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

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course, students will have an advanced understanding of the relevance of a multidisciplinary approach to the analysis of philosophical schools in the ancient and medieval periods, and will be able to analyse religious phenomena using a range of tools from different disciplines. They will apply research methods to address questions relating to ancient and medieval philosophy. They will be able to give form to the results of their own research into medieval philosophy, documenting accurately and completely the information on which their conclusions are based and explaining the methods and research tools used.

Course contents

Rational Animals. The Boundaries of the Human in Albert the Great's (ca. 1193-1280) Liber de natura et origine animae

The study of animals represents a significant part of the philosophical reflection of the Dominican master Albert the Great (ca. 1193-1280). Within his vast project of analysis and commentary on Aristotle's corpus, he appears so fascinated by the subject that he provides in detailed descriptions of the properties of individual animal species.

In this context, the problem of the humans and the biological properties that would make them irreducible to other animal species often emerges. In particular, in the Liber de natura et origine animae, a treatise written between 1258 and 1260, Albert questions the origin of rationality and its destiny after the corruption of the body.

The course proposes a guided reading of the Italian translation of some chapters of the Liber de natura et origine animae with the objective of reflecting on the elements that, according to Albert the Great, trace the limits of humanity (beginning and end), making the human species different from other animals.

 

Course summary

Of the 15 lectures (of two hours each):

• 2 lectures will be devoted to a general introduction to medieval philosophy, with a focus on the philosophical and theological context characterising the 13th century;

• 4 lectures will be devoted to a general presentation of Albert the Great's natural philosophy;

• 9 will be devoted to the reading (in Italian translation) and analysis of some chapters from Liber de natura et origine animae.

Readings/Bibliography

1. Introduction to the history of medieval philosophy

• G. Catapano, Filosofie medievali. Dalla tarda antichità all'Umanesimo, Carocci, Roma 2024, pp. 9-225.
  

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

2. Albert the Great. Texts

• Alberto Magno, La natura e l'origine dell'anima, trad. it di A. Colli, ETS, Pisa 2025.
  

 

3. Critical studies (one of the listed texts)

• H. Anzulewicz, Anthropology: The Concept of Man in Albert the Great, in: I. Resnick (ed.), A Companion to Albert the Great: Theology, Philosophy, and the Sciences, Brill, Leiden, pp. 325-346;

• A. Cerrito, Albert the Great (c.1193-1280) and the Configuration of the Embryo. Virtus formativa, Palgrave-Macmillan, Cham 2023, pp. 45-88 (Open Access);

• I. Craemer-Ruegenberg, Albert le Grand et ses démonstrations de l'immortalité de l'âme intellective, in: Archives de philosophie, 43 (1980), pp. 667-674;

• P. Hellmeier, Why Albert the Great is not a dualist on human nature, in: Archa Verbi, 16 (2019), pp. 117-141;

• K. Krause, Albert the Great on Animal and Human Origin in His Early Works, in: Lo sguardo. Rivista di filosofia, 18/2 (2015), pp. 205–232.

• S. Perfetti, Nature imperfette. Umano, subumano e animale nel pensiero di Alberto Magno, ETS, Pisa 2020, pp. 7-61.

 

For NON-attending students:

The following text is recommended reading:

• A. Petagine, Aristotelismo difficile. L'intelletto umano nella prospettiva di Alberto Magno, Tommaso d'Aquino e Sigieri di Brabante, Vita e Pensiero, Milano 2004, pp. 11-65.

 

 

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 of Albert the Great 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 2025/2026 academic year (1st october 2025 - 30th september 2026), exam sessions are scheduled in the following months: December, February, March, April, 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