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Cleveland State University Spring Semester 2011 PHL 410/510 Medieval Aristotelianism Dr. Michael R. Baumer, Course Instructor MW 6:00-7:50, MC 305

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Aristotle constructed a system of thought that was both a philosophy and a series of physical sciences: physics, biology, psychology. To some extent, even the distinction between philosophy and science is a product of modern times (although not wholly so, since even Plato recognized that things of the senses have an obviousness about them that invisible things do not). Since as science Aristotelianism is obsolete, nowadays Aristotle is usually treated as a philosopher, not a scientist. However, this is an anachronistic way of viewing his thought.

In this course, we shall give accounts of some major roadmarks in the medieval reception and modification of Aristotle’s thought, both the the areas that we now regard as properly belonging to philosophy, such as natural theology and philosophical logic, and in areas of physical science such as physics, astronomy, and medicine.

In the twentieth century Rudolf Carnap promoted the ideal of a unified science, and Thomas Kuhn developed a general theory of scientific revolutions. In this course we shall treat the Aristotelian system as a unified science, and medieval Aristotelianism as the progress of the “normal” science of the Aristotelian paradigm that preceded its overthrow in the Copernican revolution.

TEXTBOOKS

McKeon and Reeve, Basic Works of Aristotle

Spade, Five Texts on the Medieval Problem of Universals

Fakhry, History of Islamic Philosophy

Maimonides, Guide for the Perplexed

Aquinas (ed. McInerny), Selected Works of St. Thomas Aquinas

(The remainder are optional:)

Turner, Science in Medieval Islam

Saliba, History of Arabic Astronomy

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Grant, Foundations of Modern Science in the Middle Ages

Mc Evedy, New Penguin Atlas of Medieval History

STUDENT COURSEWORK

There will be four main components of student coursework—class attendance and participation, brief daily written answers to study questions, a term project, and a final exam.

The term project will consist of four parts: proposal, oral report, bibliographic essay, and final paper. Opportunity for revision will be provided for all parts, including the oral report if time allows. The bibliographic essay and final paper are each to be approximately 2000-2500 words in length (8-10 pages) for enrollees in the undergrad section and 2500-3000 words (10-12 pages) for the grad section. The format of the bibliographic essay will be narrowly prescribed, but not that of the final paper.

A "Schedule of Topics and Readings" will be forthcoming shortly.

ROUGH LIST OF TOPICS

Aristotle on predication and motion

Aristotle on cosmology

Aristotle on physiology ("On Youth, Old Age, Life, Death, and Respiration")

Aristotle on the intellect

Metaphysics Lambda and God

Introduction to Ptolemaic Astronomy

Selections from Galen

John Philoponus on Impetus

Boethius on universals

Al-Farabi and the emanation of the celestial intellects

Abelard on universals

Avicenna's metaphysics (God and emanation)

Avicenna's Canon of Medicine

Islamic Occasionalism and Al-Ash'ari

Al-Gazali against the philosophers

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Averroes against Al-Gazali

Averroes on the intellect

Maimonides

Robert Grosseteste on light

Aquinas on the existence of God

Aquinas on the eternity of the world

Albert the Great on Dionysius the Areopagite

Duns Scotus on universals

Ockham on universals

Arabic revisions of Ptolemy

Jean Buridan on impetus

GEN ED REQUIREMENTS

This course does not fulfill either the WAC requirement or the Capstone Experience requirement, although it is structured so as to qualify to meet both of those requirements.

POLICIES

Absence permitted for good reason; plagiarism not permitted.

OFFICE DATA

Office Location: RT 1336 Office Phone: 687-3902 Office Hours: MW 1-1:20pm and 4:45-5:50pm Email: [email protected]

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