The Unifying Aspects of Cultures

SECTION:

Minor Cultures, National Culture, and the Administration of Culture

Burian, Richard (Budapest, Hungary)
The Unifying Aspect of Philosophy in the Anglo-Saxon World of the Middle Ages

In this paper I discuss, in the context of intercultural studies, various changes that affected the culture of the people inhabiting the British Isles following the fall of the Roman Empire and the withdrawal of their legions from the geographical area. Special attention is given to the various Church (Boethius, Augustine) and pagan (folk-tales, customs, traditions) philosophies - with particular focus on the Germanic idea of an all-powerful fate and its Christian interpretations. There will be a particular drive for an understanding of the role of various minorities (women, Jews, "heretics") in the development of the general European Medieval world picture and the appearances of this in Anglo-Saxon England. Finally, there will be a brief sketch of how this relates to our understanding of intra-European relationships throughout the Middle Ages.

THE UNIFYING ASPECTS OF CULTURES