Quote:
Originally Posted by Takeda Shingen
In fairness, western Europe was rife with local warlords, almost universally illiterate and not at all concerned with artistic and philisophical matters. Charlemagne was regarded as one of the greatest leaders in medieval Europe in large part due to the fact that he could actually read. Such knowledge would have been wasted on them.
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OK, now we get into a more philosophical direction. To me, knowledge is never wasted. Even the stupidest, nuttiest, brain damaged person has some things he is interested in and says: "great to know!".
If we are talking about medieval times, I am not neccessary talking about the stuff like art and philosophy. Given the work-intensive life of a peasant, many would have indeed seen knowledge about this as a waste - just as their rulers did.
I am blaming the church for not encouraging literacy. How many cool stories have been lost during the centuries, because nobody was able to write them down? And those who were able to, were busy copying the bible. It was not before the beginning of the 19th century here in Germany till the brothers Grimm wrote some of those old stories down.
Or applied mathematics: how to build a shed that doesn't fall down, how to pump water efficiently to drain the fields. All wisdom the old Greeks had and which just sat behind some walls.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Takeda Shingen
the Church itself had become a major player in political affairs and such knowledge was then deemed outside the sphere of acceptable church life. Those that protected this knowlede from outsiders then sought to protect themselves from the knowledge itself.
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spot on!
And this is for example why Martin Luther was deemed to be a dangerous man for translating the bible into the language of the commons. The people could listen to the words for themselves, make their own interpretation and were no longer dependent on the people who could read Latin.
(Is "prerogative of interpretation" the right term for it? Still longing for knowledge.
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