The concern of this course will be the development of Medieval Philosophy with a concentration on metaphysics, epistemology, theology, and the connections among them. Contrary to the contemporary prejudice against Medieval Philosophy (largely due to the reactionary anti-Scholastic sentiments of Francis Bacon and René Descartes), this was a remarkably rich and fertile period for philosophical speculation. The Medieval era includes some positively dazzling dialectic and some absolutely brilliant philosophers. Augustine, Aquinas, Ockham, and Scotus may be the most famous and influential, but they were by no means the era's only great philosophical minds. Boethius, Erigena, Anselm, Abelard, Bonaventure come immediately to mind — and this without even including the great Jewish and Islamic philosophers from the culturally far more advanced Arabic world, e.g., Ibn-Gabirol, Avërroes, Avicenna, and Maimonides. Nor does this include the Mystical tradition in the Latin West--Julian of Norwich, Hildegard of Bingen, or Nicholas of Cusa, among others.

There are any number of topics from Medieval debates that can be fruitfully explored, but the scope of this class will have to be fairly restricted. The principle topics of discussion will include the following:

* The relationship between faith and reason;

* The existence and attributes of God;

* The epistemological doctrine of illumination;

* The metaphysics of universals;

* Divine foreknowledge, determinism and free will;

* Theories of Creation and Eternity;

* Philosophical & religious mysticism.

This is not to suggest that Medieval philosophers did not also make some monumental contributions in other areas of philosophy. Augustine‘s theodicy and political philosophy, Thomistic ethics, and Ockham’s logic, for example, all remain landmarks of human thought. The point is simply to emphasize that one semester can provide only a taste from that period’s best, most interesting, most influential, and most vital philosophy.

The time period that this course covers extends from the dawn of the Christian era until the Medieval World declined into the Renaissance. Of course, since this is a period of time longer than that covered by the courses in Ancient Philosophy, Modern Philosophy, Nineteenth Century Philosophy, and Contemporary Analytic Philosophy put together, the idea that we will "cover" Medieval Philosophy in any real sense is fanciful. Instead, we will sample from among the best, most interesting, and most influential philosophy, i.e., the philosophy that remains most vital today.

The chronological order of the philosophers will be respected, because this is a course in the history of philosophy, but it will not be respected too much, because if is a course in the history of philosophy, so topical considerations will provide the primary organizational principle for discussion.

There are two required texts for the course:

The Bosley & Tweedale volume will be the main source for primary texts; Copleston’s book will provide historical context when needed and serve as a reference. Two other narrative histories are worth noting and recommending:

Daniel Cohen

Extension: 3427

Office: Lovejoy 247

Office hours: MW, 10:00-11:00

TTh, 10:45-12:00

Medieval Philosophy

Schedule of classes, readings, and topics

(Tentative and Optimistic)

Date Topic

Readings

Feb. 6 Overview and Background: Plato’s Timaeus

Copleston, chapter I

Feb. 11: Logic and Metaphysics — Aristotle & Boethius

Aristotle: B&T, pp. 3-13, 311-316

Boethius: B&T, pp. 317-319

Copleston, Ch. X

Feb. 13: What has Athens to do with Jerusalem?

The problem of Faith and Reason: Justin, Origen, & Gregory

Copleston, chapter II

Handouts: (1) Patristic Chronology (2) Biblical Passages

Feb. 18: Augustine on Skepticism; Aquinas on Philosophy and Theology

Augustine: B&T, pp. 437-464.

Aquinas: Handout

Copleston, chapters. III-IV; XXXI-XXXII; XXXVIII, XLI

Feb. 20: Early Mysticism: Plotinus & Pseudo-Dionysius

Copleston: chapter IX.

Plotinus: B&T, pp.579-591

Pseudo-Dionysius, B&T, pp. 592-601

Feb. 25: Henry of Ghent and John Duns Scotus on Illumination

Copleston, chapters IV; XLIVb; XLVI

Ghent: B&T, pp. 465-472

Scotus: B&T 475-492.

Feb. 27: The Form of the Good, the primum mobile, and God

Plato: Handout

Plotinus: Handout

Aristotle: B&T, pp. 93-104.

Avicenna: B&T, pp.14-18

Copleston, chapter III

Mar. 4: The Ontological Argument & The Nature of God

Anselm: B&T, pp. 105-106

Abelard: B&T, pp. 19-23

Al-Ghazali & Averroes: B&T, pp. 24-39, 107-112

Copleston, chapters XV, XIX

Mar. 6: Aquinas, Scotus… & Ockham

Aquinas: B&T, pp. 113-117

Scotus: B&T, pp. 118-124

Ockham: B&T, pp. 125-136

Copleston, chapters XXXIV-XXXV, XLVIII

Mar. 11: First Examination

Mar. 13: Augustine on Free Will & The Problem of Evil

Augustine: Handout from De libero arbitrium

Mar. 18: Future Contingency

Aristotle: B&T, pp. 247-250

Boethius: B&T, pp. 251-260

Anselm: B&T, pp. 261-268

Mar. 20: Late Medievals

Aquinas: B&T, pp. 269-271

Siger of Brabant: B&T, pp. 272-283

Scotus: B&T, pp. 284-300

Ockham: B&T, pp. 301-307

<Spring Break>

April 1: Medieval Schools and Universities

Copleston, chapters XI, XXII

April 3: Plato & Aristotle; Porphyry & Boethius

Plato: B&T, pp. 345-351

Aristotle: B&T, pp. 352-357

Porphyry: B&T, pp. 358-364

Boethius: B&T, pp. 364-368

Copleston, chapter XIV

April 8: Dialectic in the Eleventh Centuty

Copleston, chapters XIV, XVI

Compotista: B&T, pp. 369-377

Abelard: B&T, pp. 378-400; Handout

John of Salisbury: Handout

April 10: Being & Essence; Common Natures

Copleston, chapters XXXIII, XLIVa, XLV, XLVII

Aquinas: Handout

Duns Scotus: B&T, pp. 329-334

Duns Scotus: B&T, pp. 404-418

April 15: Ockham’s Via Moderna

Ockham: B&T, pp. 335-338

Ockham: B&T, pp. 419-435

Copleston: Handout/Reserve Reading

April 17: Second Examination

April 22: Aristotle vs. Scripture

Aristotle, B&T, pp.139-145

Augustine, B&T, pp. 146-155

Copleston, chapters QQQ

April 24: Al-Ghazali, Averroës, and Maimonides

Al-Ghazali & Averroës, B&T, pp.139-145156-177

Maimonides, B&T, pp. 178-200

Copleston, chapters XIX-XXI

April 29: Aquinas, Henry of Ghent, Scotus, and Ockham

Aquinas, B&T, pp.201-206

Henry of Ghent, B&T, pp.207-214

Scotus, B&T, pp.215-230

Ockham, B&T, pp.231-244

Copleston, chapters XXXVI

May 1: Fridugis, Erigena, Ibn Tufail

Fridugis, Handout

Erigena, B&T, pp.602-627

Ibn Tufail, B&T, pp.628-633

Copleston, chapters XII-XIII

May 6: Hildegard of Bingen & Meister Eckhart

Bingen, Handouts

Meister Eckhart, B&T, pp. 634-652

May 8: The End of an Era:

The Medieval World Declines into the Renaissance

Medieval Philosophy

Schedule of topics

Feb. 6 Overview and Background:

Feb. 11: Logic and Metaphysics; Aristotle & Boethius

Feb. 13: Faith and Reason: Justin, Origen, & Gregory

Feb. 18: Augustine on Skepticism; Aquinas on Philosophy and Theology

Feb. 20: Early Mysticism: Plotinus & Pseudo-Dionysius

Feb. 25: Augustine, Ghent, & Scotus on Illumiination

Feb. 27: The Good, The primum mobile, and God

March 4: The Ontological Argument & the Divine Nature

March 6: Aquinas’ Five Ways & Responses

March 11: First Examination

March 13: Augsustine on Free Will & the Problem of Evil

March 18: Future Contingency: Aristotle, Boethius, ANselm

March 20: Later Commentary: Aquinas, Siger, Scotus, Ockham

<Spring Break>

April 1: Schools, Secular Masters, Condemnations, Science

April 3: Background — Plato, Aristotle, Porphyry. Boethius

April 8: Eleventh Century Dialectic — Compotista, Abelard, Salisbury

April 10: Being & Essence, Common Natures

April 15: Entity & Identity

April 17: Second Examination

April 22: Aristotle and Augustine

April 24: Al-Ghazali, Averroës, and Maimonides

April 29: Aquinas, Scotus and Ockham

May 1: Erigena & Ibn Tufail Fridugis

May 6: Hildegard of Bingen Meister Eckhart

May 8: The Medieval Decline into the Renaissance