The study of philosophy gives us the opportunity to expose the way we think and understand the world to ourselves as we explore the philosophical approach and arguments of others. It is a practice that enables us to fine tune our reading, thought, reflection, and our ability to develop cognitive patience as we work through complex and abstract ideas. In this course we will engage with the framework, faith seeking understanding, which grounded Western Medieval thought.  In this framework philosophers used both faith and reason, scripture and philosophy, and to investigate the world.  We will study various arguments in Western Medieval Philosophy including Augustine's argument on the problem of evil, Anselm's Ontological Argument, Aquinas' Five Ways, Duns Scotus' notion of the univocity of being, Avicenna's Floating Man argument, as well as readings from Hildegard of Bingen and Christine de Pizan. Our examination of these arguments will begin with ideas found in Plato and Aristotle, as well as Plotinus and Pseudo-Dionysius. We will also consider how philosophers from the three Abrahamic religions interacted with each other beginning in especially 800-900 CE.

This course will allow us to do close and careful readings of the text (we will use English translations), consider how the relationship of faith and reason framed and grounded the philosophical approach, and how its evolution during this period impacted the development of knowledge, and reflect on the nature of the human intellect and its operations.

Dr. Amy Whitworth has 30 years experience teaching philosophy and ethics. She earned her BA in philosophy from the University of Texas at Austin and her MA and PhD in philosophy from Marquette University. She has participated in two NEH seminars, one in Oxford and one in Athens, Greece. She has a passion for the study and teaching of philosophy, guiding students through the complex and subtle arguments and texts.

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