Aeternitas Mundi - Philosophical Concept | Alexandria
Aeternitas Mundi, the “Eternity of the World,” is a philosophical concept asserting the universe’s existence without beginning or end, a notion holding profound implications for medieval thought. Was the world created ex nihilo, or has it always been? This question sparked heated debate, challenging traditional theological doctrines of Creation and Divine omnipotence. Its proponents, sometimes discreetly, contradicted the literal interpretations of Genesis, fueling centuries of complex philosophical and religious discourse.
Whispers of Aeternitas Mundi echoed even before the formal systematizations of medieval philosophy. While not explicitly termed such, ideas resembling eternalism can be traced back to pre-Christian Greek philosophers like Aristotle. However, its prominent emergence within medieval discourse is evident in the writings and controversies surrounding thinkers of the 12th and 13th centuries. The rediscovery of Aristotelian texts, transmitted through Arabic scholars, introduced arguments for an uncreated, eternal cosmos that clashed directly with Christian dogma. The Condemnations of 1277, a series of papal decrees denouncing various philosophical propositions, including some linked to Aeternitas Mundi, illustrate the Church's active attempts to suppress ideas deemed heretical.
The concept did not disappear. Instead, it evolved, becoming a focal point for reconciling reason and faith. Thinkers like Thomas Aquinas grappled with Aristotelian eternalism, attempting to reconcile it with Christian Creation. Averroes, the influential Islamic philosopher, became associated with the doctrine of double truth, suggesting that philosophical truth (eternal world) and religious truth (created world) could coexist, albeit on different planes of understanding. The debate's cultural fingerprint extends beyond strictly philosophical circles. Artistic representations of time and creation during this period often subtly reflect the tensions between linear, divinely initiated beginnings and cyclical, eternal patterns.
Aeternitas Mundi does not simply remain a relic of medieval scholasticism. The echoes of its central question still resonate within dialogues exploring the nature of time, existence, and the origins of the universe, informing contemporary cosmological theories and philosophical discussions on the limits of human knowledge. The concept continues to provoke, inviting exploration into how humanity conceptualizes its place within an infinite or temporally finite cosmos. Did medieval philosophers truly believe in the eternity of the world, or did Aeternitas Mundi serve as a crucial, if dangerous, thought experiment pushing the boundaries of understanding in a world grappling with faith and reason?