▁lived ▁in ▁an ▁atmosphere ▁which ▁provided ▁little ▁institution al ▁support ▁for ▁the ▁dis inter ested ▁study ▁of ▁natural ▁phen omena . ▁ ▁The ▁study ▁of ▁nature ▁was ▁purs ued ▁more ▁for ▁practical ▁reasons ▁than ▁as ▁an ▁abstract ▁inqu iry : ▁the ▁need ▁to ▁care ▁for ▁the ▁sick ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁study ▁of ▁medicine ▁and ▁of ▁ancient ▁texts ▁on ▁dru gs , ▁the ▁need ▁for ▁mon ks ▁to ▁determine ▁the ▁proper ▁time ▁to ▁pray ▁led ▁them ▁to ▁study ▁the ▁motion ▁of ▁the ▁stars , ▁the ▁need ▁to ▁compute ▁the ▁date ▁of ▁E aster ▁led ▁them ▁to ▁study ▁and ▁teach ▁rud iment ary ▁mathematics ▁and ▁the ▁mot ions ▁of ▁the ▁Sun ▁and ▁Moon . ▁ ▁Modern ▁readers ▁may ▁find ▁it ▁dis con cert ing ▁that ▁sometimes ▁the ▁same ▁works ▁discuss ▁both ▁the ▁technical ▁details ▁ ▁of ▁natural ▁phen omena ▁and ▁their ▁symbol ic ▁significance . ▁ ▁Ar ound ▁ 8 0 0 , ▁Charles ▁the ▁Great , ▁assist ed ▁by ▁the ▁English ▁mon k ▁Al cu in ▁of ▁York , ▁under to ok ▁what ▁has ▁become ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Carol ing ian ▁Renaissance , ▁a ▁program ▁of ▁cultural ▁rev ital ization ▁and ▁educational ▁reform . ▁The ▁chief ▁scientific ▁aspect ▁of ▁Char lemagne ' s ▁educational ▁reform ▁concerned ▁the ▁study ▁and ▁teaching ▁of ▁astronom y , ▁both ▁as ▁a ▁practical ▁art ▁that ▁cler ics ▁required ▁to ▁compute ▁the ▁date ▁of ▁E aster ▁and ▁as ▁a ▁theoretical ▁discipline . ▁ ▁From ▁the ▁year ▁ 7 8 7 ▁on , ▁decre es ▁were ▁issued ▁recomm ending ▁the ▁rest