Duration
30h Th
Number of credits
| Bachelor in philosophy | 5 crédits | |||
| Master in history, research focus | 5 crédits |
Lecturer
Language(s) of instruction
French language
Organisation and examination
Teaching in the second semester
Schedule
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
This course will study a major thinker of the early Middle Ages: John Scotus Eriugena. We will discover his creative interpretation of the concept of the Godhead, his critical reading of Aristotle's Categories, and the Neoplatonism he borrows from Augustine and the Greek Church Fathers. This will give us the opportunity to observe how these influences intertwine to constitute later medieval philosophy.
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
Through the reading of Eriugena's treatise, students will have the opportuniry to develop three skills useful for the reading of a philosophical text:
- Chosing a interpretative framework relevant to the text
- Applying the framework correctly
- Taking care of the structure and clarity while discussing the text
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
- A good command of French is necessary. Latin reading skills will be useful but are not expected.
- Familiarity with usual methods of History of Philosophy and philosophical argumentation is expected.
- A general knowlege of Aristotle is expected. Familiarity with broader medival philosophy will help situate Eriugena in his wider context. Familiarity with Neoplatonic concepts and Christian theological controversies will be usefeul but is not expected.
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
A first, shorter part of the couse will consist in a general presentation of Eriugena's context and thought. The teacher will preside one or more sessions of collective reading.
The main part of the cours will then be dedicated to the reading of the first book of Eriugena's Periphyseon. Students will take turn to lead the reading. The leader of the session will have to prepare and structure the discussion. All participants are expected to have read the text in advance. Some of them will be attributed specific roles in the service of the discussion.
As the goal of the course is to enable students to read and choose a framework of interpretation, they will be asked to approach the text as much as possible by themselves. The bibliography below may be used as a source of new insights only after this first confrontation with the text. The use of tools bypassing this exercice (e.g. automated summaries, gen AI...) is contrary to the objectives of the course. Students are therefore asked not to use such tools.
Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)
Face-to-face course
Further information:
2nd semester - Tuesday, 12:00-14:00
Course materials and recommended or required readings
Platform(s) used for course materials:
- MyULiège
Further information:
Students are expected to read the whole of the first book of Eriugena's On the division of Nature (Periphyseon), either in : English (transl. I. P. Sheldon-Williams & J. J. O'Meara, Bellarmin, 1987), French (F. Bertin, PUF, 1995) or Latin (É. Jeauneau, Brepols, 1996).
Here are some optional readings which may be useful for students to prepare their presentations:
- W. Beierwaltes, Catena Aurea : Plotin Augustinus Eriugena Thomas Cusanus, Klostermann, 2017.
- S. Gersh et D. Moran, Eriugena, Berkeley, and the Idealist Tradition, University of Notre Dame Press, 2006.
- A. Guiu, A Companion to John Scottus Eriugena, Brill, 2020.
- I. Moulin, Philosophie et théologie chez Jean Scot Érigène, Vrin, 2016.
- J. Trouillard, Jean Scot Érigène : Études, Hermann, 2014.
Exam(s) in session
Any session
- In-person
oral exam
Further information:
While active participation during the semester is strongly expected and may influence the final grade, students will be graded through an oral exam at the end of the semester. Students are expected to be able to explain any part of the text collectively read, using any of the frameworks covered by the course.
Work placement(s)
Organisational remarks and main changes to the course
Contacts
Corentin Tresnie, Département de philosophie, Place du XX Août, 7 (bât. A1, 2e étage), 4000 Liège corentin.tresnie@uliege.be