Medieval Western philosophy Books

Book SynopsisIn the Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle suggests that a moral principle ''does not immediately appear to the man who has been corrupted by pleasure or pain''. Phantasia in Aristotle''s Ethics investigates his claim and its reception in ancient and medieval Aristotelian traditions, including Arabic, Greek, Hebrew and Latin.While contemporary commentators on the Ethics have overlooked Aristotle's remark, his ancient and medieval interpreters made substantial contributions towards a clarification of the claim's meaning and relevance. Even when the hazards of transmission have left no explicit comments on this particular passage, as is the case in the Arabic tradition, medieval responders still offer valuable interpretations of phantasia (appearance) and its role in ethical deliberation and action. This volume casts light on these readings, showing how the distant voices from the medieval Arabic, Greek, Hebrew and Latin Aristotelian traditions still contTrade ReviewThe range of material is one of the volume's greatest strengths … Fink deserves praise for bringing together experts on these traditional strands in order to gain new and renewed insights on a lively topic in Aristotle. * Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews *[A] welcome and well-argued enterprise to discuss the fate of a particularly interesting Aristotelian notion through the ages. * Bryn Mawr Classical Review *Table of ContentsIntroduction, Jakob Fink (University of Gothenburg, Sweden) and Jessica Moss (New York University, USA) 1. The Ancient Greek Reception of Phantasia in Aristotle’s Ethics, Frans de Haas (Universiteit Leiden, The Netherlands) 2. The Arabic Tradition: With Special Emphasis on Averroes’ Interpretation, Frédérique Woerther (CNRS Paris, France) and Rotraud Hansberger (Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Germany) 3. The Byzantine Tradition on EN 6.5.1140b16—17, Michele Trizio (Università di Bari, Italy) 4. The Latin Tradition: Phronesis, Phantasia and Moral Feelings, Iacopo Costa (CNRS Paris, France) 5. The Hebrew Tradition on EN 6.5.1140b16—17, Chaim Neria (University of Chicago, USA) 6. Epilogue: The Argument of EN 6.5.1140b16–17 from a Contemporary Perspective, Jakob Fink (University of Gothenburg, Sweden) Index

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Book SynopsisThis book presents formalizations of three important medieval logical theories: supposition, consequence and obligations.Table of ContentsSupposition Theory: Algorithmic Hermeneutics.- Buridan's Notion of Consequentia.- Obligationes as Logical Games.- The Philosophy of Formalization.

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Book SynopsisThis interdisciplinary study offers an interpretation of the major logical, philosophical/theological and poetic writings of Boethius, Abelard and Alan of Lille. The author examines their theories of language and the ways in which they explore how words illuminate things, how the mind comprehends God and how the individual reaches beatitude.Trade Review'In this innovative and highly original study, Sweeney offers an integrated reading of Boethius, Abelard, and Alan of Lille showing the connections among their philosophical, theological, and literary works based on their semantic theories. Assessing judiciously the previous approaches to these figures, including other recent interdisciplinary studies of them, she also critiques the readings of modern analytic philosophers, feminist critics, and post-modernists alike, presenting a learned, lucid, theoretically informed, and strongly argued case for her thesis. All medievalists have much to learn from this distinguished contribution to the New Middle Ages series.' Marcia L. Colish, Yale University 'Sweeney, with a specialist's attention and a philosopher's vision, shows how Boethius' logical commentaries, theological tractates and Consolationes set the model for Abelard's logical and theological works, his poetry, autobiography and letters, and Alan of Lille's theological disputations, axioms, dictionary and allegories. Boethius and his twelfth-century imitators take seriously pagan authors and the reality they seek to describe through poetry and philosophy. Sweeney shows how in all their varied genres of writing there is for Boethius, Abelard and Alan of Lille a unified goal, an ultimate project: union with God.' Stephen Brown, Boston College 'Sweeney's approach to medieval philosophy and theology is very illuminating. Medieval logic, theology and poetry are usually studied by experts in different disciplines. Sweeney brings the interconnections and interdependencies of philosophy of language, reflection on theological language and use of narrative language in poetry into focus. She shows convincingly that in the works of Boethius, Abelard and Alain de Lille all three kinds of writing complement each other.' Dr. Klaus Jacobi, Universität Freiburg, GermanyTable of ContentsIntroduction: Words in the Absence of Things Boethius: Translation, Transfer, and Transport Abelard: A Twelfth Century Hermeneutics of Suspicion Alan of Lille: Language and its Peregrinations To and From Divine Unity Bibliography

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Book SynopsisBrings St Thomas Aquinas and Martin Heidegger into dialogue and argues for the necessity of Christian philosophy. Through the confrontation of Heideggerian and Thomist thought, this title offers an original and comprehensive rethinking of the nature of temporality and the origins of metaphysical inquiry.Trade Review"I am unaware of any previous successful attempt to confront Heidegger's massive critique of metaphysics at such depth and range. Dr Smith-Gilson's conception of the four-fold intentional presupposition at the heart of metaphysics is an original conception of great merit and her work will be of immense interest to scholars of Heidegger, St Thomas, and well as to epistemologists and metaphysicians across a wide spectrum." (Prof. Juan Andres Mercado, Associate Professor of Modern Philosophy, The Pontifical University of the Holy Cross, Rome, Italy.) "This work gives a needed voice to the still-true and still misunderstood pre-modern understanding of man, world, being, and God. Where the earlier Thomistic revivals confronted modernity by employing scholastic terminology to restate its vision, Dr. Smith-Gilson's work of retrieval confronts, at the highest intellectual level, modernity and especially its phenomenological presentation, with the words of philosophy simpliciter. This work is an apologia for the Thomistic vision of man, God, and being which is not itself apologetic or defensive. This is a profound and difficult work, but one that richly rewards the reader who gives himself to its mediation." (Herb E. Hartmann, Professor of Philosophy, Southern Catholic College, GA, USA) "The confrontation between Classical and Heideggerian understanding of Being shows Smith Gilson's superb capacity to get into the mind of philosophers of different schools of thinking and mastering their philosophical language. With great balance, this book neither merges the two in some facile reconciliation, nor makes Heidegger a straw man with which to beat modernity in favor of a 13th century theology, but highlights the similarities and differences of their conceptual frameworks, without getting stuck in terminological equivocalness. The reader will find in these rich and dense pages a sound and substantial dialog between Heidegger's philosophical standpoint and medieval metaphysics." (Prof. Francisco Fernandez Labastida, Pontificia Universita della Santa Croce, Italy)"Table of ContentsIntroduction; Chapter I Parmenides, Plato & Aristotle - An Ontological Tracing Of Intentional Being-In-The-World; Tracing I How The Deity Entered Philosophy; Tracing II Plato's Parmenides; Tracing III Aristotle's De Anima; Chapter II St. Thomas Aquinas & Classical Intentionality; A. Introduction; B. Aristotle's Critique Of Earlier First Principles; C. An Account Of The Ananke Stenai; D. Concluding Remarks: An Overview Of Aristotle's Intentional Ground And Its Onto-Epistemological Method; Chapter III The Four-Fold Reversals: The Displacement Of Being-In-The-World; A. A Brief Discursus On Heidegger's Husserlian Influence; B. Heidegger's Commentary On The Critique Of Pure Reason; C. Finitude: Nullity Or No-Thing?; D. St. Thomas' Prima Via- A Brief Discursus On The Ananke Stenai; Chapter IV The Four-Fold Intensities; A. The Necessity Of The Causal Structure; B. The Wait And Christian Philosophy; C. Intentional Presence Qua Finitude; D. Summation Of Finitude: Revisiting The Wait; E. The Aeviternal Structure Of The Intentional Presence; F. Conclusion: The Plenitude Of The Ananke Stenai; Chapter V Tragedy In The Christian Philosophic Vision; Brief Conclusive Remarks; Bibliography - Primary Sources; Bibliography - Secondary Sources.

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Book SynopsisFor readers of Kathleen Norris and Gretchen Rubin, a thought-provoking examination of the meaning of comfort. Comfort is a universal human need. It's that craving to feel at one with the world we live in, warm (but not hot), protected (but not smothered), and secure (but not marooned) in what the future holds. Yet in our increasingly complex and overstressed world, we tend to overlook this important aspect in our lives.In Comfort: An Atlas for the Body and Soul, Brett C. Hoover, a scholar and Catholic priest, explores what comfort means-and it means different things to different people. He delves into the psychological, emotional, and spiritual facets of comfort and offers ways to rediscover it. With insight and humor, Hoover writes about the advantages and the pitfalls of seeking-and finding-comfort as he guides us towards the goal we should strive for: to find comfort in our own lives as we offer comfort to others.By turns lyrical and thought-provoking, funny and poignant, Comfort is full of engaging and unexpected insights in our very human search for personal fulfillment.

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Book SynopsisBorn out of a love of language, text, classical learning, art, philosophy and philology, the Christian Humanist project lasted beyond the turmoil of sixteenth-century Europe to survive in a new form in post-Reformation thought. Jonathan Arnold here explores the finest intellects of late-Renaissance Europe, providing an essential guide to the most important scholars, priests, theologians and philosophers of the period, now collectively known as the Christian Humanists. "The Great Humanists" provides an invaluable context to the philosophical, political and spiritual state of Europe on the eve of the Reformation through inter-related biographical sketches of Erasmus, Thomas More, Marsilio Ficino, Petrarch, Johann Reuchlin, Jacques Lefevre d'Etaples and many others. The legacy of these thinkers is still relevant and widely-studied today, and this book will make invaluable reading for scholars and students of philosophy and early-modern European history.Table of ContentsIntroduction PART I: ITALY 1. Francesco Petrarch: The Father of Humanism 2. Lorenzo Valla: The Confrontational Philologist 3. Marsilio Ficino: The Platonic Theologian 4. Pico della Mirandola: The Italian Cabbalist PART II: THE LOW COUNTRIES 5. Rudolph Agricola: Father of Northern European Humanism 6. Desiderius Erasmus: The Prince of Humanists PART III: GERMANY 7. Johann Reuchlin: The Great German Hebraist 8. Phillip Melanchthon: The Lutheran Humanist PART IV: ENGLAND 9. John Colet: The Would-be Reforming Dean of St. Paul’s 10. Thomas More: The King’s Good Servant, but God’s First 11. Thomas Linacre and the English Erasmians PART V: FRANCE 12. Lefèvre d’Étaples: The Greatest French Humanist PART VI: SPAIN 14. Juan Luis Vives : The Spanish Erasmian APPENDICES Appendix I: Other Notable Humanists Appendix II: Glossary of Terms and other Notable Figures

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Book SynopsisThis sourcebook explores how the Middle Ages dealt with questions related to the mental life of creatures great and small. It makes accessible a wide range of key Latin texts from the fourth to the fourteenth century in fresh English translations. Specialists and non-specialists alike will find many surprising insights in this comprehensive collection of sources on the medieval philosophy of animal minds. The book’s structure follows the distinction between the different aspects of the mental. The author has organized the material in three main parts: cognition, emotions, and volition. Each part contains translations of texts by different medieval thinkers. The philosophers chosen include well-known figures like Augustine, Albert the Great, and Thomas Aquinas. The collection also profiles the work of less studied thinkers like John Blund, (Pseudo-)Peter of Spain, and Peter of Abano. In addition, among those featured are several translated here into English for the first time. Each text comes with a short introduction to the philosopher, the context, and the main arguments of the text plus a section with bibliographical information and recommendations for further reading. A general introduction to the entire volume presents the basic concepts and questions of the philosophy of animal minds and explains how the medieval discussion relates to the contemporary debate. This sourcebook is valuable for anyone interested in the history of philosophy, especially medieval philosophy of mind. It will also appeal to scholars and students from other fields, such as psychology, theology, and cultural studies.Table of ContentsIntroduction: Animal Minds In Medieval and Modern Philosophy.- Part I – Cognition.- Chapter 1. Perception, Knowledge, and Reason (Augustine, De quantitate animae 25-28).- Chapter 2. Souls and Discrimination (Adelard of Bath, Quaestiones naturales 13-14).- Chapter 3. Estimation and Concept Formation (John Blund, Tractatus de anima 19).- Chapter 4. (a). Memory, Learning, and Prudence (Albert the Great, Metaphysica I.1.6).- (b). Reasoning, Learning, and Language (Albert the Great, De animalibus XXI.1.2-4). Chapter 5. Universal Cognition (Pseudo-Peter of Spain, Commentum super libros De animalibus VIII).- Chapter 6. (a). Reasoning and Thinking (Roger Bacon, Perspectiva II.3.9).- (b). Goal-Directed Behaviour (Roger Bacon, Questiones super libros IV Physicorum II).- Chapter 7. Inner Senses (Thomas Aquinas, Summa theologiae I.78.4).- Chapter 8. Prudence (John Duns Scotus, Quaestiones super libros Metaphysicorum Aristotelis I.3).- Chapter 9. Judging and Erring (Gregory of Rimini, Lectura super I Sententiarum III.1 vs.Adam Wodeham, Lectura secunda in I Sententiarum, prol. 4.8).- Part II. Emotion.- Chapter 10. Friendship, Enmity, and Fear (Albert the Great, Quaestiones super De animalibus VIII.1-3).- Chapter 11. (a). Lust and Anger (Thomas Aquinas, Summa theologiae I.81.2-3).- (b). Enjoyment (Thomas Aquinas, Summa theologiae I-II.11.2).- (c). Hope (Thomas Aquinas, Summa theologiae I-II.40.3).- Chapter 12. Happiness and Fun (Peter of Abano, Expositio problematum Aristotelis 28.7).- Part III. Volition.- Chapter 13. Judging and Free Choice (Albert the Great, De homine I).- Chapter 14. Free Will (Bonaventure, Commentarius in secundum librum Sententiarum 25.1.1).- Chapter 15. Instinct and Deliberation (Roger Bacon, Communia naturalium I.2.4.1).- Chapter 16. (a). Free Choice (Thomas Aquinas, Quaestiones disputatae de veritate 24.2).- (b). Choosing and Acting (Thomas Aquinas, Summa theologiae I-II.13.1-2).

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Book SynopsisIntroduction.- Chapter 1. Laura Castelli (Munich/Cambridge): Alexander of Aphrodisias on Aristotle's Topics.- Chapter 2. Fosca Mariani Zini (Lille): Boethius' Topics.- Chapter 3. Barbara Bartocci (Geneva): Latin Medievals on Dialectica Docens.- Chapter 4. Gustavo Fernández Walker (Gothenburg): Premises and Problems in Medieval Dialectics.- Chapter 5. Ana María Mora-Márquez (Gothenburg): The Predicable of the Accident. The Metaphysics of Argumentation.- Chapter 6. Rodrigo Guerizoli (Rio de Janeiro): Quidditative and Causal Definitions in John Buridan.- Chapter 7. Julie Brumberg-Chaumont (CNRS): Disputational Theories and Practices During the 13th Century.- Chapter 8. Alexander Lamprakis (Würtzburg): Aristotle's Topics in the Arabic Tradition.- Chapter 9. Yehuda Halper (Ramat Gan): The Hebrew Tradition of Aristotelian Dialectics.

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Book SynopsisThe series MISCELLANEA MEDIAEVALIA was founded by Paul Wilpert in 1962 and since then has presented research from the Thomas Institute of the University of Cologne. The cornerstone of the series is provided by the proceedings of the biennial Cologne Medieval Studies Conferences, which were established over 50 years ago by Josef Koch, the founding director of the Institute. The interdisciplinary nature of these conferences is reflected in the proceedings. The MISCELLANEA MEDIAEVALIA gather together papers from all disciplines represented in Medieval Studies - medieval history, philosophy, theology, together with art and literature, all contribute to an overall perspective of the Middle Ages.

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