Presented by the Departments of Philosophy at

the University of Denver and Marquette University

and

the University of Denver’s Center for Judaic Studies

Organizers:

Prof. Sarah Pessin, University of Denver

&

Prof. Richard C. Taylor, Marquette University

OUR THANKS TO THE PRESENTERS AND OTHER PARTICIPANTS IN THE CONFERENCE FOR ANOTHER STIMULATING SET OF PRESENTATIONS AND DISCUSSIONS.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO OUR NEXT MEETING AT THE UNIVERSITY OF DENVER IN SUMMER 2011, THE FOURTH ANNUAL SUMMER CONFERENCE ON PHILOSOPHY IN THE ABRAHAMIC TRADITIONS.

RICHARD TAYLOR & SARAH PESSIN

This Conference is intended to provide a formal occasion and central location for philosophers and scholars of the Arabic / Islamic, Jewish and Latin Christian philosophical traditions of the Middle Ages  to present and discuss their current work in medieval philosophy.

First held at Marquette University in 2008, this Summer Conference alternates between the University of Denver and Marquette University. In summer 2010 the conference will be at Marquette University.

Note: Monday June 28 - Wednesday June 30 we will have the 5th Annual Marquette Summer Seminar in Ancient and Medieval Philosophy which focuses on Aristotle and the Aristotelian Tradition. The 2010 theme is “Science and Intellect in Aristotle and the Aristotelian Tradition.” For in click here.

Conference Proposal Submission Guidelines

Established Scholars: send a title and tentative abstract;

Graduate Students: send a title, abstract, CV and a supporting letter from your faculty advisor or dissertation director.

NOTE: Abstracts should be 150 words or fewer.

Send applications by email to: Richard.Taylor@Marquette.edu.

OPENING DATE FOR SUBMISSIONS: February 1, 2010.

The Selection Committee will select presenters on the basis  of quality of proposals (title and abstract) and scholarly record as the primary criteria.

PROGRAM ANNOUNCED: April. The first review of submissions will take place April 1. This date should be considered the deadline for submissions since it is likely that the conference program will be completed at that time.

ATTENDING ONLY: Send Registration check with name, address, academic affiliation.

CONFERENCE REGISTRATION FOR ALL PRESENTERS AND ATTENDEES

(fees cover breakfasts, refreshments, dinner one night)

Advance Registration ($45 by check) Deadline: May 1.

NOTE => After May 1 Registration only at the door: $50 cash.

CHECKS SHOULD BE MADE OUT TO: Marquette University

(Fees are waived for Marquette students, faculty and staff.)

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Registration Form

=> ALL ATTENDEES (including the Marquette community) are asked to register.<=

NAME:

TITLE: 

ACADEMIC AFFILIATION:

ADDRESS:

EMAIL ADDRESS:

TELEPHONE:

CHECK NUMBER: 

(Registration fees are waived for members of the Marquette community.)

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Print the Registration Form above and send your check made out to “Marquette University” to:

Richard Taylor

Philosophy Department

Marquette University

P.O. Box 1880

Milwaukee, WI 53201-1881

Registered Attendees:

1. 1.Mohammad Azadpur, San Francisco State University, San Francisco*
   

2. 2.Daniel De Haan, University of St. Thomas, Houston*
   

3. 3.Larry D. Harwood, Viterbo University, La Crosse, WI*
   

4. 4.Y. Tzvi Langermann, Bar Ilan University Ramat Gan, Israel
   

5. 5.Andrew LaZella, University of Scranton, Scranton, PA*
   

6. 6.Luis Xavier López-Farjeat, Universidad Panamericana, Mexico City
   

7. 7.Alia Omrani, The Phenomenological and Existential Studies Group, Isfahan, Iran
   

8. 8.Saja Parvizian, San Francisco State University, San Francisco* (canceled)
   

9. 9.Traci Phillipson, Marquette University, Milwaukee*
   

10. 10. Aladdin Yaqub, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA*
    

11. 11. Richard C. Taylor, Marquette University, Milwaukee*
    

12. 12. Sarah Pessin, University of Denver
    

13. 13. Nathan Blackerby, Marquette University*
    

14. 14. Mara Brandli, Marquette University*
    

15. 15. Dennis M. Callies, Marquette University*
    

16. 16. Jedidiah Mohring, Marquette University*
    

17. 17. Curtis Carter, Marquette University*
    

18. 18. Robert Ramos, Marquette University*
    

19. 19. Owen Goldin, Marquette University*
    

20. 20. James South, Marquette University*
    

21. 21. David Twetten, Marquette University*
    

22. 22. Br. Lawrence LaFlame, Marquette University*
    

23. 23. Ann Therese Gardner, The Catholic University of America*
    

24. 24. Brandon Henrigillis, Marquette University*
    

25. 25. Irfan Omar, Marquette University*
    

26. 26. Deborah Nash, Marquette University*
    

*Fee paid, or waived for Marquette students, faculty, staff.

Conference Schedule (tentative)

All sessions will be held in the Beaumier Conference Center in the lower level of Raynor Library. (See below for location link.)

THURSDAY JUNE 24 :

Breakfast: 8:00 am. Coffee, tea, orange juice, bagels, muffins, et alia, at the Philosophy Department Commons, Coughlin Hall Room 139

Beaumier Conference Center

Presentations  

9-10:25: [1]  Prof. Luis Xavier López-Farjeat, Universidad Panamericana, Mexico City, “The Political Use and Rational Dimension of Religion in Alfarabi’s Kitâb al-Milla and Kitâb al-Hurûf”

10:35-12: [2]  Prof. Mohammad Azadpur, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, “The Politics of Imagination in Abrahamic Theories of Prophecy”

12-1:30 pm Lunch: suggestions: AMU (Student Union), Subway, Jimmy John’s Subs, local Pizza restaurant, Qdoba, Miss Katie’s Diner, and more in the immediate area.

Presentations

1:30-2:55: [3]  Prof. Aladdin Yaqub, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, “Al-Ghazâlî’s Ethical Egoism and Divine Will”

3:05-4:30: [4]  Nathan Blackerby, Marquette University, “Interpreting the Esse/Essentia Distinction in De Ente 4”

4:40-6:05: [5]  Prof. Y. Tzvi Langermann, Bar Ilan University Ramat Gan, Israel, “Ibn Kammûna’s Exposition of Abrahamic Philosophical Piety” CANCELED DUE TO TRAVEL PROBLEMS.

7:00 pm Dinner at the home of Prof. Taylor, included in the Conference Fee.

Carpooling available.

FRIDAY JUNE 25  : Beaumier Conference Center

Breakfast: 8:00 am. Coffee, tea, orange juice, bagels, muffins, et alia, at the Philosophy Department Commons, Coughlin Hall Room 139

Presentations

8:30-9:55: [6] Dr. Alia Omrani, IQSA, Vrij Universitait van Brussel, Belgium, “Neoplatonism in al-Kindi’s Philosophy”

10:05-11:25: [7]  Ms. Traci Phillipson, Marquette University, Milwaukee, “Aquinas and Averroes on Self-Knowledge and the Intellect”

11:35-1:00: [8]  Mr. Daniel De Haan, University of St. Thomas, Houston, “Aristotelian Noetic Principles and their Averroistic and Thomistic Interpretations”

1:00-2:30 pm Lunch: suggestions: AMU (Student Union), Subway, Jimmy John’s Subs, local Pizza restaurant, Qdoba, Miss Katie’s Diner, and more in the immediate area.

Presentations

2:30-3:55: [9]  Prof. Andrew LaZella, University of Scranton, Scranton, PA, “On the Non-Identity between Prime Matter and Potency in Siger of Brabant’s Metaphysics”

4:05-5:30: [10]  Prof. Larry D. Harwood, Viterbo University, La Crosse, WI, “Implications of the Radical Freedom of God in William of Ockham and his Followers”

Dinner suggestion: The Seven Seas restaurant on Lake Nagawicka for a Milwaukee style Friday Fish Fry. (Self pay of ca. $16 for a nice fish and chicken buffet at a beautiful location.)

Car pooling available at 6 pm following the final conference session.

For driving directions, see http://www.weissgerbers.com/sevenseas/html/findus.html.

CONFERENCE LOCATION:

Conference sessions will take place in the Raynor Library (1355 W. Wisconsin Ave.) Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday June 16-18, 2009. For information on the Raynor Library and nearby parking see https://www.marquette.edu/contact/finder/raynor.shtml and the links there.

HOUSING:

On campus housing is available at a modest cost.  For information, click here.  To reserve a room contact the housing office directly:  Carrie Enea at 414-288-7204 or via email at carrie.enea@marquette.edu. Cut-off date for room reservations: May 17, 2009. Rooms requested after the cut-off date are subject to availability.

Rooms will be at Straz Tower, 915 W. Wisconsin Ave., a three block walk from the conference location.

PARKING:

Structure 1, located on 749 N. 16th Street, and Structure 2, located at 1240 W. Wells St ., have been designated the university’s visitor parking facilities. For information on the costs of parking ask at the check-in desk at Straz Tower, 915 W. Wisconsin Ave.

Daytime visitors’ parking 6 am - 5 pm is $5.00 per day at these structures.

Overnight parking (ca. $6) can be arranged at the check-in desk at Straz Hall.

New: For parking information, click here or go to:  https://www.marquette.edu/about/visitor_parking.shtml.

HOTELS:

Just a few blocks East from Marquette University is the Holiday Inn Milwaukee City Center, 611 West Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53203. Tel. 1-414-273-2950.

For further information on the hotel, see http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/hi/1/en/hd/mkecc?irs=null

A few blocks West from Marquette University is the very charming Ambassador Hotel: 2308 W Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53233. Tel.(414) 342-8400

For further information on the hotel, see www.ambassadormilwaukee.com

(Mention that you are attending a Marquette conference may get you a discount. Be sure to ask.)

DIRECTIONS AND MAPS:

For directions to the Marquette Campus, see https://www.marquette.edu/contact/directions/

For a map of the Marquette University campus, see https://www.marquette.edu/contact/CampusMap.pdf

For a map of downtown Milwaukee, see

http://www.wisconline.com/counties/milwaukee/map-downtown.html

For parking information, click here or go to:  https://www.marquette.edu/about/visitor_parking.shtml.

TRAVELING TO MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY (& DOWNTOWN MILWAUKEE) FROM

MILWAUKEE’S MITCHELL AIRPORT:

For a shuttle, see http://www.mitchellairport.com/getting.html

Downtown Milwaukee: info from http://kiwinc.itgo.com/mwc/mitchell.html

    * Expect a taxi to cost around $30 or a bit more due to fuel costs.

    * Most convenient: Airport Connection shared ride van serves a frequent loop of most downtown hotels. http://mkelimo.com/ ($12-15)

    * Cheapest: MCTS bus route 80 serves 6th St. downtown, next to the Midwest Airlines Center and nearby hotels. Travel time is 25 minutes, often only a few minutes longer than taxi or van.

http://www.ridemcts.com/routes_and_schedules/schedule.asp?route=80

Straz Tower is at 9th and Wisconsin.

The Conference Center is in the lower level of Raynor Library at 1355 W. Wisconsin Ave.

Midwest Seminar in Ancient and Medieval Philosophy link:

http://web.mac.com/mistertea/Midwest_Seminar/Welcome.html

Aquinas and the Arabs Project link:

http://web.mac.com/mistertea/iWeb/Aquinas%20&%20the%20Arabs/Aquinas%20&%20the%20Arabs.html

MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY PHILOSOPHY DEPARTMENT link:

https://www.marquette.edu/phil/

Presentation Abstracts

Below are the accepted initial proposals in alphabetical order by author.

1. 1.Mohammad Azadpur, San Francisco State University, San Francisco
   

“The Politics of Imagination in Abrahamic Theories of Prophecy”

In this paper, I explore the relation between the faculty of imagination and the religious law in Abrahamic theories of prophecy. I begin by considering the accounts of the cultivation of imagination advanced by Islamic (e.g., Alfarabi and Avicenna) and Jewish (Maimonides) philosophers as a significant feature of their prophetologies. I argue that the prophetic imagination constitutes the exoteric features of prophecy, i.e., the law, and the relation between the law and imagination is significant for the establishment of a virtuous state, the hermeneutics of the prophetic revelation, and the progress towards spiritual enlightenment. I then contrast the Jewish/Islamic account with Thomas Aquinas's approach to prophetic imagination. I argue that Aquinas' rejection of the role of prophetic imagination in the articulation of the divine law constitutes the major difference between Aquinas and his Muslim and Jewish predecessors. I will conclude by exploring doctrinal and philosophical reasons for this divergence.

2. Nathan Blackerby, Marquette University, “Interpreting the Esse/Essentia Distinction in De Ente 4.”  Thomas Aquinas is often viewed as presenting an account of human persons as unitary entities consisting of a composition of formal and material principles, consequently avoiding both Platonic dualism and materialism. Yet, in the Commentary on the Sentences, Aquinas presents a unique dualistic depiction of human beings, in which the soul is viewed as asuppositumor hoc aliquid, having essein its own right, distinct from the body, and yet unified with the body by communicating it's being to the body. On first glance, this appears to be a surprising departure from Aristotle. However, Aquinas's dualist anthropology should come as no surprise. Robert Wisnovsky has recently argued that Avicenna's anthropological writings were heavily influenced by the Ammonian neo-Platonic tradition's interpretation of Aristotle's works. Drawing on Wisnovsky's research, this essay finds parallels between the anthropological views in the Ammonian tradition and Aquinas's own philosophical anthropology, which suggest that the Ammonian tradition may have formed an important part of Aquinas's interpretive context.

2. 2.Daniel De Haan, University of St. Thomas, Houston
   

“Aristotelian Noetic Principles and their Averroistic and Thomistic Interpretations”

Aristotle’s de Anima bequeathed its Greek, Arabic, and Latin commentators a variety of noetic principles on the nature of the intellect. His commentators, however, did not unanimously agree on the scientific conclusions Aristotle achieved by these principles. Further, they discovered that these noetic principles were insufficient to resolve all of their questions on the nature of the intellect. To answer these questions additional principles were required. This paper will focus on some of the additional principles adopted by the mature Averroes and Thomas Aquinas in their doctrines on the intellect. First, I will compare their interpretations of the de Anima's fundamental noetic principles. Next, I will identify some key sources not arising in the de Anima but found within their doctrines on the intellect, e.g., principles from Aristotle’s Metaphysics or neo-Platonic sources. Finally, I will note some innovations within their doctrines which are novel additions to the Aristotelian noetic tradition they inherited.

3. 3.Larry D. Harwood, Viterbo University, La Crosse, WI
   

“Implications of the Radical Freedom of God in William of Ockham and his Followers”

While Thomas Aquinas had insisted upon the impossibility of God commanding actions that proved to be incommensurate with God’s nature, William of Ockham contended that the nature of God suffers no imposed restraints. Thus, God’s actions and commandments are conceived of by Ockham as bound by nothing, such that God’s ultimate nature is one of absolute freedom. In Christian traditions influenced by Ockham’s view, the nature of God becomes an issue because of belief in the freedom of God conceived of in this fashion. Therefore, in this conception, God, being free, commands His will as His will to be done. But the identification of God with any traditional metaphysical associations, such as the good, or the beautiful, now seems tenuous if the true shall only be defined by absolute freedom. After an explication of how Ockham deals with this difficulty, I will trace its lasting effects in later, though chiefly, Protestant traditions.

4. 4.Y. Tzvi Langermann, Bar Ilan University Ramat Gan, Israel
   

“Ibn Kammūna’s Exposition of Abrahamic Philosophical Piety.”

The fortunes of Sa‘d bin Manṣūr in the eyes modern scholarship have been vicissitudinary, mirroring in a way the turns and sways of his this-worldly sojourn some seven hundred and fifty years ago. However, some important aspects of his oeuvre have yet to be examined at all. In particular, no study to date has paid attention to his pietistic writings. Ibn Kammūna’s interests in comparative religion and general philosophy (with a specialty in the theory of the soul and its eternal salvation) are by now well-known, even if not fully appreciated and contextualized. His pietistic writings, in which he integrates praxis with theory so as to provide a life strategy that can appeal equally well to members of all Abrahamic faiths (indeed, to all monotheists), are an important part of his project, and very worthy of our attention. My paper will focus upon his longest pietistic tract, Kalimāt wajīza mushtamila ‘alā nukat laṭīfa fī al-‘ilm wa-l-‘amal (Brief words comprising subtle remarks on knowledge and practice). This treatise was recently published by Reza Pourjavady and Sabine Schmidtke in their bio-bibliography of Ibn Kammūna; however, hardly a word has been written concerning the contents of this treatise. The tract was written for a Muslim patron, who would have had no reason to be taken aback by its form or message. Still, I will call attention to its essentially non-denominational character. That feature is of course evident in the general plea for avoiding the temptations of this world and fortifying one’s contemplation of the eternal truths, a message that would be familiar to Christians, Muslims and Jews (perhaps also some Buddhists, then well ensconced in the Mongol ruling elite). However, it is manifest as well the style of exposition, for example, the many different ways by which the deity is called (First Reality, True Light, Highest Excellency), and even in some scriptural allusions. It is striking that the only Qur'anic verse cited, from the fifty-seventh sura (“Iron”, verse 3) has, at least for its first part (“He is the first and the last…”), an exact parallel in both the Hebrew and Christian bibles.

5. 5.Andrew LaZella, University of Scranton, Scranton, PA
   

My paper will address Siger of Brabant's treatment "prime matter" in its relation to potency. Instead of framing this question in terms of God’s power to create matter without form, Siger understands matter as uncreated and eternal, and thus as always already informed. And yet, he does not simply identify matter with potency, but instead grants an important non-identity between matter and potency. In terms of secondary matter, this is an innocuous move and follows Aristotle’s Physics III.1 to the letter in distinguishing the entelecheia of matter qua matter (e.g., bronze qua bronze) from matter qua motion to form (e.g., statue, chalice, medal, etc.). And yet Siger extends Aristotle’s argument to prime matter in order essentially distinguish prime matter qua prime matter from prime matter qua potency to elemental contraries (i.e., hot/cold and moist/dry) leaving us with the question of what “entelecheia” prime matter qua prime matter has as distinct from its potency to elemental forms.

6. 6.Luis Xavier López-Farjeat, Universidad Panamericana, Mexico City
   

“The Political Use and Rational Dimension of Religion in Alfarabi’s Kitāb al-Milla and Kitāb al-Hurūf”

The aim of this paper is to define the character of universal principles and prudence in Alfarabi’s Book of Religion, and to find out how the particular connection between both is related to religion. After arguing that Alfarabi has in mind some sort of political use of religion, I turn the attention to his rational conception of religion in one of his most important logical and metaphysical treatises, the Book of Letters. What both treatises have in common is the comprehension of religion as a group of beliefs and actions subordinated to philosophy. Is Alfarabi trying to build a rational religion, or is he attempting to find the way to harmonize religious beliefs with reason? After discussing these matters, I will briefly go on Alfarabi’s conception of prophecy in On the Perfect State in order to find out if the epistemological justification of this supernatural knowledge drives to a different notion of religion. 

7. 7.Alia Omrani, IQSA, Vril Universitait van Brussel, Belgium
   

“Neoplatonism in Al-Kindi's Philosophy”

Al-Kindi's theology can be introduced as one of main Islamic Neoplatonism philosopher who emphasizes on the First Truth in His transcendent position not in His Creative aspect.  According to al-Kindi, the ‘True One’ is neither soul nor intellect because the unity of True One is one neither through form or genus.  It is responsible for the unity which exists in all beings together multiplicity. As the cause of the unity of all being, the True One is responsible for the continuing process of the universe. Al-Kindi's theology is based on the impossibility of any sort of infinity but the First Truth emphasizing the accidental nature of all entities which is opposed essential unity. Al-Kindi, being influenced by Neoplatonism ignores the world of intelligible entities and his focus shifts- from the world of caused unity-onto the unified Being in a way that the relation of God to the world revolves around the words ‘unity’, ‘being’, and ‘emanation’ , wahdah, huwiyah, and fayd. The fact is that, placing a new ground of doubt between the philosophers and theologians, al-Kindi has a unique position in the history of Islamic philosophy. 

8. 8.Saja Parvizian, San Francisco State University, San Francisco
   

“Reconsidering Alghazali on the Intellect”

Abstract: In this paper I will highlight the complexity of Alghazali’s view on the intellect, and suggest that his critique of Islamic philosophers has been wrongly misunderstood as a complete dismissal of the philosophical project.  Despite Alghazali bounding the reach of the intellect to discursive reasoning, I will maintain that he actually privileges this faculty, but only when it is grounded in first principles provided by revelation. Upon intellect being grounded in revelation, one can further cultivate the intellect and orient themselves towards understanding divine truths.  This paper will contribute to dispelling misunderstandings about the differences between Sufi mysticism and the project of Islamic philosophy, as well as highlight the similarities in the method and goals of these two approaches.

9. 9.Traci Phillipson, Marquette University, Milwaukee
   

“Aquinas and Averroes on Self-Knowledge and the Intellect”

Much of Aquinas’ discussion and explanation of the role and location of the intellect for the human being (and specifically its role in individual self-knowledge, self-awareness, and consciousness) stems from a desire to refute and reject Averroes’ view.  This paper considers Aquinas’s critique of Averroes based upon (1) the issue of personal experience and imagination, (2) the identification of the object of knowledge, and (3) the problem of the intellect as the form of the body.  In the end, the paper demonstrates that Aquinas lacked a full appreciation for Averroes’ view and its foundations and that this is ultimately reflected in a too hasty dismissal of some of Averroes’ key claims, claims which deserved and deserve further attention.

10. 10. Aladdin Yaqub, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA
    

“Al-Ghazālī’s Ethical Egoism and Divine Will”

In his most important work of philosophical theology, Moderation in Belief, al-Ghazālī defends a form of ethical egoism that makes the categories of “obligatory,” “good,” and “bad” inapplicable to the acts of God. In the same consequentialist spirit, he also defends a deterrent theory of punishment. In this paper I describe both theories and his arguments for them, and I explain how these theories imply a divine freedom that is unconstrained by any condition of moral goodness, justice, or care for the creation. I shall also argue that al-Ghazālī’s theses and arguments paint a picture of God as the ultimate source of what is humanly good and what is humanly bad. The central point of the argument is that God, by ordaining which human acts shall be rewarded and which human acts shall be punished, creates necessary categories of “good” and “bad” that are in accord with ethical egoism.