Thierry of Chartres
Encyclopedia
Thierry of Chartres or Theodoric the Breton (Theodericus Brito) (died before 1155, probably 1150) was a twelfth-century philosopher
working at Chartres
and Paris
, France
.
The cathedral school at Chartres promoted scholarship before the first university was founded in France. Thierry was a major figure in twelfth-century philosophy and learning, and, like many twelfth-century scholars, is notable for his embrace of Plato's Timaeus
and his application of philosophy to theological issues. Some modern scholars believed Thierry to have been a brother of Bernard of Chartres
who had founded the school of Chartres, but later research has shown that this is unlikely.
Thierry became chancellor of Chartres after his predecessor, Gilbert of Poitiers returned to his native city in 1141. John of Salisbury
, Herman of Carinthia
, and Clarembald of Arras
were among Thierry's students.
's "Timaeus
". The text serves as a reasoned defense of God's existence, by relying on Platonic natural philosophy and Aristotelian logic to explain the creation of the world. Thierry establishes that the moment of divine creation was the very beginning of time, and following that, creation evolved naturally through combinations of the four elements (fire, air, water, and earth). According to Thierry, God created the four elements in the first moment. Fire, which is constantly moving, rotated and lit up the air, causing the first night and day. On the second day, fire warmed the water, causing it to rise into the heavens and form clouds. Because of the reduction of water, land emerged on the third day. The continued heating of the waters above the firmament caused the water to create the heavenly bodies on the fourth day. The continued warming of land caused the plant, animal, and human life to arise on the fifth and sixth days.
Thierry's explanation of the creation of the world is based on a theological interpretation of Aristotle
's four causes
, which he identifies with the three persons of the Trinity
plus matter (made up of the four elements
): the Father is the efficient cause, the Son is the formal cause, the Holy Spirit is the final cause and the four elements are the material cause.
According to Thierry, the act of divine creation is limited to the creation of the four elements, which then evolve by themselves, mix according to mathematical proportions and make up the physical world.
Thierry also wrote some commentaries on Boethius
' De Trinitate
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
working at Chartres
Chartres
Chartres is a commune and capital of the Eure-et-Loir department in northern France. It is located southwest of Paris.-Geography:Chartres is built on the left bank of the Eure River, on a hill crowned by its famous cathedral, the spires of which are a landmark in the surrounding country...
and Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
The cathedral school at Chartres promoted scholarship before the first university was founded in France. Thierry was a major figure in twelfth-century philosophy and learning, and, like many twelfth-century scholars, is notable for his embrace of Plato's Timaeus
Timaeus
Timaeus is a Greek name, meaning "Honour". It may refer to:*Timaeus , a Socratic dialogue by Plato*Timaeus of Locri, the 5th-century Pythagorean philosopher, appearing in Plato's dialogue...
and his application of philosophy to theological issues. Some modern scholars believed Thierry to have been a brother of Bernard of Chartres
Bernard of Chartres
Bernard of Chartres was a twelfth-century French Neo-Platonist philosopher, scholar, and administrator.- Life :...
who had founded the school of Chartres, but later research has shown that this is unlikely.
Thierry became chancellor of Chartres after his predecessor, Gilbert of Poitiers returned to his native city in 1141. John of Salisbury
John of Salisbury
John of Salisbury , who described himself as Johannes Parvus , was an English author, educationalist, diplomat and bishop of Chartres, and was born at Salisbury.-Early life and education:...
, Herman of Carinthia
Herman of Carinthia
Herman Dalmatin or Herman of Carinthia , also known in Latin as Sclavus Dalmata, Secundus, was a philosopher, astronomer, astrologer, mathematician, translator and author....
, and Clarembald of Arras
Clarembald of Arras
Clarembald of Arras was a French theologian. He is best known for his Tractatus super librum Boetii De Trinitate, a commentary on the Opuscula Sacra of Boethius....
were among Thierry's students.
Hexaemeron
The "Hexaemeron" interprets the Genesis with reference to PlatoPlato
Plato , was a Classical Greek philosopher, mathematician, student of Socrates, writer of philosophical dialogues, and founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. Along with his mentor, Socrates, and his student, Aristotle, Plato helped to lay the...
's "Timaeus
Timaeus (dialogue)
Timaeus is one of Plato's dialogues, mostly in the form of a long monologue given by the title character, written circa 360 BC. The work puts forward speculation on the nature of the physical world and human beings. It is followed by the dialogue Critias.Speakers of the dialogue are Socrates,...
". The text serves as a reasoned defense of God's existence, by relying on Platonic natural philosophy and Aristotelian logic to explain the creation of the world. Thierry establishes that the moment of divine creation was the very beginning of time, and following that, creation evolved naturally through combinations of the four elements (fire, air, water, and earth). According to Thierry, God created the four elements in the first moment. Fire, which is constantly moving, rotated and lit up the air, causing the first night and day. On the second day, fire warmed the water, causing it to rise into the heavens and form clouds. Because of the reduction of water, land emerged on the third day. The continued heating of the waters above the firmament caused the water to create the heavenly bodies on the fourth day. The continued warming of land caused the plant, animal, and human life to arise on the fifth and sixth days.
Thierry's explanation of the creation of the world is based on a theological interpretation of Aristotle
Aristotle
Aristotle was a Greek philosopher and polymath, a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. His writings cover many subjects, including physics, metaphysics, poetry, theater, music, logic, rhetoric, linguistics, politics, government, ethics, biology, and zoology...
's four causes
Four causes
Four Causes refers to a principle in Aristotelian science that is used to understand change. Aristotle described four different types of causes, or ways in which an object could be explained: "we do not have knowledge of a thing until we have grasped its why, that is to say, its cause", He argued...
, which he identifies with the three persons of the Trinity
Trinity
The Christian doctrine of the Trinity defines God as three divine persons : the Father, the Son , and the Holy Spirit. The three persons are distinct yet coexist in unity, and are co-equal, co-eternal and consubstantial . Put another way, the three persons of the Trinity are of one being...
plus matter (made up of the four elements
Classical element
Many philosophies and worldviews have a set of classical elements believed to reflect the simplest essential parts and principles of which anything consists or upon which the constitution and fundamental powers of anything are based. Most frequently, classical elements refer to ancient beliefs...
): the Father is the efficient cause, the Son is the formal cause, the Holy Spirit is the final cause and the four elements are the material cause.
According to Thierry, the act of divine creation is limited to the creation of the four elements, which then evolve by themselves, mix according to mathematical proportions and make up the physical world.
Heptateuch
The Heptateuch is a broad encyclopedia of information relating to the liberal arts, all within the context of academic and theologic unity. It particularly examines the ways in which different types of knowledge can be distinguished, while still supporting a single purpose: explaining order in reality. The trivium (logic, grammar, and rhetoric) address the veracity, consistency, and beauty of the language of expression. The quadrivium (geometry, astronomy, arithmetic, and music) provide the intellectual content in need of expression.Thierry also wrote some commentaries on Boethius
Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius
Anicius Manlius Severinus Boëthius, commonly called Boethius was a philosopher of the early 6th century. He was born in Rome to an ancient and important family which included emperors Petronius Maximus and Olybrius and many consuls. His father, Flavius Manlius Boethius, was consul in 487 after...
' De Trinitate
Editions
- Commentaries on Boethius by Thierry of Chartres and His School, ed. N. M. Häring, Toronto 1971.
- The Latin Rhetorical Commentaries by Thierry of Chartres, ed. K. M. Fredborg, Toronto 1988.
Further reading
- Peter Dronke, "Thierry of Chartres", in P. Dronke, A History of Twelfth Century Western Philosophy, Cambridge 1988.
- Peter Ellard, The Sacred Cosmos: Theological, Philosophical, and Scientific Conversations in the Twelfth Century School of Chartres, University of Scranton PressUniversity of Scranton PressThe University of Scranton Press is the university press of the University of Scranton, headquartered on its campus in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The Press published more than 200 books and other publications between 1988 and 2010...
, 2007.