Short Course Description

This course in Arabic / Islamic philosophy presents traditional philosophical problems and issues such as the nature of human being and human happiness, the nature of social and political thought, the role of religion in society, reason and religion, the theory of knowledge, the nature of metaphysics, the nature and causality of God, and related topics. Among the major figures studied are al-Kindî, al-Fârâbî, Ibn Sînâ (Avicenna), al-Ghazâlî, Ibn Rushd (Averroes), Ibn Bâjja (Avempace), Ibn Tufayl, Ibn Rushd (Averroes), Suhrawardî, Mulla Sadrâ, and others. There will also be discussion of key aspects of the influence of translated classical Arabic / Islamic philosophy on Christian thought in the Latin West in the 12th and 13th centuries. Political and religious movements in the development of social thought in the 19th, 20th & 21st centuries will also be considered. 

    Grading will be based on a course paper of ca. 10-12 pp.(80%) or two papers of 5-6 pp. (40% each), and quality of classroom discussion (20%).

    Suggestions of paper topics will be made throughout the term. Students are encouraged to discover their own topics of interest but all paper topics must be approved by the instructor. I expect to meet with each of you several times to assist you in this exercise of preparing papers that are both philosophically interesting and thoughtfully and carefully composed. This is something I do in all my courses and which students usually find to be a particularly valuable experience.

    Dates regarding papers:

1. 1.For students electing to do just one paper (80% of the course grade), the final deadline for determination and approval of the topic is 9 May 2011. Plan to meet with me to discuss the philosophical issues and argumentative structure of the paper before this deadline. The deadline for submission of the paper in physical copy at class and electronic version via email is 30 May.
   

2.1. For students electing to do two papers (each 40% of the course grade), the final deadline for determination and approval of topic #1 is 28 March. Plan to meet with me to discuss the philosophical issues and argumentative structure of the paper before this deadline. The deadline for submission of the paper in physical copy at class and electronic version via email is 4 April.

2.2. Again, for students electing to do two papers (each 40% of the course grade), the final deadline for determination and approval of topic #2 is 16 May. Plan to meet with me to discuss the philosophical issues and argumentative structure of the paper before this deadline. The deadline for submission of the paper in physical copy at class and electronic version via email is 30 May.

Prof. Richard C. Taylor

Office location: DWM 2nd Floor, Aristoteles Latinus Office, 02.13

Office hours: Tuesdays 14h-15h and by appointment

(For the month of May, office hours will be Mondays 12h-13h45.)

Websites: via www.RichardCTaylor.info

Email: mistertea@mac.com, or Richard.Taylor@Marquette.edu, or richard.taylor@hiw.kuleuven.be