Who restricted science in the Middle Ages?

The restriction on science in the Middle Ages came from the universities and professors, who wanted to teach strict conformance to Aristotelian science. In essence, this meant Aristotle was infallible. From the point of view real science, this was a problem because it meant progress was impossible.

The Church was not happy with this for a number of reasons. While its position on Islamic science had been neutral because Islamic science had no theological implications and was useful, the idea that Aristotle was infallible did not sit well on theologians.

The Church took action to free science from the restrictions imposed by the universities with the Condemnations of 1210 to 1277, which made the teaching that Aristotle was infallible a heresy. There have been historians who called the Condemnations of 1277 the birth of modern science.

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