HONS 1102 AA and BB
COLLOQUIUM ON MEDIEVAL CIVILIZATIONS
Spring 2013
The class meets in Fahy Hall, Rooms 101 and 108
April 30, 2013 version; stay tuned for further revisions
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Seton Hall University Honors Program HONS 1102 AA and BB COLLOQUIUM ON MEDIEVAL CIVILIZATIONS Spring 2013 The class meets in Fahy Hall, Rooms 101 and 108 April 30, 2013 version; stay tuned for further revisions |
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Professors:
Peter Ahr
Office: Fahy Hall 313
Office Hours: Tuesday and Thursday 1-2; and by appointment
Telephone: (973) 761-9741
Email: peter.ahr@shu.edu
Raymond Capra
Office: Fahy Hall 231
Office Hours: Tuesday and Thursday 11:30 - 12:30, and by appointment
Telephone: 973-275-5822
Email: raymond.capra@shu.edu
Ines Murzaku
Office: Fahy Hall 329
Office Hours: Tuesday and Thursday 11 - 12:00; Tuesday 2-3, and every day by appointment
Telephone: 973-275-5845
Email: ines.murzaku@shu.edu
John Ranieri
Office: Fahy Hall 305
Office Hours: Tuesday and Thursday 11-12, and by
appointment
Telephone:973-761-5184
Email: john.ranieri@shu.edu
Course Description
Methodology
In the colloquium on medieval civilization, we will be looking at several major
cultures which developed across the world between approximately the sixth
century C.E. and the sixteenth century C.E. These cultures have, we believe,
several features in common: they understood themselves to be heirs of previous
cultures which they regard as in some sense as "classic" and worthy of
imitation; they take the issue of the relation of society to the divine as a
central focus; they are hierarchically organized at every level of society; and
they are "imperial" in the sense that they understand their society's values and
structures to have universal value and therefore a universal political form, in
theory if not in practice. We will study the literature and arts of the era as
an "archeological" endeavor, digging deep to uncover what the texts, art, and
architecture reveal about their social contexts and the author's/artist's views
about God, world, human nature, knowledge, purpose, and power.
Structure
This colloquium will consist of discussions led by the professors (for the most
part) on the topics listed below. The readings and other assignments noted for
each topic are to be done before class, as they are the basis for class
discussions. Since this syllabus will be under constant revision, please check
the electronic version regularly for updated assignments. Many of the
assignments will require your accessing web documents through links on this
syllabus. The expository material in the syllabus is in blue; your assignments
for class preparation are in green; hyperlinks are
in purple; and important dates, such as assignment
deadlines and test dates, are in red.
Objectives and Expectations
On completion of this course, you will be able to:
discuss the principal ideas embodied in the texts we have studied;
relate these ideas to their historical contexts, and compare them with each other;
develop and argue a thesis about the meaning of a text;
critically evaluate web-based materials on the period covered;
compare texts and draw conclusions on the basis of close reading and critical analysis.
This is a six-credit course, which represents a time
commitment of some fifteen to twenty hours per week (which includes your six
hours in class). You will have a short writing assignment at least once a week,
to be done usually during class (in section AA), or handed in
electronically before class (in the BB section), in which you will discuss
the readings in response to posted questions. Those writing assignments will
cumulatively be worth 20% of your grade. There will be a longer course paper
based on primary texts, which will count for 20% of your grade. There will be a
midterm exam, worth 20% of your grade. The final exam will constitute 20% of
your grade. You will be expected to attend and report on at least two academic
or cultural events on campus this semester. and to hand in one-page reviews of
the events. Your class participation will count for 20% of your final grade.
Since this course is very much a cooperative enterprise, involving discussion of
a wide variety of materials, you are expected to be present at all meetings of
the class, on time and prepared to participate in the day's discussion. Lateness
to class and late return from the break are rudeness to the rest of the class.
As a courtesy to your classmates, you are expected to turn off your cell phones
and your Instant Messaging systems so as not to interfere with the class
discussions.
We expect that any work you submit as yours, whether a review, a paper, or an
examination, will be your own work, and not that of another. Any citation of
another's words or ideas (other than matters of common knowledge), whether by
direct quotation or virtual paraphrase, must be appropriately indicated by
quotation marks, footnotes or indication in the text itself. Copying or
downloading a block of material and changing a few words does not make the
resultant text your own; always indicate your sources. Any instances of
plagiarism, intentional or unintentional, may leave you open to serious
consequences.
Disability Services Statement:
Students at Seton Hall University who have a physical,
medical, learning or psychiatric disability, either temporary or permanent, may
be eligible for reasonable accommodations at the University as per the Americans
with Disabilities Act (ADA) and/or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. In
order to receive such accommodations, students must identify themselves at the
Office of Disability Support Services (DSS), provide appropriate documentation
and collaborate with the development of an accommodation plan. The DSS phone
number is 973-313-6003. For further information, please go to
http://studentaffairs.shu.edu/health/DisabilitySupportServices.html.
Proficiencies
This course satisfies the requirements for both the Critical Thinking and the
Reading/Writing proficiencies, which are required as part of the University Core
Curriculum. In addition to the content, subject matter, and themes of the
course, it is also crucial to develop those skills and practices that help us to
develop our abilities to read carefully, understand precisely, and articulate
our insights clearly. Not only are these skills cross-disciplinary; they are an
essential component in our development as intelligent persons.
To satisfy the requirements for the Reading/Writing proficiency a course must
include a significant amount of writing (both formal and informal) along with an
expectation that there will be several hours of academic reading per week.
Approximately 80% of the course grade will be based upon writing, whether in the
form of papers, short assignments, quizzes, or exams. The requirements for this
Colloquium have been designed with this goal in mind. Readings for the course
are taken almost entirely from primary sources. This is based on the conviction
that it is good to read and analyze the authors' own words, rather than
beginning with what others have written about them. A goal of the course is to
increase your ability and confidence in being able to read and analyze primary
texts. See above under "Objectives and Expectations" for more details. You will
need The Bedford Handbook as a basic reference for all your writing assignments.
It is one thing to run your eyes over the words on a page; it is quite another
to read attentively and critically. The Critical Thinking proficiency is geared
toward developing your abilities to understand and think through the course
readings. (For a brief discussion of the skills involved, see
http://philosophy.hku.hk/think/critical/ct.php.) This means, among other things,
learning to read texts carefully, being able to follow the author's train of
thought, becoming attentive to nuance within a text, and being able to
articulate your insights clearly and precisely, both in your writing and in
class discussion. Critical thinking also means raising questions about what an
author has to say. Is the author's point convincing? Why or why not? How does a
particular author's point of view compare with that of another author dealing
with the same issue? Who do you think is right? Not only is critical thinking an
essential component in reading texts; it is also necessary to apply to your own
writing, so that what you write comes across as clear, well-organized, and
coherent. A number of course assignments are aimed at helping you develop the
practice of critical thinking. As a help to improve your ability to think
critically, we will use Richard Paul and Linda Eller's The Miniature Guide to
Critical Thinking (Foundation for Critical Thinking, 2009 ISBN
978-0-944583-10-4). It is a very handy summary of the criteria for critical
thinking; we will be making use of these critieria in evaluating course work.
Your growing mastery of this kind of thinking is a significant part of the
learning we expect you to be doing; you will be graded in part on how well you
master this art. Our assignments and exams are all opportunities to develop your
critical reasoning; class discussions are yet another such opportunity.
The course syllabus is a dynamic document, reflecting the development of the
course over the semester; you should check it before every class.
Reading List for the course
Geoffrey Chaucer (Hieatt Translation), The Canterbury Tales.
Bantam Classic 0-553-21082-3
F.E. Peters, A Reader on Classical Islam. Princeton
University Press 978-0691000404
Dante Alighieri (Mark Musa, Editor) The Portable Dante.
Penguin 9-780-142-437-544
Various Editors, Introduction to Contemporary Civilization
in the West. Columbia University Press 0-231-02423-1
Andrew Jotischky and Caroline Hull,
The Penguin Historical Atlas of the Medieval World
Penguin 978-0-141-01449-4
In addition, a number of texts will be handed out in paper copy, and many more
readings will be available online as hyperlinks in the syllabus. You are
expected to have read all the texts for a particular day's class before class,
and to be prepared to discuss them.
General Resources:
How
to cite Internet references
The Medieval Sourcebook
Byzantine and Medieval Studies
Links
A very comprehensive set of links to Islamic
materials
A very valuable and comprehensive set
of links to materials on the study of religion
Institute and
Museum of the History of Science, Florence
Italian Art History
The Louvre
The Capitoline Museums in Rome
The Vatican Museums
The National Gallery, London
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Museumlink
The British Library
The New York Public Library
The Order of St. Benedict
The Monastery
of Christ in the Desert webpage
Course Schedule
1/15 Codex Sinaiticus 4th century, probably Constantinople |
I.
Introduction: medieval cultures The cultures we will be studying this semester have in common the fact that they understood their intellectual and spiritual heritage to have derived from textual sources earlier than themselves, and saw as their cultural challenge the task of interpreting these texts in order to construct their own worlds. This challenge was amplified by the social changes of this period brought about by the massive movement of populations that occurred in Europe and Asia over this millennium, bringing ideas into contact with new populations which found themselves forced to adapt these ideas into their own societies. The collapse of the Roman Empire in Western Europe, its transformation into a new empire based in Constantinople, the New Rome, the sudden explosion of Muslim culture into Asia, Europe and North Africa, the migration of Mongolic peoples into Europe and eastern and southern Asia, all contributed to the social and intellectual ferment that marks this epoch in human history. Read before class: Pliny's Letter to Trajan, c. 112 CE, on the Christians Celsus, On the True Logos, c. 177 CE (in Blackboard) Early Christian texts on classical culture (in Blackboard) |
1/17 Cross of Justin II Constantinople, c. 550 C.E. Presented by the Emperor Justin II to the people of Rome c. 569. Treasury, St. Peter's Basilica |
II. Intellectual and
political roots of
medieval cultures
The Creed of the Council of Nicaea (325 C.E.) What questions does this creed settle; and how? How can you tell? The
Creed of the Council of Constantinople (381 C.E.) How did the
Council expand its statement of Christian belief? What disputes does it
try to settle? |
1/22 MS of the City of God Paris, c. 1400 |
Augustine, City of
God Augustine wrote City of God during a time in which the Roman Empire was disintegrating. In the work he responds to pagan critics who blame Christianity for weakening Rome. City of God is a wide-ranging book, including Augustine’s reflections on and criticisms of classical cultures, his views on political life, and his thoughts on the ultimate goal and direction of history. While City of God cannot be said to be the final word on Christian attitudes toward history, society, and politics (Aquinas and Dante, for example do not agree with Augustine on some important matters); it certainly represents a very influential and recurring strain of thought within the Christian tradition. When reading the selections compare Augustine’s attitude toward earthly existence, happiness, peace, and the importance of politics with the views of Plato, Aristotle, and the other classical authors you studied. Introduction of topics for the intensive reading paper. Click here for the topics list. Read before class: Augustine, City of God ICCW: 129-174 Additional excerpts from City of God (in Blackboard) Before class writing: Describe the human condition as understood by Augustine, with particular attention to his reflections on the nature of happiness and peace. |
1/24 St. Catherine's Monastery, Mount Sinai  Plan of St. Gallen Abbey c. 819 |
Monasticism In the fourth century, Christians began the practice of withdrawing from "the world" and separating themselves from society in organized monastic communities. Monasticism, long practiced in India, became a significant form of Christian religious practice as well. Beginning almost with Athanasius' Life of Anthony, the seeker after God became a Christian hero; thousands of men and women in Egypt went out into the desert to follow Anthony's example. Over the centuries, the rewards and dangers of such a life gave rise to a large literature which allows us to see the value these seekers found. The monastic ideal also took root in western Europe; the Rule of Benedict of Nursia (540) provided a framework for organizing a religious community that remains vital to this day. The monasteries, originally isolated communities, soon became centers of larger communities which enjoyed the support and protection of the monastic community. The monasteries, islands of stability in a chaotic world, became the guardians and transmitters of culture, literature and knowledge. Pious donations to these monasteries led to their accumulation of great wealth; periodic reform movements attempted to bring monasteries back to their original ideals. Read before class: Excerpts from Athanasius' Life of Antony (in Blackboard) Excerpts from the ascetic works of St. Basil (in Blackboard) The Rule of St. Pachomius (in Blackboard) St. Benedict's Rule for Monasteries: ICCW: 175-189 See also: John Cassian, Institutes, Book IV, chapters 1-15 From the Life of St. Martin of Tours Venerable Bede, The Lives of the Holy Abbots of Wearmouth and Jarrow Dagobert, King of the Franks, Grant of an Estate to the Monks of St. Denis, 635 Ekkehart of St. Gall, Three Monks of St. Gall Charter of the Abbey of Cluny Domesday Book, Manors of the Abbey of St. Peter, Winchester, 1086 Charta Caritatis of the Cistercian Order Before class writing: What is the purpose of the monastic life, according to Benedict? to Basil? Why live in community? What advantages flow from the communal life? Choose one of the readings from the supplementary list, and discuss how it shows the further development of the ideas in Benedict's Rule. (Cassian's Institutes are, of course, one of Benedict's sources; you'd want to show how Benedict is incorporating Cassian's teachings.) |
1/29 14th century Quran MS Damascus |
Islam: The Origins
of Islam The Quran ("recitation") is the record of what the Prophet Muhammad heard in his encounters with God. It is regarded by Muslims as the very Word of God itself, speaking to them as it was spoken to the Prophet. The hadiths are stories told about the Prophet's experiences, and are revered as his example of how to live a life of submission (islam) to God. The readings for these classes show the normative stories for Muslim practice and thought. Read before class: WC, pp. 328-349 A Reader on Classical Islam, chapters 1 and 2; chapter 4, pp. 158-176 Writing before class: From the texts assigned for this class, what do you understand to be the principal aspects of the revelations the Prophet Mohammed received? Which texts support your argument? The long paper: As part of the writing practice incorporated into this course, you are to write a paper of some 7-9 pages, in which you analyze a text or texts from this course in response to one of the questions on this list. Click on that link for the list of topics, and for specific instructions on this assignment. The outline of this paper is due to your professors by February 21, and a final copy of the paper is due at the end of class on April 2. Your paper must be a response to one of the questions on this attached list. |
1/31 Kaaba, Mecca |
Islam: Development
of Muslim society After the time of the Prophet, the Muslim community was forced to find ways to institutionalize itself. The rapid expansion of the Muslim community raised questions of how to develop a social order, how law should operate, how to determine the proper way to regulate personal and social life. By the 10th century C.E., the Sufi orders of Islam—confraternities of lay persons under the spiritual guidance of local shaykhs, or teachers—attempted to model the teachings and actions of Prophet Muhammad as a way to mirror the values ascribed to Muhammad. Read before class: A Reader on Classical Islam, chapter 5, pp. 212-243; chapter 7 |
2/5 Al-Hakam II's maqsura (caliph's chapel) Mosque of Cordoba |
III. Medieval
Political Models In the period we are studying, four rather different models of political organization emerged, models which persist to this day. We are heirs to the Western European model, which, among other things, posits a separation between religious and political interests. The Byzantine model assumes no such separation; nor does the Muslim model articulated by Ibn Khaldun. These models persist to this day, in Russia and Eastern Europe, on the one hand, and the Muslim world, on the other. The Chinese model of political organization, visible in the texts we will study, is also still operational in the China of our time. Political models: Umma and Caliphate Ibn Khaldun offers an analysis of the way in which power arises and is lost; and how power is ultimately in the gift of God. Because God is one, power itself necessarily is one, and is properly vested in the Prophet's representative, the caliph. At the same time, he notes that caliphal authority has taken on aspects of conventional royal authority as a practical way of its exercise. The Muqaddimah is still a fundamental text of political science in the Muslim world. See how Ibn Khaldun's thought arose out of Muslim political practice. Read before class: WC, pp. 378-401 A Reader on Classical Islam, chapter 3, particularly sections 10 and 11 and 20-24 Political excerpts from Ibn Khaldun's Muqaddimah (in Blackboard) Before class writing: What is power, in Ibn Khaldun's understanding? What limits does it have? How is it gained? How lost? How does his understanding change your understanding of Middle Eastern politics? |
2/7 Qin Shi Huang's chariot from his tomb at Xi'an |
Political Models:
The Son of Heaven For millennia, China has been a very large empire, ruled by force but needing wide-scale obedience and consent. Chinese literature includes a very long tradition of reflection on how to accomplish these objectives effectively and ethically. The values underlying this imperial system are traceable back to the sixth century BCE, and the writings of Kung Fu Tse (Confucius) and Lao Tse, both of whom understood themselves to be teaching wisdom far older than themselves. The values of these ways of thinking remain fundamental to Chinese society, and find themselves expressed in the many governmental structures that China has known over the centuries. Read before class: WC, pp. 46-57; 222-273 Selections from the Analects The Tao Te Ching The Mandate of Heaven, from the Shu Jing Han Fei on the primacy of Law Selections from Xunzi Supplementary readings: Sun Tzu, The Art of War William of Rubruck's account of the Mongols, sections IX through XXII The Ch'ing-Tsing, stone monument recording the spread of Syriac Christianity to China, 781 Before class writing: What do these texts tell you about what power meant? How do they show the emperor's power? What is he responsible for? What is he in charge of? How does he do it well? |
2/12 Justinian I and his court San Vitale, Ravenna |
Political models:
Constantinople and Symphonia From Constantine forward, the emperors of the eastern Roman empire claimed God-given power over all aspects of Byzantine society, secular and religious. The Christian church remained part of the imperial system; and political conflicts frequently took a theological form. The Hagia Sophia, the Great Church of Constantinople, stood in close proximity to the imperial palace and was the symbolic center of the empire. At the same time, imperial power continued to be a function of military and economic strength; the emperor's role was first of all one of military command. Read before class: WC, pp. 350-365 Eusebius' Life of Constantine, Book IV, especially chapter XXIV on his role. That chapter is available here. Constantine's letter on the Council of Nicaea The Nika riots, from Procopius' History of the Wars. If that link is not working, you can find a key excerpt here. Michael Psellus, Chronographia, Books I, V and VII (also on Blackboard) Patriarch Anthony on Symphonia (also on Blackboard) See also: Procopius' description of Justinian and Theodora, from the Secret History (read sections 8-12 especially) (also on Blackboard) Procopius' description of the Hagia Sophia from his On the Buildings John of Damascus On the Holy Icons Liutprand of Cremona's account of his embassy to the Byzantine emperor in 963 Before class writing: From Psellus' description of the reign of Isaac Comnenus in sections 44-88 of Book VII of the Chronographia, what can you tell about the nature of imperial power in Constantinople? What is the emperor responsible for? What is he in charge of? How does he do it well? How do the ideas of Patriarch Anthony (who is writing much later than Psellus' time) reflect the power structures that Psellus knows? |
2/14 Charlemagne's throne Cathedral, Aachen |
The Rise of Empire
in the West Franks; Read before class: Gregory of Tours, History of the Franks, on Clovis Einhard, Life of Charlemagne Monk of St. Gall (Notker Balbulus), Life of Charlemagne, sections 12-17 Saint Nilus and Otto III |
2/19 William the Conqueror, with Bishop Odo of Bayeux and Robert of Mortain The Bayeux Tapestry |
Political
development: Vikings, Normans, Slavs Viking or Norsemen (Old Norse víkingr, fara í víking “to go on an expedition”) refers to Scandanavian merchants, warriors, and explorers who traded, raided, and settled throughout Europe and the North Atlantic islands from the 750’s CE to the eleventh century. In the west the Vikings traveled and settled in Iceland, Greenland, and Newfoundland (Canada). In Old English the term wicing was synonymous with pirate. To the east the Vikings sailed to Constantinople and up the Volga River into the heart of Russia. The Varangians (the early rulers of Kievan Rus, modern Ukraine) were the descendants of Viking mercenaries in service to the Byzantine Empire. The Vikings settled as far south as southern Italy and Sicily. The Normans as well were descendants of Viking settlers. The Normans would conquer England at the battle of Hastings in 1066 CE (and subsequently greatly alter the English language). The twelfth century Kingdom of Sicily which encompassed the island and the southern portion of the Italian peninsula was a major participant in the wars between the Christendom and Islam in the medieval era. Read before class: The Life of King Alfred The Saga of Erik the Red The Annals of Xanten ICCW pp. 334-341 The Battle of Hastings, from William of Malmesbury's Chronicle Map of Viking expansion Some notes on the Normans Ibn Fadlan and the Rusiyyah |
2/21 Pope Boniface VIII |
Political models:
Empire and Papacy In Western Europe, the Christian Church was the sole institution to survive after the withdrawal of Roman troops to Constantinople and the Eastern Empire. As the new populations developed their own political structures, tensions developed between these new structures and those of the Church. Beginning with Charlemagne at the beginning of th ninth century, Germanic rulers claimed the imperial title and imperial power. From the eleventh century forward, the bishops of Rome presented themselves as the authentic successors of the Roman emperors, with the concomitant claims to universal jurisdiction. The tensions between these two claimants are an ongoing theme of Western European history for centuries. Read before class: WC, pp. 365-377 Pope Gelasius on the Two Powers Pope Leo I and Attila The "Donation of Constantine" The Coronation of Charlemagne: Einhard, chapter 28 The Dictates of Pope Gregory VII Gregory VII on Investiture: ICCW, 266-284 Otto of Freising, The Deeds of Frederick Barbarossa ICCW 274-285 Boniface VIII, The Bull "Unam Sanctam" ICCW 285-287 Diet of Frankfurt, The Law "Licet Juris" of 1338 ICCW 300-301 Hand in thesis statement and outline of the long paper. |
2/26 The Emperor Frederick II 13th century MS of his treatise on falconry Vatican Library |
Political
development in Western Europe: feudalism and feudal values Feudal society was based on a perfectly enclosed hierarchical system mirroring, in its world view, the order of nature. Workers, soldiers and those who prayed were the three pillars of mankind: the first produced food and wealth; the second fought to protect it; and the third ensured that the relationship between man and the Divine remained peaceful. All relationships, be they commercial, military, political or religious, were based on this understanding of one’s place in the world. Read before class: The Song of Roland, Part I, Section I (stanzas 1-24) What does the poem view as good; what is evil? John of Salisbury's Policraticus on the Body Politic Thomas Aquinas on law ICCW 215-223 Thomas Aquinas, On The Governance of Rulers ICCW 241-255 Dante Aligheri, On Monarchy ICCW 302-321 Magna Carta ICCW 416-427 The Truce of God ICCW 428-431 |
2/28 The Triumph of Death Pieter Brueghel, 1562 Museo del Prado, Madrid |
Midterm exam The midterm exam will have two parts. For the first part, we will give you seven short excerpts from texts we have read. You will choose five of them and identify the author (if there is a single known author), the work from which it is taken, and explain what the text means in its historical context. Do not simply paraphrase the text! This part of the exam will count for 50% of the grade. For the second part of the exam, be prepared to
write a thorough, precise, and thoughtful essay on the following topics.
One of these questions will appear as the second part of the midterm
exam. Your professors will choose which one you will write on. It
will constitute 50% of the exam grade. 1. Discuss and compare the relationship between
religious authority and political authority as understood in Islamic
civilization and in either the Christian East or the Christian West. 2.
Discuss and compare Constantine the Great and Charlemagne. How do they
epitomize the ideal Christian Emperor? What are their similarities and
their differences? What models of political/religious powers are they
setting? Draw upon at least three
primary sources in your discussion. 3. Based
upon the texts we have read so far this semester, what argument would
you give to those who say that the Roman Empire fell in 476? In
constructing your argument you should draw upon at least four sources in
order to prove your point. |
| 3/5 | Spring Break |
| 3/7 | Spring Break |
3/12 Madrasa bun Inania Meknes, Morocco Founded by Abu Inan Faris in 1350 |
IV. Medieval arts
and sciences Jewish and Muslim philosophers Moses Maimonides, Al-Ghazali, Ibn Rushd (Averroes), and Ibn Khaldun are among the many thinkers whose work contributed greatly to the development of Western Christian thought in subsequent centuries, and whose work remains integral to later Jewish and Muslim thought as well. Read before class: Moses Maimonides, The Thirteen Articles of Faith Issues in Quranic exegesis, A Reader on Classical Islam, pp. 194-205 Issues in Muslim theology and philosophy, A Reader on Classical Islam, pp. 358-377 Ibn Rushd, On the Connection between Religion and Philosophy Thomas Aquinas, Summa Contra Gentiles I, 3 |
3/14 The Triumph of St. Thomas Aquinas, by Francesco Traini 1340 |
Scholastic Philosophy and the Universities Among the objects moving along the new trade routes were the manuscripts of new Latin translations of Greek, Roman, Arabic and Indian philosophical and scientific texts coming out of the translation schools of Toledo and other Spanish cities. These texts, in turn, gave impetus to a new flowering of philosophical and scientific thought. The place of this philosophizing had come to be the new institution of the "university." Arising out of the monastery schools of the ninth and tenth centuries, and out of the bishops' schools in the eleventh and twelfth, these new organizations of professors and students constituted themselves as corporations for the study of everything (universitas studiorum), claiming independence from both civil and ecclesiastical authority. In your preparation for this class, pay particular attention to Anselm's argument as he attempts to give a rational demonstration of his belief that God exists, and then to the nature of Thomas' handling of the same question. Note the way in which Anselm's style is very close to that of Augustine in the Confessions, while Thomas takes a stylistically very different approach to the same question. Note also that Thomas is disagreeing with Anselm's conclusions, and coming up with a different kind of answer to the question. In reading Thomas, note how his dialectic arrives at an answer in a very different way from Anselm's argument. The dialectic argument requires him to state first, in the "Objections", the position he ultimately refutes; Thomas own point of view is stated briefly in the "On the contrary", and articulated fully in the "I answer that". The argument concludes by the "Replies to the objections," in which he refutes the positions opposed to his. The dialectical method enables Thomas to arrive at certainty in his conclusions. Read before class:Anselm's proof of the existence of God
Aristotle's argument for the first
principle from Book II of the Metaphysics
Before class writing: What kind of conclusions can you draw about the change in the way people thought, from looking at these two different kinds of argument? Do you agree with Anselm? with Thomas? Why? |
3/19 St. Francis preaching to the birds Giotto, Basilica of San Francesco, Assisi |
The
Mendicant Orders By the twelfth century, Europe was rediscovering trade and the dominantly rural society of the previous centuries was giving way to the development of towns and cities. The freedom of these new cities enabled a greater sense of the value of the individual person; and the religious forms of the earlier period no longer conformed to the needs of this new kind of society. The communitarian sense of the monastic and feudal world was challenged in the social and religious realm; the new mendicant orders were a response to this new sense of the human personality. Part of the class will be devoted to viewing and discussing a section of Francisco Zefirelli's "Brother Sun, Sister Moon." Both sections will meet in Fahy 131 at 8:15 for the film; later discussion will be in our usual classrooms. Read before class: Documents on towns: ICCW 349-371 The Rule of St. Francis The Testament of St Francis Francis's "Canticle of the Sun" Hand in first draft of long paper. |
3/21 St. Bonaventure MS illustration c. 1510 |
Mystics and
Mysticism The Middle Ages saw considerable development of the mystical sensibility of uncovering the inner self to reveal the divine hidden within. This phenomenon develops, especially in western Europe, in part with a growing emphasis on the humanity of Jesus in Christianity as the period progressed. Come to class prepared to discuss the levels of meaning in several of the assigned texts. Read before class: The Song of Songs from the Bible Texts from Bernard of Clairvaux and other Cistercians (handout) Bonaventure, The Journey of the Mind to God: ICCW 190-200 Hesychast texts Poems of Rumi (handout) Before class writing: Are there common themes in these texts? What are they? Do you see interesting differences among the texts? |
3/26 The Rialto, Venice The church of San Giacomo, to the left, has a 14th century clock with only an hour hand. The church itself is said to date to the fifth century, but it has been rebuilt several times over the years. The present form of the church dates to 1610, although parts are much older. |
Towns and the
Development of a New Society Constantinople, New Rome, continued to be a major trading center throughout this period; it was "The City" to its inhabitants and indeed to all who knew it. It was the western destination of the Silk Road from China, and its traders dealt in goods from as far as Indonesia and Norway. This trade included such other cultural centers as Alexandria, Antioch, and Baghdad. From the tenth century, Venice and then other Mediterranean cities began to join in this trade, becoming middlemen bringing these goods into western Europe. With the improvement of climate and growing political stability in western Europe, other cities began to develop, often around monasteries, becoming political as well as economic centers. The rise of a new class of citizens, the merchants, largely urban, travelling between the markets of Europe, both fit into the feudal world and its values which the new merchant class was trying to imitate, and also began to undermine it. Read before class: Documents on Towns: ICCW 349-371 Robert de Courcon's Statutes for the University of Paris (1215) Pope Gregory IX's Statutes for the University of Paris (1231) The Decree Licterae Generales of Emperor Frederick II, establishing the University of Naples Thomas Aquinas on commercial ethics: ICCW 224-241Documents on early capitalism: ICCW 503-514 The Fair at Thessalonica Boccaccio, The Decameron, Day I, Novel 1; Day II, Novel 5; Day III, Novel 2; Day X, Novel 10 You might be interested in reading: William of Rubruck's account of the Mongols, sections I through VII |
| 3/28 | Holy Thursday - University closed |
4/2 The Siege of Antioch |
Crusades The events known as the Crusades were the military expression of mutual suspicion and incomprehension among Christians, Jews and Muslims in early medieval Europe. In your reading, note the values praised by each writer, and those of the other side that are disparaged. What are the alleged reasons for the actions portrayed; and to what extent do those alleged reasons appear to be the real ones? Read before class: WC, pp. 456-466 Pope Urban II's summons to the First Crusade Usamah ibn Munqidh on the manners of the Franks Crusaders' slaughter of the Jews of Mainz Anna Comnena on the first Crusaders Villehardouin on the Fourth Crusade For possible discussion in class: The capture of Jerusalem, 1099 Pope Eugene III's summons to the Second Crusade Privileges granted to crusaders Bernard of Clairvaux, In Praise of the New Knighthood, the rule for the Knights Templar Saladin's capture of Jerusalem, 1187 Before class writing: Choose one of the readings, and hand in a one-page analysis, discussing how that text reflects the author's own beliefs and attitudes, how those beliefs color his portrayal of the other's, and how they justify his own attitude. Deadline for handing in the long paper. |
4/4 Sainte-Chapelle, Paris 1248 |
Medieval Art and
Architecture The European Middle Ages also saw astonishing development in the arts, architecture and music. The master masons and architects developed new technologies that enabled the construction of buildings which astonish us even today. The impulse to do so did not, however, pass unchallenged, as the points of view of Suger and Bernard demonstrate. Contemporary with these universities, and sharing many common intellectual foundations, the guilds of architects and stonemasons systematized an astonishing flowering of art, architecture and technology. Their work remains as a powerful monument to the daring of medieval ambition. Read before class: Abbot Suger on the building of the church of St. Denis Bernard of Clairvaux against the extravagance of churches Review the slides on Gothic architecture posted under Course Documents in Blackboard |
4/5 (Friday) Cloister of St. Jean-de-Cuxa The Cloisters |
Cloisters visit The bus will leave from the side of the Rec Center at 11 a.m. We will have a guided tour of the collection for about an hour at 12:30, and you will have about an hour to explore the museum on your own afterwards. We will leave in time to be back on campus before 5 p.m. In preparation for this trip, review the materials for the April 4 class, as well as other aesthetic information you have gathered through the course of the semester. Think particularly about the philosophical implications of the shift from the romanesque to the gothic, and be prepared to look for the growing emphasis on the individual and particular that is characteristic of the gothic. After the visit writing: Hand in a one-page description and analysis of one object from the Cloisters collection; this assignment is due on April 11. |
4/9 Dante Aligheri, by Sandro Botticelli 1495 |
Dante Dante Alighieri was born sometime in 1265 in Florence and died September 1321 in Ravenna in perpetual exile from the Florentine Republic. His writings encompass the grandeur of late medieval era thought, a summation of classical and Christian philosophical learning. The Vita Nuova (1292), celebrated Dante's love for Beatrice. The nature of his love had its roots in the medieval concept of "courtly love" and the idealization of women. The text serves as a treatise on poetry and the meaning of love. Read before class: Vita Nuova (pages 589- 600 chap. I-XI, 617-649 chap. XXII-XLII) Inferno cantos I-VII, XIII-XV, XXIII-XXXIV |
4/11 Aldine edition of the Commedia, 1502 |
Dante The Divine Comedy was written between 1308 and 1321. It is the Christian epic poem par excellence that narrates the journey of the soul from spiritual ruin to redemption. The poem was an instant classic of Western literature. Dante's poem relating his heavenly-ordained journey through Hell, Purgatory and Paradise enjoyed immediate success: more than 600 surviving manuscripts of the Divine Comedy produced during the 14th century attest to the work's instant popularity. Consequently, Dante's Comedy was among the first books to be printed with the new technology of moveable type introduced into Italy from Germany during the 1460s and 1470s. Read before class: Purgatorio cantos I-III, IX-XII, XVII-XIX, XXIV-XXVI, XXIX-XXXII Paradiso cantos I-IV, X-XIV, XIX-XXIII, XXVII, XXXI-XXXIII Deadline for handing in Cloisters paper. |
4/16 Geoffrey Chaucer |
V. The Later
Medieval World Chaucer's Critical Eye Medieval society understood itself as composed of persons of various necessary ranks, or degrees. Virtually all social transactions in this society were based on this social model. Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales gives a clear and colorful account of this society. Chaucer’s cast of characters shows the wide diversity of social roles in fourteenth century English society, a diversity which is matched almost everywhere in western Europe at that time. The emergence of the merchant class posed a challenge to the feudal social order; the fluidity of this new class had no place in the fixed order of nobles, churchmen and serfs. The literature of the 14th century reflects this reworking of the social order. Read before class: Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales: Prologue, The Reeve's Tale, The Merchant's Tale, The Pardoner's Tale, The Wyf of Bath's Prologue and Tale Before class writing: Choose one of the characters in the Prologue and hand in a page of comments on that character. |
4/18 William of Ockham, from a 1341 MS of his Summa Logicae |
The Crisis of the Medieval Synthesis The "medieval synthesis" in which all aspects of society were thought to cohere in one great unity: we have seen Thomas Aquinas and Dante confidently articulate this sense of the unity of all things. By the beginning of the fourteenth century, however, this cultural confidence began to wane. The popes' claims to universal jurisdiction were challenged by the rising power of the kings, on the one hand, and of the merchant class, on the other. Dante was himself a victim of these challenges, and he is writing nostalgically about a world that no longer corresponded to his reality. The removal of the papacy to Avignon, and the subsequent election of two, and then three, popes, further eroded the authority of the popes. In philosophy, the confidence of the early scholastics was equally challenged by philosophers who were not persuaded that their predecessors had in fact managed to resolve all questions into a unity. Theologically, the power of the church was challenged by urban preachers who taught a return to evangelical virtue as against the wealth and power of the ecclesiastical institutions. The Great Plague of 1347-50 killed close to a third of the population of Europe, and further weakened the noble and ecclesiastical classes. Read before class: Black Death texts John Wycliffe ICCW: 679-688 Marsilius of Padua, Defensor Pacis: ICCW 287-300 Anonimalle Chronicle, The English Peasants' Revolt of 1381 |
4/23 Petrarch, by Andrea di Bargilla |
The Humanist
Perspective Humanism began as a critique of scholasticism and its perceived inability to understand the Self. Beginning in the mid-fourteenth century with the Italian scholar Francesco Petrarca, a new movement arose looking to the past for answers as to how to build a person and a society with new values. This movement, later known as Humanism, peaked in the century after Constantinople fell and thousands of educated Greek-speakers brought their learning and their manuscripts to Italy. Read before class: Petrarch, Letter to a Friend Petrarch, The Ascent of Mount Ventoux ICCW 557-564 Coluccio Salutati, ICCW 565-580 Giovanni Pico della Mirandola, Oration on the Dignity of Man ICCW 581-587 Baldassare Castiglione, The Book of the Courtier ICCW 610-631 Before class writing: How do you see Pico's "Oration" as differing from the world view of his medieval predecessors? Do you agree with him? Why? |
4/25 The School of Athens Raphael, 1510-11 Vatican Palace |
Renaissance Art
and Architecture Part of the spectacular heritage of this era is the heritage of painting, sculpture and architecture which were part of this new world view. The discovery of one-point perspective, the rediscovery of Greek and Roman sculpture and architecture as sources of inspiration, and the growing wealth of the patronage class produced a new way of doing and viewing art. Read before class: Giorgio Vasari's Life of Michelangelo ICCW: 592-609 Slides on Renaissance art and architecture on Blackboard Part of the class time will be devoted to presentations of thesis projects by some graduating Honors Program seniors. Writing before class: View the slides on Renaissance art and architecture posted on Blackboard in Course Documents, choose one of the slides, and write a page of comment describing the building or painting, and relating that slide to themes treated in the classes on humanism. |
4/30 Niccolò Machiavelli Palazzo della Signoria, Florence |
Machiavelli,
The Prince Machiavelli's The Prince is one of the permanent classics in political theory. How does Machiavelli understand the nature of power? How is it gained; how lost? To what extent is his understanding of power consonant with Ibn Khaldun's? Does his discussion of power and its exercise mark a break with the thought of preceding centuries? How do you see it as different? Bring your copy of The Prince to class for discussion. Read before class: Letter to Vettori of December 10, 1513 The Prince ICCW, 459-479 |
5/2 Gate of the mosque and cathedral of Sevilla |
Summary In this class, we will go over the questions for the final examination, and discuss possible ways to craft theses in response to the questions. We will also, as time permits, continue discussion of Machiavelli and other texts. |
| 5/10 10:10-12:10  The Garden of Earthly Delights: Hell Hieronymus Bosch, c. 1510 Museo del Prado, Madrid |
Final Examination The final exam will have two parts. For the first part, we will give you seven short excerpts from texts we have read. You will choose five of them and identify the author (if there is a single known author), the work from which it is taken, and explain what the text means in its historical context. Do not simply paraphrase the text! This part of the exam will count for 50% of the grade. For the second part of the exam, be prepared to write a thorough, precise, and thoughtful essay on the following topics. One of these questions will appear as the second part of the midterm exam. Your professors will choose which one you will write on. It will constitute 50% of the exam grade.
1. Compare Aquinas, Dante, and
Machiavelli on the nature and purpose of political rule.
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Image at top of page: crossing and choir of Westminster Abbey, begun by King Henry III in 1245 and consecrated 1269. Henry of Reyns, John of Gloucester and Robert of Beverly were the master masons responsible for the design and the construction of the choir. The work was begun under Abbot Richard de Berkeying and continued under Abbots Richard de Crokesley, Philip de Lewisham and Richard de Ware. The western section of the nave was then carried on by Abbot Nicholas Litlyngton about 1365, using money bequeathed by Cardinal Simon Langham (Litlyngton’s predecessor as abbot) and work slowly progressed for nearly a hundred and fifty years. The Lady Chapel was added by Henry VII between 1503 and 1519; the master masons appear to have been Robert Janyns and William Vertue. The West Towers were completed in 1745 to a design by Nicholas Hawksmoor, the Abbey's Surveyor.
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| HONS 1102 | Honors Seminars | Honors Students |
| HONS 2003 | Honors Advising | Application and Admission |
| HONS 2105 | Honors Enrichment | Honors Program Page |
