Medieval Scholars & Parallel Universes
In the 21st century, it’s common to think of Europe’s medieval era as an occluded one in terms of intellectual history, a time when religion ruled and artistic and scientific progress stalled out. But a 13th century disagreement between two university departments, arts and theology, would prompt medieval thinkers to consider ideas that might seem modern. By rejecting a key Aristotelian principle, Etienne Tempier inspired later medieval scholars to develop a multiverse theory and to consider the possibilities of faraway planets and alien beings.
