▁ ▁According ▁to ▁Pierre ▁Du hem , ▁who ▁founded ▁the ▁academic ▁study ▁of ▁medieval ▁science ▁as ▁a ▁critique ▁of ▁the ▁En light en ment - pos it iv ist ▁theory ▁of ▁a ▁ 1 7 th - century ▁anti - Ar ist ot elian ▁and ▁ant ic ler ical ▁scientific ▁revolution , ▁the ▁various ▁concept ual ▁orig ins ▁of ▁that ▁alleg ed ▁revolution ▁lay ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 2 th ▁to ▁ 1 4 th ▁centuries , ▁in ▁the ▁works ▁of ▁church men ▁such ▁as ▁Thomas ▁Aqu inas ▁and ▁Bur idan . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁context ▁of ▁this ▁article , ▁" West ern ▁Europe " ▁refers ▁to ▁the ▁European ▁cult ures ▁bound ▁together ▁by ▁the ▁Catholic ▁Church ▁and ▁the ▁Latin ▁language . ▁ ▁Western ▁Europe ▁▁ ▁As ▁Roman ▁imperial ▁power ▁effectively ▁ended ▁in ▁the ▁West ▁during ▁the ▁ 5 th ▁century , ▁Western ▁Europe ▁entered ▁the ▁Middle ▁A ges ▁with ▁great ▁difficulties ▁that ▁affected ▁the ▁continent ' s ▁intellectual ▁production ▁dram atically . ▁Most ▁classical ▁scientific ▁treat ises ▁of ▁classical ▁anti qu ity ▁written ▁in ▁Greek ▁were ▁un available , ▁leaving ▁only ▁simplified ▁summar ies ▁and ▁comp il ations . ▁Non eth eless , ▁Roman ▁and ▁early ▁medieval ▁scientific ▁texts ▁were ▁read ▁and ▁studied , ▁contrib uting ▁to ▁the ▁understanding ▁of ▁nature ▁as ▁a ▁coh er ent ▁system ▁function ing ▁under ▁div in ely ▁established ▁laws ▁that ▁could ▁be ▁compreh ended ▁in ▁the ▁light ▁of ▁reason . ▁ ▁This ▁study ▁continued ▁through ▁the ▁Early ▁Middle ▁A ges , ▁and ▁with ▁the ▁Renaissance ▁of