Scholasticism in The Name of the Rose - Essay Example

Submitted: Scholasticism in ‘The of the Rose’ “Scholasticism is the medieval movement, flourishing in the period1200-1500, which placed emphasis on the rational justification of religious belief, and the systematic presentation of those beliefs” (Erickson 33). In Eco’s ‘The Name of the Rose’, scholasticism is the life and investigative philosophy of the protagonist William of Baskerville, as he attempts to solve a series of murders using principles of logic and reasoning concurrent with this philosophy.

In this way, scholasticism is a vital theme and element seen throughout the novel. The philosophy of other characters such as William of Ockham, Roger Bacon and other contemporary scholastics followed a philosophical principle that postulated the that most simple explanation that satisfies all relevant facts and evidence, as being the most likely, a principle which William of Baskerville also follows. This means that they looked for the most obvious and basic of reasons and causes rather than abstract or embellished factors.

The concept of nominalism also comes into play in the novel, which is another philosophical view that denies certain intangible universals that other perspectives view as fundamental or true (Gonzalo 1). Baskerville uses deductive logic, reason and proto-empiricism throughout the narrative to solve mysteries, decipher clues and make sense of everything that has happened in some way. He strives for logical and evidential reasoning at all times, which he tries to pass onto his novice Adso of Melk, “I have been teaching you to recognize the evidence through which the world speaks to us like a great book” (Eco 23).

It is William’s fundamentally curious nature, inquisitive outlook and highly developed sense of logic and reasoning that provide the keys to unravelling the mysteries of the murders at the monastery. In this way, scholasticism adds to the premise of the novel while also acting as the backdrop from which the story progresses and is ultimately resolved.Works CitedEco, Umberto. The Name of the Rose. London: Harcourt, 1983. Print.Erickson, M. J. Christian Theology. New York: Baker Academic, 1998. Print. Gonzalo, R. P. Nominalism in Metaphysics.

Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2011. Print.