Medieval and Renaissance Philosophy (PHH 3280)

Instructor: Dr. Marina P. Banchetti Textbooks: Philosophy in the Middle Ages: The Christian, Islamic, and Jewish Traditions, edited by Arthur Hyman and James J. Walsh, third edition (Hackett Publishing Company, 2010). (Collection of original writings.) Julius R. Weinberg, A Short History of Medieval Philosophy (Princeton University Press, 1964). The Renaissance Philosophy of Man, edited by Ernst Cassirer, Paul Oskar Kristeller, and John Herman Randall, Jr. (The University of Chicago Press: 1956). (Collection of original writings.) Brian P. Copenhaver and Charles B. Schmitt, Renaissance Philosophy (Oxford University Press, 1992). Additional required readings will be assigned and posted on Blackboard.

Hermes Trismegistus (Mosaic, Cathedral of Siena) Course Objectives: A careful and in-depth critical examination of the philosophers of the Medieval period and of the 15th to 16th centuries, through the study both of original writings and of secondary sources. The following Medieval philosophers are examined: Augustine, Pseudo-Dionysius, John Scotus Eriugena, Anselm of Canterbury, Peter Abelard, Ibn Sina, Ibn Rushd, Solomon ibn Gabirol, Moshe ben Maimon, and Thomas Aquinas. After this, the following Renaissance philosophers are covered: The Renaissance Humanists Francesco Petrarca, Lorenzo Valla, and Juan Luis Vives, the Renaissance Aristotelian Pietro Pomponazzi, and the Renaissance Platonists Marsilio Ficino, Giovanni Pico della Mirandola, and the unclassifiable Giordano Bruno. Other Renaissance thinkers are also discussed briefly both in class and in the readings, to set the context for the above philosophers. Special attention is paid to philosophical methods, presuppositions and contributions to metaphysics, logic, ethics, political philosophy, and natural philosophy. The course places a strong emphasis on the relationship between the Scientific Revolution and the philosophy of the Renaissance. Careful attention is also paid to the historical context of and to the Neoplatonic, Christian, Jewish, and Islamic influences on both Medieval and Renaissance thought.

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Course Evaluation Method: Quizzes There will be regular quizzes based on assigned readings and on class lectures. The purpose of these quizzes is to allow students to regularly assess their progress in the course and to identify any areas in which further study is required. The average of these quizzes will be worth 25% of the class grade. Students will receive a '0' for each quiz that is missed. Students are, thus, strongly advised not to be absent, not to be late for class, and not to leave class early. Students will receive a '0' for each quiz that is missed. Quiz dates will be announced in class at least one class period in advance. Exams In addition to the above, there will be an exam after each major segment of the course (Medieval Philosophy and Renaissance Philosophy) for a total of two segment exams. Each exam will be worth 25% of your class grade. These exams may be a combination of multiple choice/true-false, short answer, and/or essay questions. The exact format of the exams will be announced in class by the professor. The dates for each exam are listed in the ‘Course Outline’, which begins on p. 8 of this syllabus. Study guides for each of the exams will be posted on Blackboard, in an appropriately labeled folder. The study guides will list all of the concepts and ideas for which students will be responsible on the exams. Students are responsible for downloading the study guides from Blackboard and to use these study guides when reading the assigned materials and when reviewing class notes. Exam dates are listed in the “Course Outline” in this syllabus and students should ensure that they are present for exams. Students will receive a ‘0’ for each missed exam. Cumulative Final Exam Finally, there will be a cumulative final exam. The final exam will also be worth 25% of your grade. The final exam will be multiple choice/true-false. The date of the final exam is Monday, April 28, 1:15-3:35 p.m. Grading Policy:

• Quiz Average: 25% • Exam #1: 25% • Exam #2: 25% • Final Exam: 25%

Florida Atlantic University Code of Academic Integrity: Students at Florida Atlantic University are expected to maintain the highest ethical standards. Academic dishonesty, including cheating and plagiarism, is considered a serious breach of these ethical standards, because it interferes with the University mission to provide a high quality education in which no student enjoys an unfair advantage over any other. Academic dishonesty is also destructive of the University community, which is grounded in a system of mutual trust and places high value on personal integrity and individual responsibility. Harsh penalties are associated with academic dishonesty.

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Course Outline

Background:

The Neoplatonic Philosophers Lecture 1 – Syllabus and General Introduction

• Readings: o “Introduction”, in A Short History of Medieval Philosophy, pp. 3-29. o Philip Turetsky, “Neoplatonism and the End of the Ancient World” (Blackboard).

Lecture 2 – The Neoplatonic Philosophers: Plotinus, Iamblichus, Proclus, and Gemistus Pletho

• Readings: o Paul Oskar Kristeller, “From Platonism to Neoplatonism” (Blackboard). o “Platonic Cosmology on Plotinian Terms” (Blackboard). o John M. Rist, “Plotinus on Matter and Evil” (Blackboard).

Part 1:

Medieval Philosophy Lecture 3 – Augustine of Hippo (354-430)

• Readings: o “St. Augustine”, in A Short History of Medieval Philosophy, pp. 30-45. o “Early Medieval Christian Philosophy”, in Philosophy in the Middle Ages, pp. 1-4.

Lecture 4 – Augustine

• Readings: o “Augustine”, in Philosophy in the Middle Ages, pp. 5-9. o Augustine, Confessions 2.4-2.10, in Philosophy in the Middle Ages, pp. 66-69. o Augustine, Confessions 7.9-7.16, in Philosophy in the Middle Ages, pp. 69-72.

Lecture 5 – Augustine

• Readings: o Augustine, Confessions 11.3-11.28, in Philosophy in the Middle Ages, pp. 72-81. o Augustine, City of God 19.3-19.28, in Philosophy in the Middle Ages, pp. 81-99.

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Lecture 6 – Pseudo-Dyonisius the Areopagite (Late 5th to Early 6th Century) and John Scotus Eriugena (ca. 815-ca. 877)

• Readings: o “The Mystical Element in Medieval Thought: Pseudo-Dyonisius and John Scotus

Eriugena”, in A Short History of Medieval Philosophy, pp. 46-57. o Pseudo-Dyonisius, The Mystical Theology (complete), in Philosophy in the Middle Ages, pp.

141-144. o John Scotus Eriugena, On the Division of Nature, in Philosophy in the Middle Ages, pp. 145-

155. Lecture 7 – Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109) and Scholasticism

• Readings: o “Anselm and the Beginning of Scholasticism”, in A Short History of Medieval Philosophy,

pp. 58-71. o “Anselm”, in Philosophy in the Middle Ages, pp. 156-157. o Anselm, Proslogion and the Exchange with Gaunilo, in Philosophy in the Middle Ages, pp.

161-181. Lecture 8 – Peter Abelard (1079-1142) and the Problem of Universals

• Readings: o “Abelard and the Problem of Universals”, in A Short History of Medieval Philosophy, pp.

72-91. o “Peter Abelard”, in Philosophy in the Middle Ages, pp. 182-183. o Abelard, Glosses on Porphyry, in Philosophy in the Middle Ages, pp. 184-201.

Lecture 9 – Ibn Sina (a.k.a., Avicenna) (980-1037)

• Readings: o “Philosophy in the Islamic Middle Ages”, in A Short History of Medieval Philosophy, pp. 92-

139. o “Ibn Sina”, in Philosophy in the Middle Ages, pp. 239-243. o Ibn Sina, excerpts from The Salvation and The Cure, in Philosophy in the Middle Ages, pp.

244-263.

• Recommended Readings: o Al-Farabi, The Principles of Existing Things, in Philosophy in the Middle Ages, pp. 220-238.

Lecture 10 – Ibn Rushd (a.k.a., Averroes) (1126-1198)

• Readings: o “Ibn Rushd”, in Philosophy in the Middle Ages, pp. 285-288. o Ibn Rushd, Long Commentary on “The Soul”, 3.4, 3.5, 3.18-3.20, in Philosophy in the Middle

Ages, pp. 304-323.

• Recommended Readings: o Al-Ghazali, The Incoherence of the Philosophers (excerpts), in Philosophy in the Middle Ages,

pp. 265-284.

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Lecture 11 – Solomon ibn Gabirol (ca. 1020-ca. 1070)

• Readings: o “The Philosophy of the Jews in the Middle Ages”, in A Short History of Medieval

Philosophy, pp. 140-156. o “Solomon ibn Gabirol”, in Philosophy in the Middle Ages, pp. 351-352. o Solomon ibn Gabirol, The Fountain of Life, in Philosophy in the Middle Ages, pp. 353-359.

• Recommended Readings:

o Saadia, Book of Doctrines and Beliefs 1.1-1.3 and 3.1-3.3, in Philosophy in the Middle Ages, pp. 338-350.

Lecture 12 – Moshe ben Maimon (a.k.a. Moses Maimonedes) (1135-1204)

• Readings: o “Moses Maimonedes”, in Philosophy in the Middle Ages, pp. 360-363. o Maimonedes, The Guide of the Perplexed, in Philosophy in the Middle Ages, pp. 364-385.

• Recommended Readings:

o Levi ben Gershom, The Wars of the Lords 3.1-3.6, in Philosophy in the Middle Ages, pp. 386-396.

o Hasdai Crescas, The Light of the Lord 2.6.1, in Philosophy in the Middle Ages, pp. 397-411. Lecture 13– Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)

• Readings: o “Philosophy in Thirteenth-Century Christendom”, in A Short History of Medieval

Philosophy, pp. 157-181. o “St. Thomas Aquinas”, in A Short History of Medieval Philosophy, pp. 182-212. o “Thomas Aquinas”, in Philosophy in the Middle Ages, pp. 447-450. o Aquinas, “On Being and Essence”, in Philosophy in the Middle Ages, pp. 451-456. o Aquinas, Summa Theologiae (excerpts), in Philosophy in the Middle Ages, pp. 457-526.

Lecture 14 – Aquinas

• Readings: o “Duns Scotus”, in A Short History of Medieval Philosophy, pp. 213-234. o “William of Ockham”, in A Short History of Medieval Philosophy, pp. 235-265. o “The Critical Tendencies of the Fourteenth Century” and “Conclusion”, in A Short History

of Medieval Philosophy, pp. 266-294.

• Recommended Readings: o John Duns Scotus, in Philosophy in the Middle Ages, pp. 553-570 o William of Ockham, in Philosophy in the Middle Ages, pp. 605-607, pp. 616-629.

Week 8 – Exam #1

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Part 2:

Renaissance Philosophy Lecture 15 – Philosophy in the 15th and 16th Centuries

• Readings: o “General Introduction”, in The Renaissance Philosophy of Man, pp. 1-22. o “The Historical Context of Renaissance Philosophy”, in Renaissance Philosophy, pp. 1-59.

• Recommended Readings:

o “The Donation of Constantine” (Blackboard) Lecture 16 – Fundamental Concepts of Renaissance Philosophy

• Readings: o “Stoics, Sceptics, Epicureans, and Other Innovators”, in Renaissance Philosophy, pp. 196-

284. Lecture 17 – Renaissance Humanism

• Readings: o Paul Oskar Kristeller, “The Medieval Antecedents of Renaissance Humanism”

(Blackboard). Lecture 18 – Francesco Petrarca (a.k.a., Petrarch) (1304-1374)

• Readings: o Francesco Petrarca, in The Renaissance Philosophy of Man, pp. 23-133. o Paul Oskar Kristeller, “Petrarch” (Blackboard).

Lecture 19 – Lorenzo Valla (1407-1457)

• Readings: o Lorenzo Valla, in The Renaissance Philosophy of Man, pp. 147-184. o Paul Oskar Kristeller, “Valla” (Blackboard).

Lecture 20 – Juan Luis Vives (1492-1540)

• Readings: o Juan Luis Vives, in The Renaissance Philosophy of Man, pp. 385-396.

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Lecture 21 – Renaissance Aristotelianism / Pietro Pomponazzi (1462-1525)

• Readings: o “Aristotelianism”, in Renaissance Philosophy, pp. 60-126. o Pietro Pomponazzi, in The Renaissance Philosophy of Man, pp. 257-384. o Paul Oskar Kristeller, “Pomponazzi” (Blackboard).

Lecture 22 – Renaissance Platonism

• Readings: o “Platonism”, in Renaissance Philosophy, pp. 127-195. o Frederick Coppleston, S.J., “The Revival of Platonism” (Blackboard). o Brian P. Copenhaver, “Introduction” to the Corpus Hermeticum (Blackboard).

Lecture 23 – Marsilio Ficino (1433-1499)

• Readings: o Marsilio Ficino, in The Renaissance Philosophy of Man, pp. 185-214. o Paul Oskar Kristeller, “Ficino” (Blackboard).

Lecture 24 – Giovanni Pico della Mirandola (1463-1494)

• Readings: o Giovanni Pico della Mirandola, in The Renaissance Philosophy of Man, pp. 215-256. o Paul Oskar Kristeller, “Pico” (Blackboard).

Lecture 25 – Philosophy of Nature in the Renaissance

• Readings: o “Nature Against Authority: Breaking Away”, in Renaissance Philosophy, pp. 285-328. o Marina P. Banchetti, “The Influence of Renaissance Thought on the Scientific Revolution

(Blackboard). Lecture 26 – Giordano Bruno (1548-1600)

• Readings: o Paul Oskar Kristeller, “Bruno” (Blackboard). o Alfonso Ingegno, “Introduction to Giordano Bruno’s Cause, Principle, and Unity”

(Blackboard). o Giordano Bruno, On the Infinite Universe and Worlds (Blackboard).

Lecture 27 – Bruno, Renaissance Science, and the Scientific Revolution

• Readings: o “Renaissance Philosophy and Modern Memory”, in Renaissance Philosophy, pp. 329-357. o Hilary Gatti, “The Natural Philosophy of Giordano Bruno” (Blackboard).

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• Recommended Readings: o Hilary Gatti, “Giordano Bruno’s Soul-Powered Atoms” (Blackboard). o Giuseppe Candela, “An Overview of the Cosmology, Religion, and Philosophical

Universe of Giordano Bruno” (Blackboard). o Karen Silva de León-Jones, “Bruno’s Kabbalistic System” (Blackboard).

Exam #2 Week 16 – Final Exam (Cumulative)