Textual interpretation: St. Thomas B [ LFILO2141 ]

Prerequisites :
Introduction to ancient and medieval philosophy
Knowledge of Latin or Greek, while very helpful, is not a requirement.

Each year the course will concentrate on a particular problematic that can be studied in relation to classical antiquity or the Middle Ages. The course is intended to present the current state of research relative to the chosen problematic, and will suggest methodological avenues and working hypotheses capable of advancing this state of research.

Attention will be paid to modern or contemporary developments with regard to the problematic presented in diachronic fashion (moving forward in time) in the course.
 

Upon successful completion of the course the student should be able to :
- make use of a set of research tools used in the study of ancient and medieval philosophy,
- give an account of some appropriate problematic in terms of doctrinal developments during classical antiquity and the Middle Ages, by citing appropriate lines of continuity or eventual changes down through the centuries,
- analyse the position relative to this problematic of a given author taken as representative of the classical-medieval period in a relevant way, based on the methodology and the conceptual and historical framework presented in the course
- make comparisons to modern or contemporary perspectives

The students shall write a work on a specific issue, linked with the  general theme and will have an final oral examination on the whole matter, with written preparation.

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The lectures will bear upon the problem of  philosophical writing in Antiquity and the Middle Ages. The philosopher often had to use an Art of writing (Leo Strauss) in order to make informed disciples  know his thought while avoiding prosecutions from opponents .Plato, Al-Farabi and Maimonides are alleged to be such users of this kind of strategy. Without speaking of any prosecution context, the question of writing philosophy has been considered as problematic. Plato's reluctance to writing is well known (Phaedrus).

Is there a proper writing for philosophy? Is it possible to pass on philosophy through books and others scriptural media and what are the conditions for this? We will try to find an answer in studying some Plato's, Maimonides' and Marsilius' (of Padua) texts.

Basic Bibliography :

- Leo Strauss, La persécution et l'art d'écrire, Press Pocket, 1989

- Leo Strauss, Maïmonide, PUF (Epiméthée), 1988.

- Sylvie Queval, A l'image de l'âme. Recherche sur l'organisation de l''uvre de Platon, thèse de doctorat, Lille 3, 1988.

- Jean-Luc Perillé (ed.), Ecriture et Oralité chez Platon, (Cahiers de Philosophie Ancienne) 2011

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