Dissemination Of Knowledge Of The Late Middle Ages In Western Europe

Communication of knowledge is the impetus to advance the development of human society and civilization. This paper discusses this subject focusing Western Europe on the period of the late Middle Ages in the following seven parts.The Introduction deals with the meaning, theoretical approaches and sources of reference of the subject. It also offers some basic definitions and summarizes the history and the present state of the subject at home and abroad.The First Chapter discusses the fact that Western Europe in the late Middle Ages there existed some learning atmosphere, which provided communication of knowledge a premise, by showing the urban rising and knowledge revival, the revival of literal education, the rulers' respect for knowledge, and the human recognition of the value of knowledge.The Second & Third Chapters survey respectively the ways of knowledge communication of Western Europe in the late Middle Ages in respects of churches, libraries, ordinary schools and universities. The four ways fell into two knowledge communication systems (religious and secular in nature), which constituted a comparatively bigger knowledge communication network of the time.The Fourth Chapter surveys the media of Western Europe in the late Middle Ages by which knowledge was communicated and discusses the roles of the oral media and written media. As a result of lacking of books (manuscripts or hand-written copies), the oral become the main media. Anyhow, the written media tended to function as an increasingly important role.The Fifth Chapter includes the four characteristics of knowledge communication of Western Europe in the late Middle Ages: the coexistence of religious and secular ways; the simultaneous application of the oral and written media, emphasis on practical knowledge communication and formation of communication network.The Sixth Chapter focuses on the impact of knowledge communication in the late Middle Ages on the social development of Western Europe. Knowledge communication imposed a significant influence on the emergence and development of European Renaissance, on the improvement of social civilization in Western Europe, and on the booming of modern natural science.The Conclusion illustrates briefly the writer's point of view: knowledge communication was comparatively active in the late Middle Ages and it propelled social development and civilization forward.