Duration
45h Th
Number of credits
Lecturer
Language(s) of instruction
French language
Organisation and examination
Teaching in the first semester, review in January
Schedule
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
At the heart of philological practice lies the idea that "un texte, tout texte, recèle en lui un problème interprétatif et que, avant d'être interprété, il doit être établi dans sa forme correcte" (Alberto Varvaro). After defining what philology is (etymologically, 'love of discourse'), the course will focus on medieval texts and the challenges posed by the critical study of literary texts in Old and Middle French, while also incorporating a broader Romance language perspective.
Over the course of the sessions, through theoretical and historical presentations (including short explanatory videos for more technical points), case studies, and various individual and group exercises, students will practice applying the main concepts and methods of philology (collation, reading, variant, contamination, edition, Bédierism, Lachmannism, Neo-Lachmannism, etc.) and will be introduced to the discipline's methodologies. The course sessions will equip students to apply what they have learned as tools for approaching medieval texts in all their specificities.
Depending on the time available, the course is expected to proceed as follows (for pedagogical reasons that will be explained during the course, the order of the chapters follows that of Lino Leonardi, Filologia romanza. 1. Critica del testo, Milan, Mondadori, 2022):
- Introduction
- Chapter 1 - The Text as a Problem
- Chapter 2 - The Manuscript as a Book
- Chapter 3 - The Manuscript as a Witness
- Chapter 4 - Tradition as a Process: Theory of Innovation
- Chapter 5 - Tradition as a Process: Genealogy of Texts
- Chapter 6 - The Text as Hypothesis
- Chapter 7 - Medieval Romance Philology: Historical Background and Current Issues
- Conclusions
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
The main learning outcomes of the course are as follows. By the end of the course, students will be able to:
- highlight the unique characteristics of medieval literature from the perspective of its transmission;
- explain the differences between the medieval text and a modern edition or translation, and demonstrate critical thinking in this regard;
- understand, interpret, and analyze the methodological principles of a philological introduction;
- master the philological vocabulary terms covered in class: define them precisely and illustrate them with at least one example, or, conversely, identify them based on their definition, a text, or a diagram;
- apply what you have learned in the course-theoretical, methodological, practical, and reflective-to explore a tradition not covered in class.
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
None. However, a basic knowledge of Old French will make it easier to prepare for and review lessons at home.
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
The course will be organized into several chapters or units (see above) comprising theoretical lectures, historical presentations, case studies, and individual or group practical exercises (research activities in the ULiège libraries, transcription, collation, the creation of a stemma, etc.), as well as group discussions prompted by a case study or teaching material.
A reading list, available throughout the sessions on eCampus, will serve as a supplement to the lessons and complement the PowerPoint presentations.
Students are expected to:
- actively participate in each class session, regardless of the type of teaching method used;
- complete any required preparation for certain lessons by the specified date (any relevant materials will be sent to students no later than Wednesday of the previous week);
- review the course materials as soon as they are posted on eCampus and no later than the end of each chapter, so that they can actively participate in identifying the learning outcomes for each chapter.
Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)
Face-to-face course
Further information:
In presence teaching.
If the evolving health situation requires it: remote classes.
Duration and time period: first four-month term, 45 hours (according to the academic calendar, 12 sessions of 3 hours each, for a total of 36 hours).
Course materials and recommended or required readings
Platform(s) used for course materials:
- eCampus
- MyULiège
Further information:
Mandatory reading
- Alberto Varvaro, Première leçon de philologie, trad. par J.-P. Chambon et Y. Greub, Paris, Classiques Garnier, 2017. Students are expected to have read the entire textbook by the end of the course; the chapters to be read in preparation for each class, to supplement the theoretical instruction, will be announced as the course progresses.
- Texts from the reading portfolio made available during the year.
Suggested readings
- Frédéric Duval, Les mots de l'édition de textes, Paris, École nationale des chartes, 2015.
- Pietro G. Beltrami, À quoi sert une édition critique ? Lire les textes de la littérature romane médiévale, trad. par J.-P. Chambon, Y. Greub et M. Raguin, Paris, Classiques Garnier, 2021.
These resources and how they can be used will be presented in the first class; students are in no way expected to read these works in their entirety.
Exam(s) in session
Any session
- In-person
written exam ( open-ended questions )
Further information:
Based on a short assignment covering a topic not covered in class, students will be required to answer questions assessing their recall of course material (knowledge), comprehension, and application.
If the exam contains more than five language errors, a penalty will be applied to the final grade out of 20 (max. -1/20).
Work placement(s)
Organisational remarks and main changes to the course
Contacts
Sophie.Lecomte@uliege.be (Office 5/43, on the fifth floor of Building A2)