This course contributes to the student?s professional profile by guiding them through the history of medieval philosophy from a dual perspective: understanding the questions and how best to formulate them, and examining the attempts at answers?always shaped by their historical context?while discerning what we have inherited from that past which continues to shape us. It supports students' formation through the methodical practice of reflection and critical questioning on the problems of human existence.
Medieval philosophy, taken as a whole, represents an attempt?arguably the most accomplished?to think through Greek philosophy and Christian religion together. Since Greek thought and Christianity are perhaps the two fundamental pillars on which our culture is built, it seems inevitable to view the great medieval thinkers as the architects of the synthesis that gave rise to our current worldview. For this reason, reflecting on the major philosophical problems of the Middle Ages will help students in their attempt to understand the present?not only in the strictly philosophical realm, but also across all areas of culture (sociological, artistic, political, ethical, economic, or scientific), which, to varying degrees, are heirs to those medieval perspectives. Therefore, if we manage to view ourselves through the lens of the Middle Ages, we will undoubtedly come to know ourselves a little better.
UNIT 1: Towards the Middle Ages
Topic 1: Philosophy and Christianity
1.1 Christian Philosophy. Creation
1.2 Greek Apologists
1.3 Gnosticism
1.4 Latin Apologists
1.5 The School of Alexandria
Topic 2: Saint Augustine
2.1 The Confessions
2.2 Religion and Philosophy
2.3 Truth and Illumination
2.4 God and Creation
2.5 The City of God
UNIT 2: The Development of Philosophy in the Three Great Cultures
Topic 3: Towards Scholasticism
3.1 John Scotus Eriugena
3.2 Dialecticians and Anti-Dialecticians
3.3 Saint Anselm
3.4 The Dispute over Universals
3.5 Mysticism: Hugh and Richard of Saint Victor
Topic 4: Arab and Jewish Philosophies
4.1 Al-Farabi and Avicenna
4.2 Al-Ghazali
4.3 Ibn Tufayl
4.4 Averroes
4.5 Avicebron and Maimonides
UNIT 3: Thought in the 13th and 14th Centuries ? The Height and Crisis of Scholasticism
Topic 5: Philosophy and Theology in the 13th Century
5.1 The Recovery of Aristotle in the West
5.2 The Controversy over Aristotelianism at the University of Paris
5.3 Latin Averroism
5.4 Saint Bonaventure
5.5 Ramon Llull
Topic 6: Thomas Aquinas
6.1 Reason and Faith
6.2 Theory of Being
6.3 Theory of Knowledge
6.4 The Mystery of God
6.5 Anthropology and Politics
Topic 7: The Crisis of Scholasticism
7.1 Duns Scotus
7.2 William of Ockham
7.3 Meister Eckhart
To develop the course, the following strategies will be employed:
Expository method: Presentation of theoretical content through lectures delivered by the instructor.
Text and document analysis: Individual reading of materials that cover the main content of the course, followed by individual preparation and in-class discussion.
Written presentation method: Completion of text commentaries and questionnaires on the fundamental concepts of each topic.
In order to be assessed in the regular exam session, all activities subject to evaluation must have been completed. The assessable activities must be submitted on the dates indicated by the instructor. If, for any duly justified reason that has been communicated to the instructor, it has not been possible to submit them within the established period, they may be handed in before the date of the final exam of the subject, so that the instructor can grade them. However, in this case, the instructor will not be obliged to provide the student with feedback on those activities.
On the other hand, the student has the right to take the final written exam, even if they have not submitted all other evaluable activities. However, the final grade for the subject will only be calculated if all activities have been submitted, and in accordance with the evaluation criteria and weightings established in this course guide. If any activity subject to evaluation has not been submitted or completed, the student will be marked as ?Not presented? for that exam session.
EXTRAORDINARY EXAM SESSION (IN-PERSON/ONLINE):
The evaluation criteria are the same as in the regular exam session, so all evaluation activities covered in the course must be provided. The grades for activities already completed (including the final written exam) will be retained, pending completion of the remaining ones. The same weighting criteria as in the regular assessment will be applied. This measure will only apply for the current academic year; if the extraordinary session is not passed, re-enrolment will require repeating the entire subject.
Written tests: 40%
Task analysis: written assignments, text commentaries and questionnaries: 30%
Oral tests: 20%
Group work: 10%
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