We examine such fundamental questions such as: how are we to understand the idea of happiness in relation to the good life and the nature of reality; do truth, beauty and goodness interweave or not? Why do we suffer? We’ll consider how--because of the availability of Aristotle’s works—Christianity, Judaism and Islam (al-Farabi and Avicenna) engage with Greek thinking.
In Medieval philosophy we will investigate how Plato and Aristotle exert their influence on Constantine, Augustine, and Aquinas. Hildegard von Bingen’s revelations provide an important corrective to male perspectives. Machiavelli’s political machinations are intriguing. Against the backdrop of Florence, Dante’s view of evil is chilling in the Inferno.
Finally, we will address early feminist philosophers and those who take up the cause of anti-racism and class inequity in a departure from the Medieval. Ultimately, this is a class in the history of critical thinking from Greek antiquity to the Renaissance.
