B4976 - History of Medieval Thought (1)

Learning outcomes

The course is devoted to the forms of transmission of knowledge in the Middle Ages, to the forms of teaching, construction, preservation and communication of doctrines, considering in particular the specific techniques of work, book types and the characteristics of literary genres: philosophy, theology, biblical exegesis and other genres involved in the construction of medieval thought.

Course contents

Cosmic souls. Microcosm and macrocosm in Alan of Lille (Module II).

The second module of the integrated course is devoted to the concrete (eminently interdisciplinary) ways in which medieval thought is constructed and circulated, taking place in a variety of institutional and social contexts, involving authors with very different educational backgrounds. Attention will be paid to the problems of manuscript circulation of texts.

The historiographical and theoretical problem that is to be addressed-in continuity with what was studied in the first module- concerns the mechanisms through which the reversal took place whereby from the time when the human soul turned out to be a mirror of the world to the time when the world became a mirror of the human soul.

1. In the introductory part, we will turn to the, so to speak, interdisciplinary forms of medieval philosophical thought, verifying in manuscripts and forms of philosophical construction and communication the collaboration that in this time occurred between icongraphy and philosophy, between music and philosophy, between poetry and philosophy, between theology and philosophy, as well as the competition of different forms of sensibility in the construction of knowledge

2. The backbone of the module will then be the reading, commentary and discussion of Alain of Lille's Anticlaudianus, a great philosophical poem on the path to perfection of the cosmos and humanity. The reading of the text will be preceded by an introduction about author. This reading will document the cooperation between poetry and philosophy, one of the characteristic forms of the construction of thought in the Latin Middle Ages.

Readings/Bibliography

The examination program for the second module of the integrated course includes the reading of Alain of Lilla Viaggio della saggezza. Anticlaudianus, Discorso sulla sfera intelligibile, ed. comm. Carlo Chiurco, Milan, Bompiani 2004 (Il pensiero occidentale), pp. 446.

For non-attendees. Non-attendees should complete their preparation by reading a short work by a Latin author of the Middle Ages, read in a critical edition (to be communicated to the lecturer a few days in advance). The author may be chosen from the following: Boethius, Cassiodorus, Gregory the Great, Alcuin, Gerbert of Aurillac, Anselm of Canterbury, Peter Abelard, Eloise of the Paraclete, Bernard of Clairvaux, Ildegarde of Bingen, Richard of St. Victor, Alain of Lille, Thomas Aquinas, Bonaventure of Bagnoregio, Angela of Foligno, Ramon Llull, Dante Alighieri, John Duns Scotus, Eckhart, William of Ockham, Nicholas of Cusa. The lecturer is available to recommend accessible and reliable editions. Other authors may be suggested to the lecturer.

Teaching methods

1. The teacher will present the topics and problems in the program, discussing critical aspects of the method with the students.

2. The lecturer will read and comment on and solicit discussion of the issues posed by the reading of Alain of Lille's Anticlaudianus

3. Having verified the situation of the class, the lecturer will try to encourage seminar activities, according to the tradition of teaching and in relation to themes connected with the general problem posed by the course.

Assessment methods

Those taking the two modules of the integrated History of Medieval Culture and Thought course can choose to take the exam in one oral or in two parts corresponding to the two modules.

The examination is oral and usually lasts about 30 minutes, during which the lecturer first gives the student space to present one of his or her topics in an articulate manner. The examination is not only aimed at evaluating what has been learned, but is considered a moment of the teaching activity, that is, a useful moment to complete and fine-tune the course completed.

For the rest, it should be kept in mind that - in the ordinary way - the interview will then have the following articulation. The student (1) will be confronted with the general problems posed by the course and will be solicited about the general features of medieval philosophy also considering the modes of its communication, in relation therefore to the conditions the authors' work and listening to their audience. It will be possible to reason in this part of the examination about the hypotheses of periodization that articulate the Middle Ages, trying to focus on what are its revolutions. (2) There will then be a focus on the authors who can be considered representative in the different textual types experienced by medieval philosophy and the methodological problems involved in reading these texts. (3) Finally, parts from the works read in class may be read in relation to the problems and hypotheses posed by the course.

Given the multiplicity of philosophical forms experienced in the mediolatin millennium, space will be given to the student's specific interests.

Exam sessions. During the 2025/2026 academic year, exam sessions are scheduled in the following months: May, June, July, September, October, November, December

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.

Teaching tools

During the course, major websites that provide access to a portion of medieval Latin manuscripts will be presented, with a focus on philosophical culture.

Office hours

See the website of Francesco Santi