The Rise of Medieval Universities
Overview
The European university is a particular organization that emerged out of the conditions of medieval society. Students and teachers in Europe applied the medieval trend of guild organization to protect themselves from local laws, high prices, and prejudices. Wider needs within medieval society for people with skills and learning boosted student numbers, and universities grew to meet the demand.
Background
The collapse of the Roman Empire in the fourth century created a period of anarchy and economic crisis across Europe. The intellectual climate changed drastically, and large numbers of books and papers were lost or destroyed. The overall need for learned men fell in parallel with the decline of trade, economics, and local administration. Greek and Roman learning was preserved in Eastern Europe in the Byzantine Empire, and over time Islamic scholars absorbed and spread the ancient texts throughout the Middle East. In Western Europe the few surviving texts were scattered in monastery libraries. However, the early medieval monks were more interested in theological and philosophical texts than pagan mathematics or science, so few copies were made of such works. Over the centuries many surviving ancient texts decayed into dust, or were destroyed in wars and other disasters.
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