POLI2636 · Political Science

Medieval Jewish and Christian Political Philosophy

Morrissey College of Arts & Sciences

This course is class-restricted to sophomores, juniors, and seniors.This course will introduce undergraduates to some of the main philosophical debates that emerged within the Jewish and Christian communities from approximately the twelfth to the fourteenth centuries. Since these debates were often the result of an attempt to introduce a more heretical reading of Aristotles natural science into communities that were largely defined by appeals to divine law or ecclesiastical power, the political conditions within which such debates took place will also be considered. Given ongoing concerns regarding social media cancel culture and deplatforming, the class will also address the origins of book burning and philosophical persecution in medieval times. Questions like (but not limited to) the following will be emphasized: what is the status of philosophy in a religious community; who is a prophet; how might a Divine Law both frustrate and promote philosophical speculation; and why would a philosopher defend the teaching of pagan Greek texts in a time of monotheism? The books will include Maimonides'Guide of the Perplexed, Gersonides'The Wars of the Lord, Albo'sBook of Roots,Roger Bacon'sOpus Maius, Dante'sOn Monarchy, and Marsilius of Padua'sThe Defender of the Peace. No prior acquaintance with classical or medieval philosophy is necessary or required.