B5214 - History of Medieval Philosophy (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, students will have an advanced awareness of the relevance of a multidisciplinary approach to the analysis of philosophical schools in the ancient and medieval world. They will be able to analyse the phenomena in question using the tools of several disciplines. They will be able to apply research methods to the analysis of problems relating to medieval philosophy. They will be able to present the results of their research in the form of a project, critically analysing the methodologies and historiographical approaches used and communicating the results of their own historical-philosophical research.

Course contents

Eternal Life? Philosophy and Eschatology in the First Half of the 13th Century

Defining eternity is complicated. Medieval authors who tackle the question agree in attributing to it characteristics opposite to temporality. Yet they soon find themselves having to reckon with the need to identify different degrees of eternity: God, for instance, cannot be eternal in the same way as the Aristotelian world, or as the future promised to the blessed, still less as the punishment inflicted on the damned. There exist, then, gray areas in which time and eternity intersect, giving rise to problematic intermediate states, especially from an eschatological perspective.

In this regard, the first decades of the 13th century constitute a very interesting conceptual laboratory. William of Auvergne, Alexander of Hales, and Albert the Great are just a few examples of the numerous attempts to explain what eternity is—and, above all, what the absence of time consists in after the corruption of the body.

After a general introduction to the problem, the course offers a guided reading of selected passages from these authors, with the aim of reconstructing the philosophical sources underlying the eschatological conception of the early thirteenth century.

 

Course Summary

 Of the 15 lessons (two hours each):

• 3 lessons will be devoted to a general introduction to medieval thought, with particular attention to the problem of eternity within the philosophical and theological context of the 13th century;
• 12 lessons will be devoted to reading (in Italian translation) texts by William of Auvergne, Alexander of Hales, and Albert the Great.

Readings/Bibliography

1. Introduction to the history of medieval philosophy (one of the listed texts)

• G. Catapano, Filosofie medievali. Dalla tarda antichità all'Umanesimo, Carocci, Roma 2024, pp. 9-225.
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• R. Saccenti, Storia della filosofia medievale, Le Monnier Università, Milano 2026 (ISBN: 978880864442), pp. 14-243.

The use of university-level textbooks other than the one indicated must be agreed upon with the instructor.

Those who have already taken an exam in History of Medieval Philosophy during an undergraduate degree program may contact the instructor to request an alternative reading to the textbook.

2. Texts

• Alexander de Hales, Quaestiones disputatae quae ad rerum universitatem pertinent, ed. H.M. Wierzbickki, Grottaferrata 2013 (The Italian translation of selected passages will be made available on Virtuale.);

• Albertus Magnus, De IV coaequaevis, tr. II, q. 3 (De aeternitate), art. I-IV, ed. A. Borgnet, Paris 1879. (The Italian translation of selected passages will be made available on Virtuale.);

• Guillelmus Alvernus, De universo creaturarum, I, 2, ed. F. Hotot, apud Andreas Palard, Orléans, Parisiis 1674 (représente. Frankfurt am Main 1963). (The Italian translation of selected passages will be made available on Virtuale.).

 

3. Critical studies (one of the listed texts)

• A. Colli, Aevum, aeterna tempora, and tempus generale between history and metaphysics. A note on the Patristic reading of time and duration, in: Freiburger Zeitschrift für Philosophie und Theologie, 70.1 (2023), pp. 229-245;

• R. Fox, Time and Eternity in Mid-Thirteenth-Century Thought, Oxford University Press, New York 2006, pp. 282-308;

• B. Leftow, Time and Eternity, Cornell University Press, Ithaca-London 1991, pp. 112-146;

• P. Porro, Il vocabolario filosofico medievale del tempo e della durata, in: R. Capasso - P. Piccari (a cura di), Il tempo nel Medioevo. Rappresentazioni storiche e concezioni filosofiche, Società Italiana di Demodossalogia, Roma 2000, pp. 63-102;

• R. J. Teske, William of Auvergne on Time and Eternity, in: Traditio, 55 (2000), pp. 125-141;

• A. Sannino, "Quod anima sit in horizonte quorum mundorum". Psicologia e antropologia in Guglielmo d'Alvernia, in: A. Beccarisi, A. Palazzo (ed.), Per studium et dottrina. Fonti e testi di filosofia medievale dal XII al XIV secolo, Aracne, Roma 2018, pp. 41-55;

• H. Anzulewicz, Aeternitas - Aevum - Tempus: The Concept of Time in the System of Albert the Great, in: P. Porro (ed.), The Medieval Concept of Time, Brill, Leiden-Boston-Köln, 2001, pp. 83-129.

 

For NON-attending students:

One of the following text is recommended reading:

• R. Fox, Time and Eternity in Mid-Thirteenth-Century Thought, Oxford University Press, New York 2006, pp. 10-49, 244-308;

• Y. Melamed, Eternity. A History, Oxford University Press, New York 2016, pp. 14-55, 75-116.

 

Teaching methods

The course includes a series of introductory lectures and subsequent guided reading of the texts under examination.

Some of the texts listed in the bibliography, as well as any slides, will be made available on Virtuale. Therefore, it is advisable to wait until the course begins before obtaining exam materials.

The lectures will NOT be recorded.

Assessment methods

Oral Examination. It is recommended to bring the texts to the exam, as part of the test will consist of reading and commenting on them.

30 cum laude - Excellent as to knowledge, philosophical lexicon and critical expression.

30 – Excellent: knowledge is complete, well argued and correctly expressed, with some slight faults.

27-29 – Good: thorough and satisfactory knowledge; essentially correct expression.

24-26 - Fairly good: knowledge broadly acquired, and not always correctly expressed.

21-23 – Sufficient: superficial and partial knowledge; exposure and articulation are incomplete and often not sufficiently appropriate

18-20 - Almost sufficient: superficial and decontextualized knowledge. The exposure of the contents shows important gaps.

Exam failed - Students are requested to show up at a subsequent exam session if basic skills and knowledge are not sufficiently acquired and not placed in the historical-philosophical context.

 

Students with disabilities and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students with disabilities or Specific Learning Disorders have the right to special adjustments according to their condition, following an assessment by the Service for Students with Disabilities and SLD. Please do not contact the instructor but get in touch with the Service directly to schedule an appointment. It will be the responsibility of the Service to determine the appropriate adjustments. For more information, visit the page: https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students .

It is recommended that students contact the University office in advance. Any proposed adjustments must be submitted at least 15 days in advance for the instructor’s approval, who will evaluate their appropriateness in relation to the learning objectives of the course.

 

Exam sessions
During the 2026/2027 academic year (1st october 2026 - 30th september 2027), exam sessions are scheduled in the following months: October, January, March, May, June, July, September.

Teaching tools

Some texts of bibliography and eventual slides shown during the course will be available on Virtuale.

Office hours

See the website of Andrea Colli