Syllabus
The course will broadly be divided in 5 blocks of lessons on the following topics:
1. Introduction; historical notions related to the topics of the course; what is the medieval Scholasticism and what are the literary genres of Scholasticism.
2. History of the medieval cultural institutions; cultural centres in medieval Europe; Medieval University curricula.
3. The reception of the ancient authors in the medieval University culture; focus on medieval Aristotelianism (Auctoritates Aristotelis, medieval commentaries and translations of Aristotelian works, etc.).
4. The relationship between philosophy and theology in the medieval culture: examples taken from Peter Lombard, Bernard of Clairvaux, Thomas Aquinas, Albert the Great, Jean Gerson
5. Teachers and students in the medieval University; the figure of the ideal master and of the ideal student; methods, perspectives and limits of teaching and learning in the Middle Ages (examples from Bonaventura of Bagnoregio, Thomas Aquinas, Henry of Ghent, Jean Gerson and others)
Annotation
The Late Middle Ages see the establishment of a university culture that monopolizes the philosophical and theological landscape of the whole of Europe. With the increasing diffusion of the universities, several schools of thought animate the intellectual debates, disputing on every possible conceptual or doctrinal problems, and producing an impressive amount of literature in the typical genres of the Scholasticism (commentaries, disputed questions, summae). Such a university culture basically lies on three pillars: the constant reference to the authorities (Aristotle and Plato in particular), the creation of a rigidly technical language, and the exclusive use of Latin.
During our course and through the reading of some relevant texts, we will analyze from a historical, philosophical, and literary point of view how this kind of university culture structures itself in various intellectual centers. We will highlight how the reception of Aristotle’s works constitutes the core of this medieval university culture. Then, through the study of the peculiar literary genres of the Scholasticism, we will also pay attention to the process of selection and systematization of the previous knowledge that is typical of the activity of the university professors of the Late Middle Ages.