Philosophy from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance - WEA Sydney

Philosophy from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance

The course covers the great Humanistic writers of the Medieval period such as Boethius, Chaucer, Dante, and Christine de Pizan, then shows the transition to Renaissance ending with Leonardo de Vinci and Erasmus. Our aim in this course is to enter into the strange world of the Medieval mind; walking with angels and beasts, best exemplified by the wonderful artworks of Hieronymus Bosch. We will also consider the contribution of Islamic and Jewish philosophy: much of the science done in the Middle Ages comes from non-Christian thinkers. Major philosophers also included in the course will be: Anselm, Bonaventure, Duns Scotus and Ockham.

DELIVERY MODE

  • Online

COURSE OUTLINE

  • Introduction to Medieval History, Ideas and Philosophy: This week I will introduce some of the key thinkers in the course and historically situate their development. The contribution of Boethius will be discussed.
  • Dante - Walking with Angels and Beasts: We will attempt to understand the unfamiliar world of the medieval mind and experience through their art and literature. Dante’s literature will be considered, and Augustine’s theory of time.
  • Islamic and Jewish philosophy in the Middle Ages: Both traditions produce major thinkers in their own right. We will look at the way in which these two traditions intersect with Christian philosophy. Much of the science done in the Middle Ages comes from non-Christian thinkers.
  • Christine de Pizan:. Pizan, in response to claims by male scholars that women lacked virtue and accomplishments, wrote The Book of the City of Women (1405). In it she argues that history shows that women have already done many of the things which men claimed they could not do. She populates her imaginary city with women from the past, present and future.
  • Philosophical Chaucer - Love, sex and agency: Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales are a fascinating (and fun) way to understand the more secular aspects of Medieval life. Chaucer both mirrors but also critiques his world.
  • Leonardo De Vinci: Leonardo’s empirical eye for grasping the external world was as much in the service of scientific insight as of artistic representation. He explains his theory of a “science of painting” in his notebooks. His three fundamental principles: empiricism, mathematics and mechanics are so essential to the development of Renaissance art and science.
  • Erasmus (1466-1519): We end with Erasmus and his theory of ‘tolerant cosmopolitanism’: “I am a citizen of the world, known to all and to all a stranger” which is both an encouragement of the universality of human society, but is also wary of the displacement it may cause.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

  1. Identify the main aspects of philosophical ideas in the Medieval period.
  2. Situate the philosophical ideas in their historical contexts.
  3. Discuss some of the issues which are raised by the Scholastic and Humanist philosophers.
  4. Discuss the works of: Boethius, Chaucer, Dante, and Christine de Pizan.
  5. Show the transition to Renaissance figures such as Leonardo de Vinci and Erasmus.
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