Etienne Henry-Gilson, born in June 1884, contributed much to the philosophical, and literary world. He was a French philosopher, emphatically fond of reading, medieval studies and Christian Philosophy. The Basilian father, Armand Maurer wrote, Gilson had one of the greatest minds in history. He believed Gilson to be richly endowed with intelligence, stating that “nothing intellectual was alien to him.” Although very much an advocate of medieval philosophy, Gilson found a stepping stone in the modern thinkers such as Rene Descartes. It was only after discovering Aquinas that he grew affinity with the dark age sages. In the article written by Fr. Maurer, The Legacy of Etienne Gilson, he explains that Gilson’s legacy can be found in three places, his pupils, the institute of Medieval Studies in Toronto and of course, in his ideas.
Maurer emphasizes
…show more content…
The establishment thoroughly demonstrates his predilection for medieval studies. He was an avid promoter of the study of medieval thought, because he recognized the value in which these thinkers offered to modernity. He saw the objectiveness of the dark age thinkers as a somewhat counterbalance to the relativism of the modern era. He furthermore appreciated the way in which medieval thinkers could demonstrate, exhibit and defended their philosophical ideologies. They did so much deeper and sophisticated than the modern philosophers, such as Descartes. “On all these points the thought of Descartes, in comparison with the sources from which it derives, marks much less a gain than a loss.” Gilson admired the medieval mind immensely because it was capable of philosophizing not only better than the modern man, but it also did so using the light of faith. Consequently, Gilson became a passionate supporter of Christian philosophy, calling it better than a philosophy that is forlorn. (IMPORTANCE OF CHRISTIAN PHILOSOPHY AND MEDIEVAL