PHIL 312: LATER MEDIEVAL PHILOSOPHY

                    SYLLABUS: Spring 2013

 

Professor K. Rogers: 831‑8480; krogers@udel.edu

Office Hours: Monday 2-3:30, Friday 3-4:30 and by appointment.                  

 

 

TA Chris Hartung; chartung@udel.edu

 

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

 

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

 

(There are notes on my web page, http://www.udel.edu/rogers.  These are a sketchy outline of material presented in class and will by no stretch of the imagination take the place of good notes taken on your own.  However, they may help you organize your notes and make sure you have everything and in the right order.)

 

Requirements: Four essay tests to count for roughly 4/6 of the grade. Four 2-3 page papers, the overall average to count for roughly 1/6 of the grade. Quizzes on the readings to count for roughly 1/6 of the grade.  The quizzes will be on the reading assigned for that day.   Quizzes will consist of one very easy multiple choice question. You will be able to drop 4 quizzes with no penalty and your quiz grade will be based on the percentage right of the remaining quizzes, so if you have to miss a day or two you will not be penalized. I will be able to take improvement and participation into consideration.

 

FEBRUARY

 

5          Introduction and God

 

7          Plato and Aristotle, Fluffy, and universals: W pp.3‑21 (read to "Plotinus developed...")

 

12        Aristotle's and Plotinus's universes: W pp.21‑29 and Introduction to Islamic philosophy

H pp. 215-219.

 

14        Avicenna: Being and Cosmology: W pp.92‑121, H pp. 239-243.

 

19        Avicenna cond. Proof for God and Knowledge : H pp.244-246

 

21        Algazali: The Incoherence of the Philosophers: W pp.121‑125, H pp.278-284 .

 

26        Algazali continued

 

28        TEST #1

 

 

 

 

 

 

MARCH

 

 

 

 

5          Averroes: Philosophy and Revelation, the Eternity of the World : W pp.125‑139, H pp.285-288, 292 (start with section 2) - 299 (through section 52).

 

7          Averroes: Knowledge: H pp.304-307, through section 3

 

12        Maimonides: Talking about God: W pp.140‑156, Hpp.360-366 through section 52. (Plus Handout which continues the reading.)

 

14        Maimonides: Creation: H pp.390‑401 (stop at Chap. 32) and Law: Handout

 

19        Aquinas: The Eternity of the World and Proving God: W pp.182‑212, H pp.447-450, 487-493 Note that the first numbered points are the claims with which Thomas will DISAGREE!

 

21        Aquinas: Proving God: 466 (start at Q2)-470 (through “Response to 2” from p.469).

 

 

SPRING BREAK

 

APRIL

 

2          Aquinas: Proving God continued.

 

4          TEST #2

 

9          Aquinas: Naming God H pp.472-476 (through AResponse to 3).   

 

11        Aquinas: Soul, Universals: H pp.501 (Article 2) -504 (through Response to 6) and Knowledge:  H pp.511 (Q.84) - 518.

 

16        Aquinas: Will H  pp.508 (Q.82) -511

 

18        Aquinas: Ethics: H pp.518-538.

 

23        Aquinas' Political Philosophy

 

25        TEST #3  

 

30        The Condemnation of 1277: H pp.539-550.

 

 

MAY

 

2          Duns Scotus: Naming God: W pp.213‑234, H pp. 551-555, 567-570 and Proving God: H pp.559 (II.)-562 (Through A...and thus that it does exist from itself.@)

 

7          Duns Scotus: Universals: H pp.582-591 (skip q.4 586-589).

 

10        Duns Scotus: Voluntarism: H pp.601‑604