EARLY MEDIEVAL PHILOSOPHY

PHIL 311: Spring 2012

Prof. K. Rogers: Office #204 in 24 Kent Way, 831-8480, krogers@udel.edu.Office Hours: 3-4:30 MW and by appointment.

TA Chris Hartung: chartung@udel.edu                 

Texts: H= (Primary Sources) Philosophy in the Middle Ages, Third Edition, Hyman,Walsh, and Williams eds.

           W= (Secondary Source) A Short History of Medieval Philosophy, Julius R. Weinberg. 

            My notes are available on-line at http://www.udel.edu/rogers.

Requirements: Three essay tests will constitute 3/6 of the grade. (Tests will consist of 5 out of 6 relatively short essays.)  Two 5-7 page research papers will constitute 2/6 of the grade. The other 1/6 will come from daily quizzes on the readings.  (Quizzes will consist of a single, simple question on the assigned reading which you’ll either get right or wrong.  You are allowed 4 “no shows” or “wrongs” without penalty.  The other quizzes will be computed on the basis of 100, so, for example, if you got 20% wrong, you’d get an 80 which is a B- in my book.) Final score and grade equivalents: 93-100=A, 90-92=A-, 87-89=B+, 83-86=B, 80-82=B-, 77-79=C+, 73-76=C, 70-72=C-, 67-69=D+, 63-66=D, 55-62=D-. I will also consider improvement on test scores and participation in class.

I. BACKGROUND, PLATO, ARISTOTLE, AND PLOTINUS

February

7          Introduction to Late Classical and Early Medieval Philosophy

9          Introduction continued: W 3-9, H xi-4; Introduction to God: H pp.164-172 (Chapters 5-26 of Anselm’s Proslogion).

14        Background: Plato: W 9-14.

16        Aristotle: W 14-20.

21        Plotinus: W 20-24.

II.        AUGUSTINE

23        Introduction: W 30-45, H 5-8

28       Why Darwin isn’t a problem.

March

1          Knowledge: H 29-34.

6          The Proof for God from Reason: H pp.34-50. (Stop at section 18).

8          TEST #1

13        Introduction to Evil: Manicheanism, and all things good: H pp.69-71.

15        Free Will: H pp.50-53.

20        Freedom and Foreknowledge: H pp.53-60.

22        Original sin, Pelagianism and Grace: H pp. 61-63.

SPRING BREAK

April

3          Ethics and Politics: H pp.81-99.

5          Time: H pp.72-81.

III.       BOETHIUS,

10        Boethius: The Consolation of Philosophy: Handout

IV.       PSEUDO-DIONYSIUS and ERIUGENA

12        Pseudo-Dionysius and Scotus Eriugena: W pp.46-57, H pp.141-144.

17        Scotus Eriugena continued.: H pp.145-157

19        TEST #2         

V.  ANSELM

24        Anselm of Canterbury: Introduction and The Argument, including Gaunilo’s response and Anselm’s response to the response: W pp.58-71, H pp.156-157, 161-164, 173-181

26        The Necessity of the Incarnation (No reading).

May

1          Free will and grace, free will and foreknowledge (handout)

3          Free will, etc. continued. (No reading).

VI. ABELARD

8          Universals and Peter Abelard: W pp.72-91, H pp.182-191 (the wrong views -- according to           Abelard).

10        Universals continued. H pp.191-202 (the right view -- according to Abelard).

15        Abelard’s ethics: H pp.202-214

Test #3 ( not a cumulative final) during final exam period.