The subject of this monograph are the theories of philosophical reflection on man in the thirteenth century. It describes and analyses the views and debates of scholastic philosophers on the scientific approach to anthropological issues. After an outline of previous research, the efforts of the magistri to integrate anthropologic studies into the framework of their sciences are examined in detail, and their ideas on the reliability and usefulness of various scientific methods, as well as their judgements on the value and dignity of different disciplines are investigated. Particular attention is given to the scholars' discussions on the interrelationship between our understanding of man and our understanding of the world as a whole. This is the first comprehensive source-based study of the subject; it draws heavily on inedited texts.