Summa

The word Summa (or German sum ) comes from Latin and means as much as " whole " or " total ". This initially was a still quite disordered representation of knowledge in its entirety to be understood. In the era of scholasticism "Summa " became an integral term for scientific works that have been written to systematically ordered representation of an entire field of knowledge.

Works

Most of the works in the manner of a "Summa " were written between the 12th and 14th centuries, especially in the area of theology and philosophy, but also in the fields of medicine and jurisprudence, as well as liberal on basic for the study of Artes, the seven liberal arts. Famous works are eg the Summa Theologica ( theological total), the Summa contra gentiles logicae ( The sum against the pagans ) by Thomas Aquinas or the Summa of William of Ockham. Through a variety of sum comments, these works were recorded in the course of the following centuries up to the present time again. In modern times the title was taken up, for example, by Stanisław Lem ( Summa Technologiae, 1964).

Characteristics and importance

In a "Summa " is about as comprehensively as possible the exchange of knowledge or subject area in a systematic structuring. This can be done on the one hand in almost encyclopedic form, on the other hand also in the form of a concentrated on the essential aspects summary. It is based on the idea of ​​a comprehensive the whole order of creation that can be seen and represent means of reason. The pursuit of a sum is thus also a characteristic feature of medieval thought. At the same time there but the basics of modern scientific methodology already developed, eg through sound work with sources, dialectical argumentation and systematization of the substance by means of conceptual hierarchies.