Syllabus Aquinas & Aristotle On Divine Being Fall 2022

Simple Index of Course Webpages 2022 Fall MU & KUL

Syllabus Aquinas and Aristotle on Divine Being Fall 2022

Marquette University: Phil 6640 Thomas Aquinas.
Marquette University starting 1 September 2022. Location: Raynor Library 320a.

KU Leuven: Aquinas in Context

Katholieke Universiteit Leuven starting 6 October 2022. (See assignment for 29 September below.)

Day and Time: MU Thursdays 09:00-11:40 US Central Time, KUL 16h-19h CET
Language of instruction: English.

Syllabus: Some updates forthcoming

Some Recommended Summer Reading Before Class Begins
Christopher Shields, “Aristotle,” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (SEP) available online.
Barnes, Jonathan, Aristotle: A Very Short Introduction, second edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2015. Available online via Marqcat.
Christopher Shields, Aristotle, Oxford and New York: Routledge, 2014. Available online via Marqcat.
Pasquale Porro, Thomas Aquinas: A Historical and Philosophical Profile, Washington, D.C.: The Catholic University of America, 2016. Available online via Marqcat.
Rudi A. te Velde, Aquinas on God. The ‘Divine Science’ of the Summa Theologiae, Aldershot, Hants, English and Burlington, VT: Ashgate, 2006. Available online via Marqcat.

Course Syllabus: some updates forthcoming

Student Class Presentations Starting 13 October: Assignments for Presenters and Other Students. (MU student teams will be selected by a random team generator.)
Student Presenter teams of 2-3 students will be assigned to prepare presentations on texts and topics assigned by the instructors. Presentations will be made at class weekly followed by discussion and questions for an hour or a bit more.
(1) Instructions for Student Presenter teams:
From their research on the assigned texts and topic presenters are to provide by Tuesday 11:59 pm US Central Time / 6h59 CET a handout of no more than 6 single spaced pages plus a 2 page bibliography. This is to be sent to the instructors via email and posted on TEAMS before the deadline.
On Thursday the Student Presenter team will make a summary oral presentation of 10-12 minutes (no more) which will be followed by comments by the instructors and then general discussion.
(2) Instructions for Other Class Students: Other students in the class are to post two questions only on the texts, topic and Student team presentation on TEAMS no later than Wednesday 4:59 pm US Central Time / 23h59 CET. This is part of the MU student participation grade for the course. For KUL students it is a simple expectation for any serious student of philosophy. Students who do not post questions should expect that the instructors will ask questions of them regarding the course materials.

1 Sept 2022 Introductions: the course, its structure and resources; Aristotle; the Arabic Tradition; Aquinas.
Required Readings
Primary sources: Aristotle, The Categories, translated by H. P. Cooke, Loeb Classical Library, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. 1938. Chapters 1-5.
Available online via Marqcat: Search for “Loeb classical library”. Alas, the Marqcat version is clumsy and hard to work with. It is better that you use the Internet Archive for the Loeb classical series.
Secondary sources:
Christopher Shields, “Aristotle,” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (SEP) available online.
Barnes, Jonathan, Aristotle: A Very Short Introduction, second edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2015. Available online via Marqcat.
Recommended:
Christopher Shields, Aristotle, Oxford and New York: Routledge, 2014. Available online via Marqcat.
Paul Studtmann, “Aristotle’s Categories,” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (SEP)

8 Sept 2022 Aristotle: Physics 2; Metaphysics 1.1-3; 4.1-2; A conversation with Dr. Elisa Coda on Divine Being in Themistius: Sources and Influence.
Required Readings
Primary sources: Aristotle, Physics, Philip H. Wicksteed, tr., and Metaphysics, Hugh Tredennick, tr. Available online via Marqcat: Search for “Loeb classical library” Alas, the Marqcat version is clumsy and hard to work with. It is better that you use the Internet Archive for the Loeb classical series.
Secondary sources:
Istvan Bodnar, “Aristotle’s Natural Philosophy,” SEP 2018.
S. Mark Cohen, “Aristotle’s Metaphysics,” SEP 2020.
Recommended: Christopher Shields, Aristotle, Oxford and New York: Routledge, 2014. Available online via Marqcat.

15 Sept 2022 Readings in Aristotle: Metaphysics selections 5.7, 6.1, 12.7-10.
Required Reading
Primary sources: Aristotle: Metaphysics. Available online via Marqcat: Search for “Loeb classical library” Again, the Marqcat version is clumsy and hard to work with. It is better that you use the Internet Archive for the Loeb classical series.
Secondary Sources:
S. Mark Cohen, “Aristotle’s Metaphysics,” SEP 2020.
Recommended: Christopher Shields, Aristotle, Oxford and New York: Routledge, 2007.

22 Sept 2022: Prof. Taylor in Rome – CHANGE OF PLANS, TRIP CANCELED.
For class on this day I will present to you the paper I sent to Rome and we will discuss aspects of the thought of Aquinas as set out in the two books listed below for your study.
Secondary Sources:
Required Reading
Pasquale Porro, Thomas Aquinas: A Historical and Philosophical Profile, Washington, D.C.: The Catholic University of America, 2016. Available online via Marqcat.
Rudi A. te Velde, Aquinas on God. The ‘Divine Science’ of the Summa Theologiae, Aldershot, Hants, English and Burlington, VT: Ashgate, 2006. Available online via Marqcat.

29 Sept 2022 MU: Classroom presentation and discussion of The Metaphysics of Being and Creation in the Arabic Philosophical Tradition and Its Importance for Aquinas: 29 Sept 2022 KUL: No Class meeting. KUL Student Assignment: Read and Study The Metaphysics of Being and Creation in the Arabic Philosophical Tradition and Its Importance for Aquinas: http://richardctaylor.info/the-metaphysics-of-being-and-creation-in-the-arabic-philosophical-tradition-and-its-importance-for-aquinas/

29 Sept 2022 KUL: No Class meeting. KUL Student Assignment: Read and Study The Metaphysics of Being and Creation in the Arabic Philosophical Tradition and Its Importance for Aquinas: http://richardctaylor.info/the-metaphysics-of-being-and-creation-in-the-arabic-philosophical-tradition-and-its-importance-for-aquinas/

6 October 2022: First Connection with Leuven
9-9:45 Introduction to the joint class: purposes and structures
9:45-10:20 Introduction to Divine Being in Aristotle: Prof. Owen Goldin
10:20-10:30 break
10:30-11:00 Introduction to Divine Being in the Arabic Tradition: Prof. Taylor
11:00-11:40 Introduction to Divine Being in the Christian Tradition and Aquinas: Prof. Robiglio
11:40 MU class dismissed
11:40-12:00 Discussion with KUL students and reiteration of key points on the course goals and structures and any other questions.

Marquette Teams: (1) Spease, Thom, Plested; (2) Bennett, Paffenroth, Jaworski; (3) Czemik, Anderson, Vaughn; (4) Syler, Levine, Zagar; (5) Quesnel, Dong, Carlson. Note: Student Teams have been revised 7 October due to a student’s exit from the course. There are now 5 teams. Assignments for 10 & 17 November have also been revised. See below.

13 October 2022: Prof. Taylor at KULeuven, Paul Quesnel handling MU connection. MU students present on Aristotle and Avicenna
Presentation 1: MU Team 1 Spease, Thom, Plested: Aristotle on Divine Being in Metaphysics Lambda and some related texts: Aristotle, Metaphysics 12.7-10. Class Readings: Primary texts to be read are Aristotle, Metaphysics, 12.7-10. Recommended secondary literature can be found in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: “Aristotle,” “Aristotle’s Metaphysics,” “Aristotle on Causality;” also see Stephen Menn, “Aristotle’s Theology” in The Oxford Handbook of Aristotle, ed. C.Shields, 2012. MU Team 1 will delving more deeply in their analyses in their presentation.

Instructions for Presenting Team: From their research on the assigned texts and topic, presenter teams are to provide (by 11:59 pm US Central Time Tuesday for MU students / 6h59 CET Wednesday for KUL students) a handout of no more than 6 single spaced pages plus a 2 page bibliography. NOTE: This is to be sent to the instructors via email and posted on TEAMS before the deadline. On Thursday, the Student Presenter team will make a summary oral presentation of 10-12 minutes (no more, cut off at 12 min.) which will be followed by comments by the instructors and then general discussion.

Presentation 2: MU Team 2 Bennett, Paffenroth, Jaworski: Avicenna on Divine Being in his Metaphysics. Class Readings: For understanding Avicenna’s metaphysics it is important to see how he begins with the first four chapters of Book 1 (1.1-4, Marmura translation). But for our limited time these are the major texts on which to focus for our topic of Divine Being: 1.5 on the ideas of “existent,” “thing,” and “necessary.” Note 1.5 (24) on the necessary; 1.6-7 begins his account of the Necessary Existent; the discussions found in Books 8 and 9 are key for our topic. For secondary sources, see Olga Lizzini’s “Ibn Sina’s Metaphysics” in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy and Amos Bertolacci’s “Arabic and Islamic Metaphysics” also n the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Also for an overview of this thinker’s work, see D. Gutas, “Ibn Sina [Avicenna],” as well n the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. MU Team 2 will go deeper into the texts and secondary literature.

KULeuven students should see these Introductory lectures on the Metaphysics of Ibn Sina / Avicenna

20 October 2022:
Presentation 3: KUL Team 1 Ernesto and Gwendoline: Aristotle and Avicenna on Divine Being in Metaphysics Lambda. Knowledge of French required: Ibn Sīnā (Avicenne), Commentaire sur le livre lambda de la Métaphysique d’Aristote (chapitres 6-10), édition critique, traduction et notes par Marc Geoffroy, Jules Janssens et Meryem Sebti. Paris: Vrin, 2014. For this KUL Team 1 will need knowledge of French or Arabic. We want their presentation to focus on this Commentary on Aristotle by Ibn Sīnā (Avicenna) analyzing the latter’s account of Divine Being.

Change of Plans for Part 2: Presentation 4: Prof. Taylor on Aristotle and Averroes on Divine Being in Metaphysics Lambda. Class Readings: LINK. Also view this video lecture: Averroes on the Metaphysics of Aristotle, Book Lam /Lambda.
R. Taylor, “Averroes’ Philosophical Conception of Separate Intellect and God,” in La lumière de l’intellect : La pensée scientifique et philosophique d’Averroès dans son temps. ed. Ahmad Hasnawi, (Leuven: Peeters (2011), pp. 391-404;
“Averroes: God and the Noble Lie,” in Laudemus viros gloriosos. Essays in Honor of Armand Maurer, CSB, ed. R. E. Houser, (Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press, (2007), 38-59;
“Providence in Averroes,” in Fate, Providence and Moral Responsibility in Ancient, Medieval and Early Modern Thought. Collected Studies in Honour of Carlos Steel, ed. by Pieter d’Hoine and Gerd Van Riel (Ancient and Medieval Philosophy, De Wulf – Mansion Centre, Series I), (Leuven: KUL University Press, 2014) 454-472. The text of Ibn Rushd / Averroes is available in the Varia collection.

27 October 2022
Presentation 5: KUL Team 2: Aristotle and ps-Aristotle (Plotiniana Arabica, Liber de causis) on Divine Being. Class Readings: (i) The assigned readings for the Plotiniana Arabica are selections from the Sayings of the Greek Sage in Wakelnig (ed & tr) A Philosophy Reader from the Circle of Miskawayh (2014) 69-101: Link. Also read the article “The Theology of Aristotle,” by Peter Adamson in SEP: Link. (ii) The assigned reading for the Discourse on the pure Good / Kalām fī maḥḍ al-kahir / Arabic Liber de causis is chapters 1, 3-5 and 8 (in my recent translation): Link. Also read Taylor, R. C., 2021, “Contextualizing the Kalam fi mahd al-khair Liber de causis,” in Varia. Also recommended for those who read French is Taylor 2021, “La Causalité dans le Discours sur le Bien pur, ou Liber de causis arabe,” in available in Varia. Watch these two video lectures: (1) Creation in Pre-Avicennian Philosophy and (2) Creation in the Plotiniana Arabica and the Liber de causis. Extra for the presenters or other interested parties: In the Plotiniana Arabica folder in Varia you will find translations of most of the the Plotiniana Arabica. You should also consult the 2002 book of Peter Adamson, The Arabic Plotinus: a Philosophical Study of the “Theology of Aristotle”, London: Duckworth. For more on the Liber de causis, do a bibliographic search for the articles of Cristina D’Ancona.

Presentation 6: KUL Team 3: Aquinas on Divine Essence: In 1 Sent., d.8, q.1, a.1 Utrum esse proprie dicatur de Deo (“Whether being (esse) is properly said of God”) and d.8, q.4, a.2. Utrum Deus sit in praedicamento substantiae (“Whether God is in the category of substance”). Class assignment: study these texts and bring 2 questions to class. For texts and English translations of Aquinas, follow this Link. Also this new article by our former student, Nathaniel Taylor, has a valuable discussion of Avicenna on Divine Essence and on being and essence in creatures. The article won the Young Scholar Award: Taylor, Nathaniel B. 2022, Substances in Subjects. Instantiation and Existence in Avicenna ACPQ 96. See Varia.

TIME CHANGES: Belgium 30 October 2022; US 6 November 2022.

3 November 2022 (Prof. Robiglio traveling and unavailable) No class connection between Milwaukee & Leuven today.

(1) How to do professional philosophy papers Link;
(2) Dr. Tracy Wietecha video (22 min.) Link;
(3) Prof. Taylor sample paper: Taylor 2018, “Averroes and the Philosophical Account of Prophecy,” SGA 8 2018, available in Varia.
Break 10:20-10:30;
(4) MU doctoral student Seth Kreeger on writing articles Link;
(5) Dr. Brett Yardley, De Sales University (MU PhD 2021) on writing book reviews Link;
(6) Student questions and discussion.
NOTE: It is required that MU course papers follow the Style Sheet of the Revue de Théologie et Philosophie Médiévale (RTPM). Link Also see https://poj.peeters-leuven.be/content.php?url=journal&journal_code=RTPM. A published sample paper by Luis Xavier López-Farjeat, “Avicenna’s Influence on Aquinas’ Early Doctrine of Creation in In II Sent. D. 1, Q. 1, A. 2,” RTMP 2012 is available in Varia.

10 November 2022 (Prof. Robiglio at Notre Dame, present at class via TEAMS)
Presentation 7: MU Team 3 Czemik, Anderson, Vaughn: Aquinas, On the Principles of Nature. Text and Translation is available HERE. For this be sure to make use of R. E. Houser, “Avicenna and Aquinas’s De principiis naturae,” The Thomist 76.4 2012.

Presentation 8: MU Team 4 Syler, Levine, Zagar: Aquinas, Commentary on the Sentences, Book 2, distinction 1, question 1, article 1: Whether there are many first principles. English translation available HERE. Additional recommended texts in Aquinas include Commentary on the Sentences, Book 2, distinction 1, question 1, articles 2-4, found via the same link, but the majority of focus should be on article 1.

17 November 2022: This week students should study carefully Aquinas, De Ente et Essentia / On Being and Essence, a short work written in response to a request from his Dominican brothers while also writing his huge Commentary on the Sentences.

Presentation 9: Video presentation: Aquinas, De Ente et Essentia, chapters 1-4. Seth Kreeger, MU doctoral student. Seth is traveling for a conference and is providing us with a video lecture on these chapters of De Ente.

Presentation 10: MU (5) Quesnel, Dong: Aquinas, De Ente et Essentia, chapters 5-6. Further information forthcoming.

24 November 2022: THANKSGIVING No MU class
KUL: Summary review and more TBA

1 December 2022
Presentation 11: KUL Team 4: Alma, Dai and Matthew. Aquinas on Aristotle, Metaphysics Book Lambda, Chapters 5-12. Text available at https://isidore.co/aquinas/Metaphysics.htm for the English translation and at https://www.corpusthomisticum.org/cmp12.html for the Latin text. Secondary sources: Leo Elders, Aristotle’s Theology. A Commentary on a Book of the Metaphysics, (Van Gorcum 1972); James C. Doig, Aquinas on Metaphysics- A Historico-doctrinal Study of the Commentary on the Metaphysics (The Hague Martinus Nijhoff, 1972); J. Wippel , “Thomas Aquinas’s Commentary on Aristotle’s Metaphysics” in Metaphysical Themes in Thomas Aquinas II 2007. More: All students should read R. E. Houser, “Aquinas the Avicennian: Prologue to the Commentary on Aristotle’s Metaphysics,” Proceedings of the American Catholic Philosophical Association 93 (2019) 23-38, available in Varia.

Presentation 12: KUL Team 5 (Zerui Cheng, Hanbing Yan, and Sarah Marie Leitenberger). Aquinas on Aristotle, Metaphysics Book 4, Gamma. Latin text available at: https://www.corpusthomisticum.org/cmp04.html. English translation available at https://isidore.co/aquinas/Metaphysics4.htm

Secondary sources: E. Gilson, ” Les principes et les causes”, Revue Thomiste, 52 (1952), pp. 39-63 (revised version published as Chapter II of the posthumous E. Gilson,Constantes philosophiques de l’être, Paris: Vrin, 1983) – D. Goldstick, “Could God Make a Contradiction True?”, Religious Studies, 26 (1990), No. 3, pp. 377-387 – J. P. Hochschild, “Thomas Aquinas Magister Ludi: The Relation of Medieval Logic and Theology”, Hungarian Philosophical Review 64 (2020), N° 4, pp. 43-62 – P. C. Courtes,L’être et le non-être selon saint Thomas d’Aquin (Paris: Librairie Téqui, 1998) – F. Inciarte, “Aristotle and Aquinas: The Principle of the Excluded Middle”, History of Philosophy & Logical Analysis, 2 (1999), N° 1, pp. 139–148.

8 December 2022 Final Class for MU Students

Chapters 4 and 8 of the Arabic Liber de causis are for Aquinas chapters 4-5 and 9. Translations by Prof. Taylor of the Arabic texts and the Latin texts with Aquinas’s Commentary are available via THIS LINK. Latin texts of Aquinas are available at https://www.corpusthomisticum.org/cdc00.html and https://www.corpusthomisticum.org/cdc01.html.

Presentation 13: KUL Team 6: Xingyun, Jesse, and Petros. Aquinas’s Commentary on LDC 4 (= Aquinas’s 4 & 5) on “the first of created things is being”. This presentation should be a careful analysis of this complex commentary by Aquinas on a chapter of the Liber de causis which had widespread influence. (In Fall 2021 a Dubin conference was devoted to the interpretation of this chapter of the LDC. Those papers are now in press but not available for us.)

Presentation 14: KUL Team 7: Bernice, Vipin, Antonia and Ivan. Aquinas’s Commentary on Liber de causis ch.9.

15 December 2022: No Class. Christmas party for Philosophy Institute students at 16h00.

16 December 2022 (Friday): 9 KUL student short presentations:

Gwendoline Bossert, Ernesto Fuentes Padgett, Mohamad Ali Nanah, Dorian Dumitriu Draghici, Alma Bahman Pour Shiraz, Bernardo Zamora, Tobian Habel Pesik, Dai Wan, Matthew Schaper

22 December 2022: 9 KUL student short presentations:

Zerui Cheng, Hanbing Yan, Sarah Marie Leitenberger, Xingyun Jiang, Jesse Germans, Petros Gkionis, Bernice Brijan, Vipin Varghese Vanchipura, Antonia Gkremi Liadi, Ivan Borgen

NOTE: There are no KUL conflicts with All Saints’ Day, All Souls’ Day, Armistice Day