Course Syllabus Winter 2011 Course Title: Medieval Philosophy Instructor: Dr. Francisco Romero Carrasquillo Email:
[email protected] Course Texts: Arthur Hyman, James J. Walsh, Philosophy in the Middle Ages: The Christian, Islamic, and Jewish Traditions, 3 edition, Hackett Pub Co, 2010. (160384208X) Armand A. Maurer, Medieval Philosophy, Toronto: PIMS, 1982. (0888447043) Etienne Gilson. The Spirit of Mediaeval Philosophy. University of Notre Dame Press, 1991. (0268017409) Richard Taylor. The Cambridge Companion to Arabic Philosophy. Cambridge University Press, 2005. (052152069X)
Course Description: This course is an introductory seminar on philosophical thought during the medieval period (AD 400 to 1500). It consists in a philosophical narrative that tells, in broad strokes, the story of medieval philosophy, from the African thinker Augustine of Hippo to the English monk, William of Ockham. The course is unique in that it pays special attention to non-European figures such as Al-Farabi, Ibn-Sina, Al-Ghazzali, Ibn-Rushd, and Maimonides, through whom the most important elements of ancient Greek philosophy were transmitted to Europe, and are thus a key to understanding all posterior philosophy. Special emphasis will be placed on their contributions in the areas of metaphysics, epistemology, and their understanding of and influence on their respective Christian, Jewish, and Islamic traditions.
About the Instructor: Dr. Francisco Romero was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico. In 2009 he earned his PhD in philosophy from Marquette University (Milwaukee, WI), with a specialization in Medieval Philosophy. He is a research fellow at University of Notre Dame and a member of Mexico’s National System of Researchers. His publications on medieval philosophy have appeared in refereed scholarly journals in Europe, Mexico, and the US.
TEACHING PHILOSOPHY AND METHODOLOGY Teaching and learning in this course focuses on current and relevant research on the subject-matter, on interaction among instructors and students, and on feedback and evaluation to affirm and challenge students to further understanding. This approach generally comes out of a belief that learners actively shape their own understanding and knowledge of the world through personal experience and reflecting on those experiences. As learners encounter new information and experiences, they must reconcile them with past understandings. Sometimes that reconciliation involves changing what was believed or even discarding the new information as incoherent with what one knows to be true. All of us as learners must ask questions, explore, assess what we know, and actively reflect on our learning. In this view, learners are not the “empty containers” to be filled with new knowledge, but rather participants who must be actively engaged in the process to maximize learning. This course is planned to provide access to new knowledge and experience, and a safe environment in which to think, share, change, and reassess current knowledge. Critical thinking skills and the ability to express thoughts and questions are central, as are respectful listening and sharing to all involved in the course discussions.
ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION Your final grade will be determined using the Marylhurst University Grading Scale: Grade
Percentages
Grade
Percentages
A
95 to 100
C+
77 to 79
A-
90 to 94
C
73 to 76
B+
87 to 89
C-
70 to 72
B
83 to 86
D
60 to 69
B-
80 to 82
F
0 to 59
2
Your final grade will be determined on the following components: Grading Components*
Possible Points 20%
Presentations (10% x 2 presentations) Midterms (20% x 2 midterms)
40%
Final Exam
20%
Course Paper
20% TOTAL
100%
*For more details, see “Course Assignments” below. Course Outline and Schedule Week
Topics
1
Introduction
2
Early Medieval Philosophy: Dionysius the Aeropagite, Augustine.
3
Early Medieval Philosophy: Boethius, Eriugena, and Anselm.
4
Early Medieval Arabic Thought: Liber de Causis, Al-Kindi, AlFarabi.
5
Readings and Assignments Due -Get acquainted with course syllabus and materials. -Maurer, xv-xxi. -Hyman/Walsh, pp. ix-4. -Maurer, pp. 3-21. -Hyman/Walsh, pp. 66-71, 141-44.
-Maurer, pp. 22-34. -Hyman/Walsh, pp. 100-4, 127-137, 145-81. -Possible Student Presentation.
-Maurer, pp. 93-109. -Hyman/Walsh, pp. 220-238. -Adamson/Taylor, pp. 1-71. -Possible Student Presentation. -Midterm 1.
Early Medieval Arabic -Hyman/Walsh, pp. 239-84. Thought: Avicenna, Al- -Adamson/Taylor, pp. 92-154. Ghazali. -Possible Student Presentation. 3
6
7
8
Later Medieval Arabic Thought: Averroes, Maimonides. Early Scholasticism: Bonaventure, Albert, Siger of Brabant.
Aquinas: Natural Philosophy & Metaphysics.
9
Later Medieval Philosophy: The Reaction to Thomism, Scotus.
10
Later Medieval Philosophy: Ockham, Cajetan, etc.
11
Final Exam Week
-Hyman/Walsh, pp. 285-333. -Adamson/Taylor, pp. 180-200, 349-69. -Possible Student Presentation.
-Maurer, pp. 85-92, 137-62, 192-207. -Hyman/Walsh, pp. 412-46. -Possible Student Presentation. -Maurer, pp. 163-91. -Hyman/Walsh, pp. 447-93. -Possible Student Presentation. -Midterm 2. -Maurer, pp. 208-41. -Hyman/Walsh, pp. 539-95. -Possible Student Presentation.
-Maurer, pp. 265-91. -Hyman/Walsh, pp. 605-35. -Possible Student Presentation.
-Final Exam. -Course Paper Due.
COURSE ASSIGNMENTS: 1. Presentations: Each student will prepare two PowerPoints to be presented in class on specified dates during the term. The number and dates of presentations will be determined at the beginning of the term, depending on enrollment and student interests. Total value = 20%. 2. Course Paper: At the end of the course, the student will turn in a research paper that goes into one of the course topics more in detail than we went into it in class. The student is expected not only to make ample use of the course texts, but to go beyond them with the guidance of the instructor. More details will be provided before the middle of the term. Value = 20%. 3. Exams: The exams will be objective (multiple choice). There will be two midterms and a final exam. They will all be cumulative, and will be based on the readings and PowerPoint presentations. Total value = 60%. 4
