Medieval Arabic and Jewish Philosophy
A.Y. 2024/2025
Learning objectives
The purpose of this course is to provide a general and introductory overview of the history of medieval Arabic and Jewish philosophy, with particular reference to key authors and their works.
The course aims to convey a vision of the history of philosophy that includes "foreign" wisdom, which, through passage via different languages and cultures, has reached Latin Europe and thus constitutes an integral part of Western philosophical history.
The course aims to convey a vision of the history of philosophy that includes "foreign" wisdom, which, through passage via different languages and cultures, has reached Latin Europe and thus constitutes an integral part of Western philosophical history.
Expected learning outcomes
Knowledge and Understanding:
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
- Present the fundamental concepts of Islamic and Jewish religion, theology and culture.
- Illustrate the main problems and topics of medieval Arabic and Jewish philosophy, as well as introduce major authors and their works.
- Reconstruct the fundamental lines of knowledge transmission, from Greek philosophy and science to Arabic philosophy, and from there to medieval Jewish thought.
- Understand specific philosophical terminology through direct reading of texts.
- Develop ability in critically reading, understanding, and contextualizing philosophical sources.
- Describe basic methodological tools for historiographical research.
Application of Knowledge and Understanding:
By the end of the course, students will have acquired:
- The ability to navigate historically and conceptually within the main currents of medieval Arabic and Jewish philosophy.
- Mastery of philosophical terminology acquired through direct reading of texts.
- Competence in navigating the development of philosophical thought across different cultures and languages.
- The ability to critically read a classic philosophical text.
- The skill to communicate in a conceptually organized manner what has been learned.
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
- Present the fundamental concepts of Islamic and Jewish religion, theology and culture.
- Illustrate the main problems and topics of medieval Arabic and Jewish philosophy, as well as introduce major authors and their works.
- Reconstruct the fundamental lines of knowledge transmission, from Greek philosophy and science to Arabic philosophy, and from there to medieval Jewish thought.
- Understand specific philosophical terminology through direct reading of texts.
- Develop ability in critically reading, understanding, and contextualizing philosophical sources.
- Describe basic methodological tools for historiographical research.
Application of Knowledge and Understanding:
By the end of the course, students will have acquired:
- The ability to navigate historically and conceptually within the main currents of medieval Arabic and Jewish philosophy.
- Mastery of philosophical terminology acquired through direct reading of texts.
- Competence in navigating the development of philosophical thought across different cultures and languages.
- The ability to critically read a classic philosophical text.
- The skill to communicate in a conceptually organized manner what has been learned.
Lesson period: First semester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course cannot be attended as a single course. Please check our list of single courses to find the ones available for enrolment.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
First semester
Course syllabus
The course will be divided into three sections:
1. Introduction to the history of medieval Arab and Jewish philosophy: Presentation of central issues, major authors, and their works through the reconstruction of key stages, including:
- Origins and formation of Arab philosophy starting from the reception of ancient and late-ancient Greek philosophy.
- Original developments in Arab philosophy, between the 10th and 11th centuries in Baghdad and the Muslim East.
- The development of Jewish philosophy, with particular attention to authors active in Muslim Spain.
- Arab philosophy in Muslim Spain.
- The transmission to the Latin Christian world through Arab-Latin translations.
2. Reading a selection of texts in Italian translation (al-Kindī; al-Fārābī; Avicenna; al-Ghazālī; Ibn Bājjah; Ibn Gabirol; Maimonides; Averroes).
3. Reading and commentary of The Harmony of the Opinions of the Two Sages, the Divine Plato and Aristotle, by al-Fārābī.
For the 6-credit program, 40 hours of lectures are required; for the 9-credit program, 60 hours of lectures are required.
Lecture Recording: No.
Teaching for Non-Attending Students: Two lectures dedicated to non-attending students via videoconference. The lectures will be recorded and made available online. For details, refer to the MyAriel notice board.
Validity of the Program: 1 academic year, as per academic regulations.
1. Introduction to the history of medieval Arab and Jewish philosophy: Presentation of central issues, major authors, and their works through the reconstruction of key stages, including:
- Origins and formation of Arab philosophy starting from the reception of ancient and late-ancient Greek philosophy.
- Original developments in Arab philosophy, between the 10th and 11th centuries in Baghdad and the Muslim East.
- The development of Jewish philosophy, with particular attention to authors active in Muslim Spain.
- Arab philosophy in Muslim Spain.
- The transmission to the Latin Christian world through Arab-Latin translations.
2. Reading a selection of texts in Italian translation (al-Kindī; al-Fārābī; Avicenna; al-Ghazālī; Ibn Bājjah; Ibn Gabirol; Maimonides; Averroes).
3. Reading and commentary of The Harmony of the Opinions of the Two Sages, the Divine Plato and Aristotle, by al-Fārābī.
For the 6-credit program, 40 hours of lectures are required; for the 9-credit program, 60 hours of lectures are required.
Lecture Recording: No.
Teaching for Non-Attending Students: Two lectures dedicated to non-attending students via videoconference. The lectures will be recorded and made available online. For details, refer to the MyAriel notice board.
Validity of the Program: 1 academic year, as per academic regulations.
Prerequisites for admission
No specific requirements.
Teaching methods
Lectures; debate; reading and commentary on texts in groups.
Teaching Resources
For 6 and 9 CFU:
- M. Cruz Hernandez, Storia del pensiero nel mondo islamico, volumi 1 e 2, Paideia, Brescia 1999-2000:
vol. I, capp. 5 (pp. 192-216); 6.1-6.13; (pp. 229-261); 7.1-7.13 (pp. 272-324); 8 (pp. 339-368); vol. II, capp. 3.1-3.3 (pp. 473-481); 3.6 (pp. 484-486); 3.7 (pp. 488-490) 4.3 (pp. 506-526); 6; 7 (pp. 557-669)
- Anthology of texts distributed in class and made available online.
For 9 CFU:
Al-Fārābī, L'armonia delle opinioni dei due sapienti, il divino Platone e Aristotele, a cura di C. Martini Bonadeo, Pisa, Pisa University Press, 2018.
Additional texts for non-attending students:
C. D'Ancona (a cura di), Storia della filosofia nell'Islam medievale, Einaudi, Torino 2005, vol. 2, pp. 783-830.
Students who are not familiar with Jewish and Islamic religions are advised to read:
- P. Stefani, Introduzione all'ebraismo, Queriniana, 1995 (e ristampe).
- A. Bausani, L'Islam, Garzanti, Milano 1974 (e ristampe).
- M. Cruz Hernandez, Storia del pensiero nel mondo islamico, volumi 1 e 2, Paideia, Brescia 1999-2000:
vol. I, capp. 5 (pp. 192-216); 6.1-6.13; (pp. 229-261); 7.1-7.13 (pp. 272-324); 8 (pp. 339-368); vol. II, capp. 3.1-3.3 (pp. 473-481); 3.6 (pp. 484-486); 3.7 (pp. 488-490) 4.3 (pp. 506-526); 6; 7 (pp. 557-669)
- Anthology of texts distributed in class and made available online.
For 9 CFU:
Al-Fārābī, L'armonia delle opinioni dei due sapienti, il divino Platone e Aristotele, a cura di C. Martini Bonadeo, Pisa, Pisa University Press, 2018.
Additional texts for non-attending students:
C. D'Ancona (a cura di), Storia della filosofia nell'Islam medievale, Einaudi, Torino 2005, vol. 2, pp. 783-830.
Students who are not familiar with Jewish and Islamic religions are advised to read:
- P. Stefani, Introduzione all'ebraismo, Queriniana, 1995 (e ristampe).
- A. Bausani, L'Islam, Garzanti, Milano 1974 (e ristampe).
Assessment methods and Criteria
The examination consists of an oral exam (about 30 minutes). Grading system is in thirtieths (18 being the minimum grade required to pass the exam).
During the exam, the following will be assessed:
- Familiarity with the history of Arab and Jewish philosophical thought, from its origins in late-antique thought to the era of Averroes (main themes, authors, and texts).
- The ability to understand concepts and arguments.
- The ability to communicate what has been learned in a conceptually organized manner.
- The ability to critically read and provide historical-theoretical context to philosophical texts through commentary on one or more texts covered in the lectures.
During the exam, the following will be assessed:
- Familiarity with the history of Arab and Jewish philosophical thought, from its origins in late-antique thought to the era of Averroes (main themes, authors, and texts).
- The ability to understand concepts and arguments.
- The ability to communicate what has been learned in a conceptually organized manner.
- The ability to critically read and provide historical-theoretical context to philosophical texts through commentary on one or more texts covered in the lectures.
M-FIL/08 - HISTORY OF MEDIEVAL PHILOSOPHY - University credits: 9
Lessons: 60 hours
Professor:
Di Segni Diana
Professor(s)