Introduction to the history of philosophy

elementary

KU1_W04

KU1_U11

KU1_K01

Level of the course: Basic.

Objectives of the course: The acquisition by students basic knowledge of philosophical culture of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance as well as the ability to identify key issues and themes of philosophy living in the philosophy of the discussed period.

Course contents:

The subject of lectures is a medieval Christian philosophy, its formation and functioning in the framework of the medieval Christian culture. The second part of the lectures is Arab and Jewish philosophy, the philosophy, and the last part is Italian Renaissance.

Issues of classes: the Jewish and early Christian philosophy: Philo of Alexandria; Clement of Alexandria and the discussion on the Greek philosophical tradition; the idea of the Logos in the early Christian philosophy; patristic philosophy. St. Augustine: Augustinian conception of philosophy; man and cognition; God, the nature and the existence of God; the Divine state and the earthly state; Augustinian idealism. Medieval philosophy: change of the nature of philosophy, the mentality of the medieval, classical sources of medieval philosophy; universities and scholasticism; reception of Greco-Arabic teaching; reception of Aristotle's thought; the impact of Arab and Jewish philosophers. The main problems of medieval philosophy: a new concept of philosophy (philosophy and liberal arts, philosophy and theology); dispute about universals. The problem of the existence and nature of God in medieval philosophy. The question of nature in medieval philosophy: the figurative and symbolic meaning of the cosmos, the idea of dual revelation; the school of Chartres and the ennoblement of nature; the discovery of natural works of Aristotle. Anthropology and moral philosophy in the Middle Ages: John Scot Eriugena, the question of original sin and the fall of man, the question of soul and body, and the issue of human freedom; anthropology St. Thomas Aquinas. State and society in medieval philosophy: medieval conceptions of a theocratic state and the secular state. Arabic philosophy: Al-Kindi, Al-Farabi, Avicenna, Awerroes.Philosophy of Renaissance: the spirit of the Renaissance, Renaissance humanism, renaissance of ancient philosophy.

Course textbook:

E. Gilson, Historia filozofii chrześcijańskiej w wiekach średnich, 1987.

R. Heinzmann, Filozofia średniowieczna, Kęty 1999.

Recommended readingdodatkowa:

W. Beierwaltes, Platonizm w chrześcijaństwie, Kęty 2003.

H. Chadwick, Myśl wczesnochrześcijańska a tradycja klasyczna, Poznań 2000.

G.R. Ewans, Filozofia i teologia w średniowieczu, Kraków 1996.

E. Garin, Powrót filozofów starożytnych, Warszawa 1987.

J. Le Goff, Inteligencja w wiekach średnich, Warszawa 1966.

W. Jaeger, Wczesne chrześcijaństwo i grecka paideia, Bydgoszcz 2002.

C.S. Lewis, Odrzucony obraz, Warszawa 1986.

J. Pieper, Scholastyka, Warszawa 2000.

Wł. Seńko, Jak rozumieć filozofię średniowieczną, Warszawa 1993.

S. Šwieżawski, Aktualność św. Tomasza, Poznań 1995.

T, Špidlik, I. Gargano, Duchowość ojców greckich i wschodnich, Kraków 1992.

Objectives of the course: The acquisition by students basic knowledge of philosophical culture of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance as well as the ability to identify key issues and themes of philosophy living in the philosophy of the discussed period.

No less important is the fact, that student, thanks to that classes, could understand the human as well as existential dimension of ancient philosophy, and first of all could see it not as the complex of ready-made solutions for all the problems, which are caused by human, or as the final set of dogmas for acceptance and master as belief, but- as the way to truth in all its dimensions (spiritual and moral), which is to find and experience by oneself. The philosophy should be treated by students as the source of inspiration for their existential self-development.

Due to the specification of a part-time course of studies classes will have characteristics of a lecture, however they will have seminar elements included. Most often classes are supposed to be engaging, actively involving students. The material learned is verified with an exam. During classes, lecturer can ask questions or signal problems that might appear and engage students into thinking about or discussing them in class. The final grade is influenced by the engagement and involvement presented by the students and also their attendance at classes. Students can show their knowledge of the material by either writing an essay on a topic agreed with the lecturer or by quoting relevant texts. The lecturer can, but does not have to, relieve some students of the exam, based on the attendance and their involvement during the lectures and also based on the written works delivered (on the topics coordinated with the lecturer).