Ancient and Medieval Philosophy 3501-DAO1H

This course will present the tenets of European philosophical positions from the 7th century B.C.E. to the 14th century C.E. Discussion of Ancient philosophy will include: the eras of the Pre-Socratics (Ionians, Pythagoreans, Eleatics), the humanists (Sophists as well as Socrates and his followers), systemic approaches (Plato and Aristotle), Hellenic schools (Stoics, Epicureans and Sceptics), syncretic approaches (Middle Platonism, Philo of Alexandria and Neoplatonism). Discussion of Medieval philosophy will include: Patristic philosophy (Gnosis, Greek and Latin Apologetics and Systematics - Augustine of Hippo), Early Medieval Neoplatonism (Boethius, Pseudo-Dionysius, Origen), 11th century early Scholasticism (the dialectic/antidialectic dispute, Anselm of Canterbury), 11th/12th century Chartres Renaissance, 11th/12th century universals dispute (realism, nominalism, conceptualism - Abelard), 12th century Mysticism (Bernard of Clairvaux, the Victorian School), Jewish and Arab philosophy (Avicenna, Averoes, Avicebron, Maimonides), early Scholasticism (creation
of universities and the scholastic method), 13th century doctrinal movements (Latin Averroism, Aristotelianism of Albertus Magnus and Thomas Aquinas, Augustinianism), 14th century movements (Thomism, Duns Scotus and Scotism, William of Ockham and nominalism), Mysticism (Johannes Eckhart). The material covered in the lectures is supplemented by selected readings from the history of philosophy.