Medieval Philosophy (PHIL 215.001)

Medieval philosophy endured longer than either ancient or modern philosophy (so far). In some ways, it was more intellectually diverse than our own: Jewish, Christian, and Muslim philosophers engaged with each other, and with the Ancient Greeks. In the last 50 years, there has been a resurgence of interest in this period.

This course offers an overview of medieval philosophy, focusing on the later ‘scholastic’ period. We’ll discuss medieval thought on questions like the connection between faith and reason, the existence of God, the problem of universals, and whether a God with foreknowledge of all that happens is incompatible with human free will. In doing so, we will be joining a longstanding tradition, which extends back over a thousand years.

Luke Elson’s webpage