Robert Grosseteste

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Robert Grosseteste, the first chancellor of Oxford University and Bishop of Lincoln from 1235 to 1253, is the focus of this examination of his philosophical contributions, particularly in the realms of the Philosophy of Intellect and Philosophy of Vision. The work draws upon key manuscripts by Grosseteste, including On Light, On Lines, Angles and Figures, Commentary on the Posterior Analytics, and Hexaemeron. It explores the foundational influences on his thought, such as classical philosophers (Plato, Aristotle, Euclid), Greek commentators (Alexander of Aphrodisias, Themistius), Arabic philosophers (Alfarabi, Avicenna, Averroes), and the Neoplatonic tradition, including the Theology of Aristotle and the writings of Pseudo-Dionysius. This study builds on the scholarship of figures like James McEvoy and Richard William Southern, as well as broader contributions from scholars like Franz Brentano and Herbert A. Davidson. The author also integrates concepts from previous works, particularly Aesthetics and the Philosophy of Spirit and Platonic Architectonics. The relationship between Grosseteste's philosophies and earlier influences, as well as their impact on medieval thought, especially within the Franciscan and Oxford Schools, and their resonance through the Renaissance to the twentieth century, is emphasized. Additionally, the connection between these philosophies and the architecture of Lincoln Cathedral is considered.