The course intends to give a more or less systematic introduction to some of the main problems and their treatment in the late antique and medieval philosophy schools. The historical starting point is 176 AD, when Emperor Marcus Aurelius founded four chairs of philosophy in Athens, and the end of the period is set (arbitrarily) to the thirteenth century. Instead of a purely historical approach, after an introductory part dealing with the historical and social framework of philosophizing, the course focuses on certain main problems, themes that occupied the minds of the philosopher-theologians.
Twelve lectures will be given in four modules.
I. The historical and social background of late antique and medieval philosophy.
II. Organon: the methods and instruments of philosophizing.
III. First philosophy: ontology and epistemology.
IV. Anthropology and natural philosophy.
- Instructors: Gyorgy Gereby, Istvan Perczel