| THE ORDERED UNIVERSE OF MEDIEVAL MAN |
|
|
| The Web of the
Universe: It is a harmony. All parts react and reflect activity |
|
| in other
parts. (1) Nature mirrors and
forewarns of events in human life; (2) |
|
| Astrology and the
heavens react to disturbances of the State, Social Order, and |
|
| Man; (3) Man must order his life and soul to the
harmony of the Universe by using |
|
| his God-given
Reason and by struggle; (4) the Cosmos
prognosticates: it signals |
|
| events
in the life of Man. |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| THE HIERARCHY OF NATURE |
| |
|
|
| |
Elements of |
|
Soul |
|
|
|
|
| |
the Universe |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Reason |
|
|
|
| |
Fire |
|
Mind |
|
|
Rationality |
|
|
|
| |
Air |
|
|
|
Rules,
Codes |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
MAN (graded |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Free |
|
| |
Water |
|
Body |
|
downward on |
|
Appetitive |
|
|
Will |
|
| |
Earth |
|
|
a social |
|
|
Passions |
|
|
|
| |
|
scale, touching |
|
|
Desires |
|
|
|
| |
|
on: |
|
|
Vegetative |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
Animals |
|
Senses |
|
Appetitive |
|
|
|
No |
|
| |
|
|
Beasts |
|
Growth |
|
|
Free |
|
| |
|
|
Birds |
|
Vegetative |
|
|
|
Will |
|
| |
|
|
Fish |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
Vegetation |
|
|
|
Vegetative |
|
No |
|
| |
|
|
Trees |
|
Sin |
|
| |
|
|
Shrubs |
|
|
| |
|
|
Herbs, (etc.) |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
Minerals |
|
|
|
Substance |
|
Pure |
|
| |
|
Diamonds |
|
Deter- |
|
| |
|
Gold |
|
minism |
|
| |
|
Silver |
|
|
| |
|
Iron, (etc.) |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| (This part of the cosmic hierarchy helps to characterize
and explain |
|
| sin, supposedly the result of the appetitive or
vegetative aspects |
|
| of Man holding dominance over Reason. Reason in the service of base |
|
| desires makes Man a terrible figure, literally worse than
an animal.) |
|
|
|
| To the medieval
mind, framework is most essential; everything must be contained |
|
| in structured order
-- thus the numerous "framing devices" of art, literature,
theology, etc. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
