Abstract
The study first shows that the idea of man having being created to take the place of fallen angels was introduced by St. Augustine and developed by other church fathers.
It then identifies the typical contexts in which the subject was raised by authors of the early Middle Ages, but goes on to focus on the discussion that developed during the twelfth century, which represents the high point of the theme under investigation, culminating in the assertion that man is an "original" being, created for its own sake, for whom God created the world. The question as to whether man would have been created if the angels had not sinned (cur homo) bears a clear similarity to a further controversy, the origins of which also go back to the twelfth century, and that is whether the Son of God would have become incarnate if man had not sinned (cur Deus homo).
Next, the book sheds light on how the subject begins to gradually fade away through the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. The conclusion points to the surprisingly contemporary relevance of the foregoing reflections.