Diplomová bakalářská práce se zabývá myšlenkovým základem gotické architektury a výzdoby. Ve své zájmu je inspirována snahami mnohých uměnovědců hledajících vazby mezi dobovou filosofií a právě se rodícím gotickým stylem. Po obecně pojatých kapitolách se práce zaměřuje na přestavbu kostela Saint-Denis opatem Sugerem ve 2. čtvrtině 12. století. Vedle "klasické" "světelné" interpretace její podoby (E. Panofsky), která byla poté aplikována na celou gotickou architekturu, podává další možné přístupy k této konkrétní stavbě i ke gotické architektuře obecně.This Bachelor thesis deals in an interdisciplinary way with the intellectual background of Gothic architecture and decoration. Its time frame is the remarkable 12th century, sometimes called the "medieval rennaissance" for its revolutionary character. The inspiration for the subject was provided by the attempts of numerous art historians to find connections between the period philosophy and the nascent Gothic style. The first part presents the general characteristics of the epoch, trying to capture the sources and the character of the changes of the intellectual atmosphere and to bring these changes into relationship with the contemporary fine arts. The second, more specific, part focuses on the famous church in Saint-Denis, whose rebuilding in the second quarter of the 12th century under abbot Suger has been considered for a long time the visual representation of neo-Platonist metaphysics of light, and this characteristic has been applied to Gothic architecture as a whole. The thesis presents this "classical" interpretation originated by Erwin Panofsky and discusses the opinions of a number of historians who try both to refute his conception of the Gothic and to show other possible approaches to Suger's activities in Saint-Denis and to Gothic architecture in general.