Reflections of the Economy in Scholastic Thought

This chapter examines the interpretation and explanation of economic phenomena such as private property and usury. The growing importance of urban areas in the Middle Ages and the subsequent rise of trade and commerce are reflected in the economic thinking of scholastic scholars. The task of the scholars was to study ancient texts, the Greek and Latin languages, and to interpret the world in the light of these texts, which were derived from Christian theology, Aristotelian ethics and Roman law.