PHILOSOPHY 210: MEDIEVAL PHILOSOPHY

Earlham College, Spring Semester 2006-2007
Monday, Thursday 1:00-2:20. Meetinghouse Wymondham Room
Instructor: Ferit Güven
Office: Carpenter 328
Office Hours: Monday 11:00-12:00, Wednesday 11:00-12:00
Office Phone: 983-1399
e-mail: guvenfe@earlham.edu
web page: http://www.earlham.edu/~guvenfe

Course Description: This course will be an introduction to medieval philosophy. Since this period is in and of itself a very large field, in this course we will concentrate on specific concepts, thinkers and topics. We will approach medieval mysticism from different philosophical, religious and cultural perspectives (Christian, Muslim and Jewish). Rather than attempting a comprehensive analysis, we will concentrate on a few mystical/philosophical works of these traditions. We will try to understand these works in relation to Ancient Greek philosophy in general and Platonism (& Neoplatonism) in particular.

Required Texts: (available in the Earlham College bookstore)
Plotinus, The Enneads (Penguin Classics). ISBN: 014044520X
Augustine, The Confessions of St. Augustine, (Signet Classics, 1960).ISBN: 0451527801
Maimonides, The Guide for the Perplexed, (Dover Publications; Revised Ed edition, May 2000). ISBN: 0486203514
Meister Eckhart, The Essential Sermons, Commentaries, Treatises and Defense (Classics of Western Spirituality). ISBN: 0809123703
In addition to these texts, there will be readings from Ibn-i Sina, Hadewijch of Antwerp, Mechthild of Magdeburg, and Marguerite Porete on reserve at the Lilly Library and in the Philosophy Department.

Course Requirements:  This course will be conducted in a seminar format.  Therefore, attandance and participation are important dimensions of the course and your grade.  I expect you to come to class prepared and ready to participate, i.e., having read the text carefully, and ready to raise and answer questions. 
You are required to write 4 papers ( 6-8 pages long). I will provide paper topics for these papers.
Each student will prepare a protocol. A protocol is a carefully edited summary/notes of the previous two class sessions written in full sentences. Protocols will be 2 single-spaced pages and will be photocopied by the student who wrote it and handed out to all students at the beginning of each week to be read aloud.  The protocol will serve as a cumulative record of the course. In addition to reviewing the material covered in the previous class, it should include announcements made in class and questions not addressed in class. The best protocols will be those that do not simply reproduce word for word everything that was said during class, but that rearrange the material thematically, editing out what was unimportant and emphasizing what was significant. One of the advantages of the protocols is to allow you to think during class and not just take notes; because someone will be taking notes for you, you can concentrate on the ideas being presented, and participate without having to write constantly. Also, you will have a summary of every class which will help you with writing papers.
There will be no final examination. 

Your grade will be calculated according to the following distribution: Papers 20% each= 80%; Protocol=10%; Attandence and Participation=10%

Participation and Attendance:
Even though participation counts for only 10% of your grade, it may still mean a lot if you are between two grades, e.g., A and A-. However, I expect you to participate not simply for the sake of your grade, but hopefully because you will be interested in what will be discussed in class.
If you miss more than three classes you will fail this course regardless of your grade.

Our sessions will start at 1:00 pm. Students are expected to come on time. Walking in and out of the classroom while the session is in progress is extremely disruptive for everybody. I ask you not to do these. I will mark late students absent, and reduce their grade.

Office hours are for students to discuss ideas, assignments and questions. You are encouraged and welcome to come by my office or make appointments for times other than scheduled office hours. You should take advantage of office hours and appointments not simply to discuss your papers (you are obviously welcome to do that too) but also to understand ideas, and texts discussed in class.

Any student with a documented disability (e.g., physical, learning, psychiatric, vision, hearing etc.) who needs to arrange reasonable accommodations must contact the instructor and Disability Services Office (Academic Support Services) at the beginning of the semester. Accommodation arrangements must be made during the first-two weeks of the semester.

Calender: There will be several modifications to this calendar. It is your responsibility to be aware of these changes. These changes will be announced in class. If you miss a class you should make sure that you are informed about the assignments for the next session.

Week 1:
August 24:  Introduction to the course

Week 2:
August 28:  Plotinus, Selections from The Enneads
August 31: The Enneads

Week 3:
September 4:  The Enneads
September 7:  The Enneads

Week 4:
September 11:  Augustine, Confessions
September 14:  Confessions, 1st paper due

Week 5:
September 18:  Confessions
September 21:  Confessions

Week 6:
September 25: Confessions
September 28: Confessions

Week 7:
October 2:  Avicenna, Selections from The Metaphysics of The Healing
October 5:  The Metaphysics of The Healing

Week 8:
October 9:  The Metaphysics of The Healing
October 12: The Metaphysics of The Healing

Week 9:
October 16: Maimonides, The Guide for the Perplexed, 2nd paper due
October 19:  Midsemester Break

Week 10:
October 23: The Guide for the Perplexed
October 26: The Guide for the Perplexed

Week 11:    
October 30:  The Guide for the Perplexed
November 2: The Guide for the Perplexed

Week 12:
November 6: Meister Eckhart, Sermons 2, 5, 6, 15, 22, 48, 52, 53, 83
November 9: Meister Eckhart, The Book of Benedictus, 209-239

Week 13:
November 13: Meister Eckhart, "On Detachment"
November 16: Hadewijch of Antwerp, Selections from The Complete Works, 3rd paper due

November 20-November 23:  Fall Break 

Week 14:
November 27:  Mechtild of Magdeburg, Selections from The Flowing Light of the Godhead
November 30:  Marguerite Porete, Selections from The Mirror of Simple Souls

Week 15:
December 4:  Review
December 7:  Evaluation

December 11: Final Paper due (@5:00pm)