30.Scholasticism

一路读来，觉得对哲学人物或流派的综述和概括是本书最为精彩之处：准确、精要，且时常运用极为生动、形象的比喻，这样读者不仅易于理解把握，而且对讨论的对象印象深刻。
As the legatee of the Roman Empire, the Church is the predominant power of the Middle Ages. Outside of the Church there can be no salvation and no science. The dogmas formulated by her represent the truth. Hence, the problem no longer is to search for it. The Church has no place for philosophy, if we mean by philosophy the pursuit of truth. ...  Christian thought hemmed in by the law of the Church resembles a river confined between two steep banks; the narrower the bed, the deeper the stream. Being unable to escape from the dogma encompassing it, it endeavors to penetrate it, an eventually undermines it. Thus the philosophy of the Christian School, Scholasticism.
这里以简短的篇幅说清了教会独尊的由来，其对哲学演进的影响、限制，经院哲学的产生，而深涧急流的意象使人更易理解中世纪之后哲学的发展。
刚入得燕园，虽以阅读为嗜好，然而刘姥姥进大观园，一时眼花缭乱，不知向哪里行，更不知看些什么。借来的几本关于西方哲学的书籍，提到经院哲学，均是嘲讽、轻蔑的口气，指责其只会研究“针眼儿里站多少位天使”这样的问题，所以多年来对其印象恶劣，以为既蠢且愚。这段话则客观、平和得多，不太看得出先入为主的情绪。这大概才是正确的态度罢，情绪凌驾于理智，让人想起乡下的泼妇骂街。