Thomas believed that the Middle Ages were a time of great intellectual and cultural achievement. He was particularly impressed by the works of medieval philosophers such as Thomas Aquinas and Duns Scotus. Thomas also believed that the Middle Ages were a time of great social and economic progress. He pointed to the rise of cities and towns, the growth of trade and commerce, and the spread of literacy as evidence of this progress. Thomas believed that the Middle Ages were a time of great importance for the development of Western civilization. He saw them as a time when the foundations were laid for the Renaissance, the Reformation, and the Enlightenment.