The Marquette University
Midwest Seminar in Ancient and Medieval Philosophy
is pleased to host
Barbara Bartocci
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium
presenting
“Dialectic and the Medieval Tradition of the Topics”
3:30-5:30 pm Thursday 6 April 2017
Raynor Library room 330b
Abstract
In the Middle Ages, ‘dialectica’ is a polysemantic term. In its broader meaning, it is used synonymously with logic, while in its narrower or proper meaning, the word dialectic signifies the discipline that through probable reasoning (probabiliter arguere) produces opinion. Medieval authors apply to dialectic the division, already used for logic, between docens and utens, in order to account for the double nature of dialectic.
Dialectica docens is the discipline, treated by Aristotle in his Topics, which studies the modes of reasonings and the proper way to construct arguments. As docens, dialectic is conceived of as a science in its own right and authors accord to it the same scientific status as the other philosophical disciplines. Despite the agreement on these general features, Medieval commentators of the Topics hold different opinions about dialectic, its method of inquiry, the scientific value they accord to dialectical knowledge and its subject matter. They consider whether it is dialectical syllogism or dialectical argumentation. To acknowledge dialectical argumentation, and not dialectical syllogism alone, as the object of study of dialectic entails an extension of the field of inquiry of this discipline to non-formal and informal arguments, not only the formally valid arguments, but also those informally valid are dialectically valid arguments. I will analyze how some authors – such as Robert Kilwardby(?), Albert the Great, Boethius of Dacia, Radulphus Brito, Walter Burley, John Buridan, Marsilius of Inghen and others – answer all these questions and to show how these answers are strictly entrenched with an author’s commitment to a specific philosophical position.
Dialectica utens is often classified as the ars or instrument employed for constructing arguments in other disciplines. I will take into account some applications of dialectical argumentative strategies to different disciplines, such as philosophy, theology, natural philosophy. In his Proslogion, Anselm elaborated the unum argumentum by applying dialectical reasoning. Thomas Aquinas acknowledged the importance of the locus ex auctoritate for theological reasoning (e.g. ST, I, q.1, a.8, ad 2) and often employed dialectical topics in his works on natural philosophy, such as the De Caelo. Similarily to Aquinas, John Buridan applied dialectical argumentative pattern in his writings on physical sciences. We meet some echoes of dialectical themes and strategies also in Nicolaus Copernicus, especially in the Preface and in the first book of his De Revolutionibus orbium caelestium.
Biographical Note and CV
Barbara Bartocci is a PhD student at the Institute of Philosophy of the KU Leuven (supervisor: Prof. A. Robiglio) and at the CESR- Tours (supervisor: Prof. J. Biard). Her dissertation deals with the reception of Aristotle’s Topics in Late Middle Ages and Renaissance and in particular with Walter Burley's Notulae super Topicorum.
She studied Medieval and Renaissance philosophy at the University of Rome (MA 2010), working on Gianfrancesco Pico della Mirandola and Paolo Beni da Gubbio. She studied at the Philosophy Faculty of the Pontifical University “Thomas Aquinas” in Rome, where she was assistant, teaching Medieval Latin 5 and 6. She obtained the “Diplôme européen d'études médiévales” from F.I.D.E.M and, then, she was appointed as Professor of Medieval Latin for the DEEM. She was Amplonius-Stipendiatin at the Theology Faculty of the “Universität Erfurt” and Max Weber Kolleg-Stipendiatin.
She has published many articles in journals on the Renaissance Neoplatonic tradition, particularly on Paolo Beni da Gubbio and Galileo Galilei, as well as on the Aristotelian commentator Peter De Rivo. She worked on the edition of Thomas Aquians Die Quaestio disputata De unione Verbi incarnati des Thomas von Aquin (Stuttgart-Bad Cannstatt: Frommann-Holzboog, 2011).
She has been a speaker at the conferences: The Place of Renaissance Humanism In the History of Philosophy (Groningen, 13-15 June 2013), Francesco Patrizi: Philosopher of the Renaissance (Olomouc, 24-26 April 2014), RSA Annual Meetings of New York (27-29 March 2014) and Berlin (26-28 March 2015), Homo Logicus. Logic at the edges of humanity. Historical, anthropological, philosophical approaches (Florence, 7-9 September 2016).
Curriculum Vitae
Name: Bartocci, Surname: Barbara, e-mail: barbara.bartocci@kuleuven.be
2012/11/01PhD Student at Hoger Instituut voor Wijsbegeerte, K. U. Leuven – Université de Tours/CNRS, CESR.
Publications:
2013Article: “L’In Platonis Timaeum e le altre opere inedite di Paolo Beni da Gubbio”, in: Recherches de Théologie et Philosophie médiévales 80/1 (2013), pp. 165-219.
2013Article: “Reading Aristotle at the University of Louvain in the 15th Century: A First Survey of Peter de Rivo’s Commentaries on Aristotle” B. Bartocci, S. Masolini, R.L. Friedman, in: Bulletin de Philosophie Médiévale 55 (2013), pp. 133-176.
2014Article: “Reading Aristotle at the University of Louvain in the 15th Century: A First Survey of Peter de Rivo’s Commentaries on Aristotle” B. Bartocci, S. Masolini, in: Bulletin de Philosophie Médiévale 56 (2014), pp. 281-383.
2014Article: “Paolo Beni and his friendly criticism of Patrizi”, in T. Nejeschleba –P. Blum (Eds), Francesco Patrizi Philosopher of the Renaissance, 2014, pp. 261-295.
2015Article: “Paolo Beni and Galileo Galilei: the classical tradition and the reception of the astronomical revolution”, in Rivista di Storia della Filosofia 71/3, pp. 423-452.
2015Article: “Reading and commenting upon the first book of Aristotle’s Topics: Buridan, the via antiqua and dialectical reasoning”, in A. Robiglio - B. Bartocci (Eds), “Aristotle in the 15th century” in Rivista di Filosofia Neoscolastica (4/2016).
Papers:
The Place of Renaissance Humanism In the History of Philosophy, Groningen, 13-15 June 2013, paper: “The influence of classical tradition on the scientific revolution: Paolo Beni and Galileo Galilei”.
RSA, New York 27-29 March 2014, paper: “Is the Heaven of a fiery nature or of ether? Beni comments on celestial matter in Plato’s Timaeus”.
Francesco Patrizi: Philosopher of the Renaissance, Olomouc, 24-26 April 2014, paper: “Paolo Beni and his ‘Friendly’ Criticism of Patrizi”.
RSA, Berlin 26-28 March 2015, paper: “Reading, Writing, and Commenting upon Aristotle’s Topics in the 15th Century”.
Homo Logicus. Logic at the edges of humanity. Historical, anthropological, philosophical approaches, Florence, 7-9 September 2016, paper: “Philosophical Anthropology in Aristotle’s Topics and in their Medieval and Renaissance Reception”.
