Spheres of Philosophical Inquiry and the Historiography of Medieval Philosophy

Writers in the historiography of philosophy have placed into question the paradigms that structure Western historical writing. This volume continues this discussion with particular reference to medieval philosophy. John Inglis seeks to show that the modern historiography of medieval philosophy had its origins in certain 19th-century German reactions to Kantian idealism. He uncovers the philosophical, political and theological origins of how we have come to interpret medieval philosophy according to the standard spheres of philosophy. By keeping such historiography in mind and paying attention to the context in which the medieval actually wrote, Inglis raises questions concerning the accuracy of the dominant model and proposes an historically sensitive alternative.