This volume investigates conceptions of medieval thought by means of a reflexive – methodological, historical, and historiographical – perspective. It studies reflections about language and method identified as a conceptual device, employed by medieval thinkers, but likewise by modern historians, to distinguish ›medieval thought‹ against its historical background. From early medieval Arabic philosophy to modern historiography, the 14 contributions explore the strategies of self-representation and legitimation of medieval ­intellectual traditions. As these traditions have shaped the modern system of knowledge and, thus, modern society, the volume contributes to the present debate about the role and function of the humanities.