in the garden of the KUL Institute of Philosophy
Simple Index Page: click HERE
Welcome: Brief course description
[I]n philosophia demonstratur aliquid resolvendo ad prima principia . . . . . “In philosophy something is demonstrated by resolving it to first principles . . . . . ” (tr. slightly modified). Albertus Magnus, Super Dionysium De divinis nominibus. p.80. (Cited in B. Blackenhorn, The Mystery of Union with God. Dionysian Mysticism in Albert the Great and Thomas Aquinas, Washington, D.C.: CUA Press, p.138-9, n.49)
[I]n demonstrationibus certitudo est per resolutionem ad prima principia, quorum est intellectus . . . . . “Certainty in demonstrations is through resolution to first principles.” Thomas Aquinas, In 2 Sent., d.9, q.1, a.7, ad 1.
Aristotle, Metaphysics, Book Δ (5) (Book of Definitions), Chapter 1 on ἀρκὴ (archē) and its meanings: 1012b34-1013a24. Translation and analysis of the Greek: click HERE. Loeb Classical Library via MU Marqcat, click HERE.
Aquinas, Commentary on the Metaphysics of Aristotle, Book V, on Chapter 1, principium. Click HERE.
Fall 2020 Aquinas and the Arabic Tradition: First Principles.
MU Phil 6959 Thursdays 09:00-11:40 MU
KUL “Aquinas in Context” Thursdays 16h-18h
Language of instruction: English.
This MU course is taught in collaboration with the annual “Aquinas in Context” graduate course at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KUL) in Belgium taught by both Prof. Andrea Robiglio and Prof. Richard Taylor. (Responsibility for grading at MU is with Prof. Taylor. Responsibility for grading at KUL is with both Prof. Robiglio and Prof. Taylor. )
In recent years a new approach to the study of the thought of Thomas Aquinas has revealed the profound depth of influence that the Arabic Classical Rationalist Tradition of al-Farabi, Ibn Sina (Avicenna), Ibn Rushd (Averroes) and others on his teachings on metaphysics, theory of human knowing, conception of the human soul, account of ultimate happiness and much more. For Fall 2020 we will follow this approach with the course topic of “first principles” in its many senses in philosophical sciences, including metaphysics, natural philosophy, natural epistemology, ethics and more.
Course Structure
In this course students are provided with assigned readings and some video lectures to be studied before class meetings since this will be largely a ‘flipped course’ with most class time devoted to discussion. See http://richardctaylor.info/detailed-syllabus-for-fall-2020/.
Phase 1 (MU only): 27 August – 24 September
Lectures and intensive study of Aquinas and the Arabic Tradition on metaphysics, theory of human knowing, conception of the human soul, philosophy & religion, proofs of God, and (optional:) account of ultimate happiness.
Phase 2 (MU & KUL) 24 September – 19 November
After an introduction to MU and KUL students of the course and its structure on 24 September, we will proceed with a new class format. In this phase we will have student team presentations on selected key topics and texts. These presentations will start on 8 October. The requirements for these student team presentations are the following: (i) By Tuesday 5 pm US Central Time / midnight CET Leuven Time the student team must post to TEAMS for the entire class — and copy by email to the instructors — a single-spaced handout of no more than 6 pp. + 2 p. bibliography; at class on the following Thursday the student team will make an oral presentation of 8-10 min. to be followed by open discussion for the rest of the hour. There will be two (2) student presentations at each class. The exception will be class on 29 October when we will spend the entire class time on Writing Philosophical Papers and Articles.
Phase 3 (KUL only): 26 November – 17 December continuing class presentations, followed by oral deliveries of précis of proposed course papers.
Grading:
MU Grading: Class attendance is mandatory. Attendance will be via TEAMS. Grade calculations: 25% class discussion throughout the course, 25% team presentations, 50% final course paper of 20-30 pp. plus notes and bibliography due 2 December.
KUL Grading will addressed separately with KUL students.