely new for the time.
Legacy and scientific rediscovery
Despite initial repression, many of the ideas developed during the Middle Ages paved the way for the Scientific Revolution of the 16th and 17th centuries. However, the vast majority of advances were made possible through contact with the Islamic world. In places like Toledo y Salerno, Arabic works containing mathematical, philosophical and medical knowledge derived from the classical Greco-Roman tradition were translated into Latin.
The impact of these translations was so great that it ended up profoundly influencing scientists such as Copernicus, Kepler y GalileoThese men not only built on previous knowledge, but refined it, giving rise to what we now know as modern science. Today, it is widely acknowledged that the Middle Ages were a vital bridge between ancient classical knowledge and the scientific advances that would follow during the modern age.