An Introduction to Medieval Philosophy: Basic Concepts

405 Pages·2008·1.42 MB·English

by  Joseph W. Koterski

Contents
Preface
Introduction
NOTES
1 FAITH AND REASON
1 FIDES QUAERENS INTELLECTUM
2 SCIENTIA AND SAPIENTIA
3 PHILOSOPHY AND THEOLOGY
4 OVERVIEW
NOTES
2 GOD
1 THE IMMANENCE AND TRANSCENDENCE OF
GOD
2 ARGUMENTS FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD
3 THE DIVINE ATTRIBUTES
4 OVERVIEW
NOTES
2
3 THE DIVINE IDEAS
1 THE BACKGROUND
2 PATRISTIC ADAPTATIONS OF THE PLATONIC
DOCTRINE OF IDEAS
3 DIONYSIUS AND ERIUGENA
4 BONAVENTURE AND AQUINAS
5 OVERVIEW
NOTES
4 THE PROBLEM OF UNIVERSALS
1 THE RANGE OF THE QUESTION
2 REALISTS AND NOMINALISTS
3 THE SOURCE TEXTS: PLATO, ARISTOTLE,
PORPHYRY, BOETHIUS
4 LATE SCHOLASTICISM
5 OVERVIEW
NOTES
5 THE TRANSCENDENTALS
1 MEDIEVAL REALISM
3
2 THE PHILOSOPHICAL ROOTS OF THE CONCEPT
“TRANSCENDENTAL”
3 TRANSCENDENTAL UNITY, TRUTH, AND
GOODNESS
4 THE CONVERTIBILITY OF THE
TRANSCENDENTALS
5 TRANSCENDENTAL BONUM AND THE PROBLEM
OF EVIL
NOTES
6 COSMOS AND NATURE
1 THE PTOLEMAIC UNIVERSE
2 TRANSMISSION OF THE MODEL
3 NATURE AND FREEDOM
4 NATURE AS A SOURCE FOR ETHICS
5 THE TRANSFORMATION OF ANCIENT SOURCES
IN THE MEDIEVAL DEVELOPMENT OF NATURAL
LAW THEORY
NOTES
7 SOUL
1 THE GREEK BACKGROUND
4
2 AUGUSTINE’S ADAPTATIONS OF THE PLATONIC
POSITION
3 THE CONCEPT OF SOUL IN SCHOLASTIC
THOUGHT
4 OVERVIEW
NOTES
8 CONCLUSION
Glossary
Historical Figures
References
Index of Names
Index of Terms
5
6
This edition first published 2009
© 2009 Joseph W. Koterski, S.J.
Blackwell Publishing was acquired by John Wiley & Sons
in February 2007.
Blackwell’s publishing program has been merged with
Wiley’s global Scientific, Technical, and Medical business
to form Wiley-Blackwell.
Registered Office
John Wiley & Sons Ltd, The Atrium, Southern Gate,
Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 8SQ, United Kingdom
Editorial Offices
350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148-5020, USA
9600 Garsington Road, Oxford, OX4 2DQ, UK
The Atrium, Southern Gate, Chichester, West Sussex,
PO19 8SQ, UK
For details of our global editorial offices, for customer
services, and for information about how to apply for
permission to reuse the copyright material in this book,
please see our website at www.wiley.com/wiley-blackwell.
The right of Joseph W. Koterski, S.J. to be identified as the
author of this work has been asserted in accordance with
the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
7
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in
any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording or otherwise, except as permitted
by the UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988,
without the prior permission of the publisher.
Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic
formats. Some content that appears in print may not be
available in electronic books.
Designations used by companies to distinguish their
products are often claimed as trademarks. All brand names
and product names used in this book are trade names,
service marks, trademarks or registered trademarks of their
respective owners.The publisher is not associated with any
product or vendor mentioned in this book. This publication
is designed to provide accurate and authoritative
information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is
sold on the understanding that the publisher is not engaged
in rendering professional services. If professional advice or
other expert assistance is required, the services of a
competent professional should be sought.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Koterski, Joseph W.
An introduction to medieval philosophy: basic concepts /
Joseph W. Koterski.
p. cm.
8
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-4051-0677-1 (hardcover: alk. paper) – ISBN
978-1-4051-0678-8
(pbk. : alk. paper)
1. Philosophy, Medieval. I. Title.
B721.K68 2009
189–dc22
2008018528
9
PREFACE
There is a long list of individuals to whom I owe thanks
for their assistance with the composition of this book. It
was Professor Greg Reichberg who first suggested the
project, and I am grateful to him for placing me in touch
with the wonderfully patient staff at Blackwell, especially
Jeff Dean with his constant and gentle encouragements to
finish, and to Sarah Dancy for her help in the editorial
process. Let me also express my deep appreciation to two
anonymous referees for Blackwell, and two anonymous
Jesuits who read the manuscript on behalf of the New
York Provincial of the Society of Jesus. The helpful
comments that all four of these individuals provided were
invaluable.
My colleagues at Fordham over the years have been of
great assistance and encouragement, in particular Prof.
Susanna Barsella, Fr. W. Norris Clarke, S.J., Fr. John J.
Conley, S.J., Fr. Christopher Cullen, S.J., Fr. Brian Davies,
O.P., His Eminence Cardinal Avery Dulles, S.J., Prof.
Gyula Klima, Fr. Joseph Lienhard, S.J., the late Fr. Gerald
McCool, S.J., Prof. Dana Miller, Fr. Louis Pascoe, S.J.,
Prof. Giorgio Pini, and Prof. Daryl Tress, with each of
whom I have discussed one or another of the ideas that
have come into this volume. I owe a debt of gratitude to
friends and colleagues elsewhere, including Prof. Ed
Peters, Sr. Thomas Augustine, O.P., and Prof. Wayne
Storey. I am also grateful to my students over the years,
students whose questions and conversations have often
helped me to clarify my ideas. In particular, let me record
my debt of gratitude to a number of current or recent
10