Syllabus
Syllabus
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PHIL 6450-01 – Spring 2020 – Avicenna and Aquinas
Prof. Eleonore Stump
Adorjan Hall 202 (SLU)
(314) 977-3158
email: eleonore.stump@slu.edu
Secretary: Barb Manning
Barb’s e-mail and phone number: barbara.manning@slu.edu 314-977-3647
Prof. Jon McGinnis
550 Lucas Hall (UMSL)
(314) 516-5439
email: mcginnis@umsl.edu
Office hours with either professor are by appointment only.
Link to website: https://sites.google.com/slu.edu/avicennaandaquinasseminar/home
A. Goal of the seminar:
Avicenna and Aquinas’s works are foundational for the subsequent history of both Eastern and Western philosophical and theological thought, not only for their historical influence but also for the depth and richness of their philosophical views. Additionally, the metaphysics of Aquinas and Avicenna is foundational for all the rest of their philosophical and theological work. Their thought, however, greatly influenced and was greatly influenced by the works of not only by their Greek predecessors but also by their predecessors in all three of the Abrahamic traditions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. While the influence Aquinas on much of our European intellectual heritage is recognized, the philosophical and theological thought of Aquinas’ Muslim predecessors is much less well known to contemporary philosophers than that of the thinkers in the other two religious traditions. Moreover, the Muslim philosophical and theological works are themselves rich and deep and worthy of study. Their thought is as philosophically significant as it is historically important. In this seminar, we will present and examine one of the most important medieval Muslim philosophers and his metaphysical thought, namely, Avicenna, and how his philosophical theology affected the metaphysical work of Aquinas’s. Our aim is to understand the thought of both thinkers in their own right and as they are related to each other.
B. Required Reading:
Avicenna, The Metaphysics of The Healing, trans. and ed. Michael E. Marmura. Provo, UT: Brigham Young University Press, 2005 (available on the class website in PDF form).
Avicenna, Selected Readings from Classical Arabic Philosophy (available on the class website in PDF form).
Thomas Aquinas. Summa theologiae (ST). Translated by Fathers of the English Dominican Province. 1920.
- This text is available online (in PDF form) at: <http://www.op.org/summa/>. Alternately, the Summa may be accessed at < http://www.newadvent.org/summa/>.
All the other readings of work by Aquinas is on the class website: https://sites.google.com/slu.edu/avicennaandaquinasseminar/home
C. Course Requirements:
1. Class Participation
N.B.: It is not possible to lower your grade by class participation. Any attempt to engage philosophical issues by participating in class discussion will be rewarded. Only failure to participate in discussion will adversely affect the grade.
2. One paper, no more than 3500 words, in two drafts.
3. Written comments on another student’s paper.
Timetable for Paper and Comments:*
(a) Appointments to discuss possible paper topics: between February 17 and February 26.
(b) Paper topics approved: no later than February 28.
(c) First Draft - Due date: April 1.
(d) Written comments on the first draft of another student’s paper. Due date: April 15 (Written comments must be at least 1000 words in length.)
(e) Final draft of paper. Due date: May 6 (WEDNESDAY).
* = The due dates for the paper and for the paper topic must be met, unless there is some reason for the tardiness which the professors have approved in advance. Papers late without prior excuse will be suitably penalized.
D. Grading:
1. Class participation = 10% of the final grade.
2. First draft = 30% of final grade.#
3. Final paper = 50% of final grade.#
# = Good grammar and clear thought go together, and evaluation of grammar will make a difference to the grade of the paper. If you feel unsure of either your ability to write or to handle grammar, consult SLU’s Graduate Writing Center for help.
4. Comments on another student's paper = 10% of final grade.*
* = The grade on the student comments will be based on those comments which concern content, not on those which have to do with grammar and style.
E. Explanation of Papers:
Paper Topics: Students should choose their own paper topic, BUT the paper topic must be written out and approved by BOTH Prof. Stump AND Prof. McGinnis. Early in the course students should make arrangements to have another student write comments on their first drafts. That student's name is to be on the written and approved paper topic and that other student should have initialed this. The written and approved paper topic is to be turned in with BOTH the first and the second drafts of the paper.
First Drafts: First drafts should be prepared in three copies, one for Prof. Stump, one for Prof. McGinnis, and one for the student writing comments. Written comments on the first drafts should also be prepared in three copies, one for Prof. Stump, one for Prof. McGinnis, and one for the student whose paper was the subject of the comments. The written and approved paper topic should also be turned in with the first draft. We will discuss the nature of the papers and the written comments in class. If papers are not submitted in class, they are to be submitted to the Philosophy Department.
When the final paper is submitted, the student MUST include also copies of the written and approved paper topic, the first draft, both professors’ comments on that first draft and the comments of the student commentator. CAVEAT: It is the students’ responsibility to keep copies of all materials submitted.
N.B. This syllabus is subject to change in accordance with the needs of the seminar.
F. Reading Schedule:
Readings should be read before the date listed so that a discussion can take place.
Readings Date
1. Introduction January 15
2. Avicenna, Metaphysics, I.1–4, pp.1-21
"Avicenna on the Division of the Sciences" January 22
(conception of philosophy and science)
3. Aquinas, On De Trinitate (website) January 29
Sentence Commentary (website)
(theology as a science)
4. Avicenna, Classical Arabic Philosophy pp.156–63, 209-11 February 5
Avicenna, Metaphysics, Bk. II, pp.45-70
Optional supplemental reading: Avicenna, Metaphysics, Bk. VI
(the principles of nature)
5. Avicenna, Classical Arabic Philosophy, pp.175–209 February 12
6. Aquinas, On the Principles of Nature (website)
(the Principles of Nature) February 19
(general psychology)
7. Aquinas, ST I qq.79, 84 February 26
(the mechanisms of cognition)
[Paper topics approved no later than February 28]
8. Avicenna, Classical Arabic Philosophy, pp.211–216 March 4 Metaphysics, I.5–8, pp.22-44; IV.2;, pp.157-161 and IX.1, pp.299-306
(ontology)
9. NO CLASS – SPRING BREAK SLU March 11
10. Aquinas, On essence and existence (website) Class Canceled March 18
(theory of being)
11. NO CLASS – SPRING BREAK UMSL March 25
12. Avicenna, Metaphysics, I.7, pp.34-37 April 1
Bk. VIII, pp.257-298
(the divine attributes and the nature of simplicity)
[First draft due: April 1]
13. Aquinas, DQP, On God’s simplicity (website) April 8
(divine simplicity)
14. Avicenna, Metaphysics, IX.3–X.1, pp.318-363 April 15
(providence and the afterlife)
[Written student comments on first draft due: April 15]
15. Aquinas, ST I qq.21-22 April 22
(providence)
16. Summary and retrospective April 2
[Final draft due: WEDNESDAY, May 6]