THE 7 LIBERAL ARTS DURING THE MIDDLE AGES: HISTORY AND CHARACTERISTICS - ART - 2025

The seven liberal arts during the Middle Ages were the main branches of knowledge that were taught in the schools of the time. They are contained in two groups, one known as "trivium" in which grammar, rhetoric and dialectics were included; and another group called "quadrivium" that contained arithmetic, geometry, astronomy and music.

These arts were taught with the purpose of instructing man towards freedom and played in contrast to other areas of knowledge oriented, for example, towards the economy.

Illustration of the Seven Liberal Arts from the manuscript "Hortus Delicieum"

Herrad von Landsberg

The arts belonging to the trivium were considered as an elementary group, and especially in the Middle Ages, the dialectic was one of the most predominant.

The concept of the liberal arts was generated from classical antiquity, however, its use as an educational structure and teaching pattern was consolidated in Roman times and had the objective of instructing man for his active participation in public life.

Today, they can be associated with disciplines such as literature, mathematics, philosophy, and the physical sciences.

History of the seven liberal arts

The liberal arts is an inheritance from the Greek philosophers. Many claimed his study directed man toward moral excellence and the development of a great intellect.

Within the works of Aristotle, it is possible to see his idea of ​​the "liberal sciences" exposed as a type of knowledge for men whose aspirations were oriented to morality and the intellect above all that could be practical and useful in a way. immediate.

Later, Rome adopted the concept of liberal arts as the basis of education. The pattern and grouping of the "seven liberal arts" is found for the first time during this time.

The first uses of this teaching pattern are usually attributed to Roman scholars such as Marcus Varro, who made a first treatise on the arts, and Marciano Capella, who would determine the number and content of each one.

After the fall of the Roman Empire and the introduction of Christianity, the teaching structure suffered a great decline. In the first instance, the church would maintain a firm position against them, however, during the 4th and 5th centuries, they were recognized and approved, especially by the influence of Augustine of Hippo.

Among other influencers who forged the union of Christianity with the seven liberal arts also figure the aforementioned Capella. In addition, Boecio, Casiodoro and Isidoro, grouped the arts in the two sectors known as trivium and quadrivium.

In this way, the seven liberal arts were becoming a study structure for the times of the Middle Ages. They began to be seen as necessary elements for Christianity and were established as complementary knowledge to theology.

The seven liberal arts

During the Middle Ages, the seven liberal arts were taught as complementary knowledge, so their teaching was oriented towards religious purposes.

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The "trivium" which means "the place where three paths converge." This group is made up of those branches oriented towards language, which are grammar, dialectics and rhetoric.

The grammar

Its basic aspects were the teaching of the language, especially Latin. Knowledge of letters and speech were taught, accents, spelling, barbarisms, prose, the meter, and others were discussed. The learning and memorization of writings were implemented as tools to produce original texts.

Among some of the most studied texts in relation to grammar are the Doctrinale Puerorum written by Alexandre de Villedieu, the writings of Virgil, the works of Donatus (which were taken as elementary) and the studies of Prisciano that represented an advanced level, which included references to the Romans such as Hippo or Capella.

The dialectic

It was one of the great disciplines taught, focused on reasoning and logic. The texts of Aristotle and Boecio were the main ones used for its study. During the 12th century it was the most important study area of ​​the trivium.

Rhetoric

It had to do with the teaching of genres of eloquence and the structure of discourse. It was related to expression, history, and laws. During the Carolingian dynasty, this area of ​​teaching expanded to include prose composition in its study. Among the great references also appeared the works of Boethius and Aristotle.

Rhetoric was established as the basis for the teaching of canons and civil rights during the Middle Ages.

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The second group of the seven liberal arts is the quadrivium or "the place where four paths converge." It is oriented towards what were called real or mathematical arts and are made up of arithmetic, music, geometry and astronomy. These four branches were part of an advanced study.

The branches of knowledge of the quadrivium were known as the real arts or mathematics

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Arithmetic

It focused on the study of the qualities of numbers and operations. Over time, Arabic notation was implemented, a factor that allowed further development in the teaching of this area.

Music

Much of the discipline was focused on generating praise music and teaching some aspects of composition. The development of the organ within the churches was an incentive factor for the study of this discipline.

The geometry

It was oriented towards geographic areas as methods for survival (such as creating maps) and also for architecture. It was a fairly limited field until about the 10th century. Aspects such as lines, surfaces, solids, and shapes were studied.

The astronomy

Its purpose was to develop the capacity to understand the calendar in relation to the important dates for the Church, although it was also useful to determine the best hunting and planting periods.

The study of astronomy included the use of more complex mathematical and physical studies. The works of Ptolemy and Aristotle were the main references.

References

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2. The Seven Liberal Arts. Uppsala Universitet. Recovered from idehist.uu.se
3. Fleming A (2010). The Seven Liberal Arts. Originally published in Alcuin And the Rise of the Christian Schools by Charles Scribner's Sons, 1912. Recovered from classicalsubjects.com
4. Liberal arts education. Wikipedia, The Free encyclopedia. Recovered from en.wikipedia.org
5. Carderera M. Liberal Arts in the Middle Ages. Dictionary of education and teaching methods. Volume III, pp. 432-434. Madrid. Recovered from e-torredebabel.com