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% Philosophy 302: Medieval Philosophy
% David Sanson
% Spring 2012

Professor
  ~ David Sanson, 372 University Hall, <sanson.7@osu.edu>
  ~ Office hours: TBA or by appointment

Lecture
  ~ Mendenhall Lab 0191, MW 1:30-3:18

Webpage
  ~ <http://davidsanson.com/302>

Course Description
------------------

A survey of the history of philosophy from Augustine to Ockham. We will
read primary texts by such figures as Augustine, Philoponus, Boethius,
Ghazali, Averroes, Avicenna, Anselm, Abelard, Aquinas, Scotus, and
Ockham. The course will be structured around four
topics: creation, free
will, material substance, and medieval theories of cognition. These
topics will take us into a cluster of fundamental issues in metaphysics,
epistemology, philosophy of mind, and ethics.

Required Texts
--------------

-   Boethius, *The Consolation of Philosophy*, translated by P.G. Walsh.
    Oxford University Press, 2008. ISBN: 0199540543
-   Anselm, *Three Philosophical Dialogues: On Truth, On Freedom of
    Choice, On the Fall of the Devil*, translated by Thomas Williams.
    Hackett Publishing, 2002. ISBN: 0872206114
-   Richard Bosley and Martin Tweedale (eds), *Basic Issues in Medieval
    Philosophy*, Broadview Press, 2006. ISBN: 1551117150

Additional readings and resources will be made available through the
course website.

Requirements
------------

Two short papers (25% each), a midterm, and a final (25% each). The final exam is on Tuesday, June 5th, from 1:30--3:18, in our usual lecture hall. <http://registrar.osu.edu/scheduling/SchedulingContent/SP12Finals.pdf>

Active participation and engagement, in class and/or office hours, will
also be considered in the final assessment and assignment of grades, but
this is not something I will attempt to quantify.

Email
-----

Email is the best way to reach me. However, I am not always online.
Please allow me 48 hours to respond. If I have not responded in 48 hours
please email me again, letting me know it is your second email (I won't
take this as harassment). Please include (a) "302" in the subject line
of your email and (b) your full name somewhere in the body of your
email.

Academic Misconduct
-------------------

You are encouraged to discuss the course material with your
peers---philosophical conversation is one of the best ways to get better
at doing philosophy. But your papers must be your own work, and all
sources must be cited. I will report offenders to the committee on
academic misconduct. Academic misconduct can take on many forms: if you
are confused, or need more guidance on this issue, ask. If you have not
already, take a look at <http://oaa.osu.edu/coam/faq>

Disabilities
------------

If you need (or may need) an accommodation based on the impact of a
disability, you should contact me **now** to discuss your needs. I will
work with the Office for Disability Services to coordinate reasonable
accommodations for any student with a documented disability.
<http://www.ods.ohio-state.edu/current-students/>

GEC Categories
--------------

This course has been approved to fulfill both the *Arts & Humanities
Literature* requirement and the *Arts & Humanities Diversity
(International--Western)* requirement. The expected learning outcomes
associated with these requirements are reproduced below. This course
aims to achieve these outcomes through intensive reading and analysis of
some medieval philosophical texts.

\footnotesize

-   Arts and Humanities
    1.  Students develop abilities to be informed observers of, or
        active participants in, the visual, spatial, performing, spoken,
        or literary arts.
    2.  Students develop an understanding of the foundations of human
        beliefs, the nature of reality, and the norms that guide human
        behavior.
    3.  Students examine and interpret how the human condition and human
        values are explored through works of art and humanistic
        writings.

-   Arts and Humanities: Literature
    1.  Students learn to analyze, appreciate, and interpret significant
        literary works.
    2.  Through reading, discussing, and writing about literature,
        students learn to understand and evaluate the personal and
        social values of their own and other cultures.

-   Arts and Humanities: Diversity
    1.  Students exhibit an understanding of some combination of
        political, economic, cultural, physical, social, and
        philosophical differences in or among the world's nations,
        peoples and cultures outside the US.
    2.  Students are able to describe, analyze and critically evaluate
        the roles of categories such as race, gender, class, ethnicity,
        national origin and religion as they relate to
        international/global institutions, issues, cultures and
        citizenship.
    3.  Students recognize the role of national and international
        diversity in shaping their own attitudes and values as global
        citizens.