C8885 - Medieval Philosophy (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

The course aims to provide students with an in-depth knowledge of medieval philosophical and theological thought. Students will learn to recognize the complexity and plurality of intellectual traditions of this period, as well as the continuity and diversity in relation to Ancient thought. The pedagogical approach values theses and ideas, while also exploring the places of culture, sources, translation practices, and methods of preserving and transmitting knowledge. Through the study of the proposed topics, students will develop specific skills in the philological analysis of texts and critical evaluation of secondary literature, acquiring the tools to assess both their historical pertinence and theoretical relevance.

Course contents

The soul-body problem in the Middle Ages

Medieval philosophy encompasses a long historical period and a wide geographical area. Authors from diverse cultures and religious traditions address a variety of philosophical problems, adopting fascinating approaches. Despite the obvious differences, some questions recur across all these contexts. The soul-body problem is one of them. Augustine, Avicenna, Averroes, Thomas Aquinas are only some of the thinkers who devoted their writings to this topic.

After a general introduction to the principal features of medieval thought, the course aims to provide a broad overview of the soul-body problem in the Middle Ages, especially by focusing on Thomas Aquinas' solutions. Throught Aquinas' texts will be possible to reconstruct the different traditions and sources

Summary

Of the 15 lessons (two hours each):

• 5 lessons will be devoted to an introduction to the medieval philosophy;

• 10 lessons will be devoted to the reading and commentary of selected writings

Readings/Bibliography

1. Introduction to Medieval Philosophy

• J. Marenbon, Medieval Philosophy. A very short introduction, OUP, Oxford 2016;

• A. Maurer, Medieval Philosophy. An Introduction, PIMS, Toronto 1982, pp. 3-21, 85-109; 163-191.
  

2. Texts

• Thomas Aquinas, Questions on the Soul, transl. by J.H. Robb, Marquette University Press, Milwaukee 2009 (Selected passages)

3. Critical Literature

• N. Kretzmann, Aquinas's Philosophy of Mind, in: Philosophical Topics, 20.2 (1992), pp. 77-101.
• B.C. Bazán, The Human Soul: Form and Substance? Thomas Aquinas' Critique of Eclectic Aristotelianism, in: Archives d'histoire doctrinal et littéraire du Moyen Age, 64 (1997) pp. 95-126
  

For NON-attending students:

- P. Porro, Thomas Aquinas. A Historical and Philosophical Profile, Washington 2016;

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 be recorded.

Assessment methods

Oral Examination. It is recommended to bring the texts of Thomas Aquinas 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, December, 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