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Angels in Medieval Philosophical Inquiry
Recensie, Bijdragen, 28-04-09
 Sometimes one finds a treasure hidden in a stockpile of literature. Angels in Medieval Philosophical Inquiry is such a treasure. Being the result of an international conference on medieval angelology at Oxford University (2005) Iribarren and Lenz present a fascinating study about the historical and philosophical significance of angels both for medieval and present times.
“[Medieval] questions on the nature, location, language, thought or cognition of angels were not only aiming at an understanding of angels as supposed members of God’s creation. Rather, angels can also been seen as protagonists of thought experiments in which metaphysical, epistemological or ethical issues are studies under idealized conditions.” (p. 5)
The history of angels in Christian thought has been widely studied, but their philosophical significance is mostly neglected. Angels were interesting for medieval philosophers because 1) these scientists were themselves believing Christians, 2) because the angels could ‘bridge’ the gap between heaven and earth, but 3) most importantly angels could help to explain the specific status of humankind. Dominik Perler: “In medieval context an anthropological investigation was not possible without distinguishing human beings from the brute animals at one side and from angels on the other.” (p. 143)
Using angels as thought experiments may seem a little odd, but no more than “brains in the vat, brains separated form the body, zombies, a pure black and white world” (p. 144) or a perfect void which are used by modern day scientists to create and explain their theories. The fierce debates between medieval philosophers about the metaphysical status, cognitive capacities, language skills and acts of angels are more or less discussions about human beings. Angels are almost like humans, but not entirely. And in this little difference between man and angels one can stipulate what it is to be truly human.
Isabel Iribarren and Martin Lenz (red.), Angels in Medieval Philosophical Inquiry. Their Function and Significance, Ashgate: Hampshire (2008), ISBN 978-0-7546-3228-3, 6 x 24, 235 p., € 71,99.
Bron: Deze recensie is gepubliceerd in het wetenschappelijk tijdschrijft Bijdragen 70 (2009, nr. 1), p. 126-127.
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