Thomas Aquinas: Metaphysics (Fall 2013)

Information & Formal Syllabus for Marquette students

Formal Marquette University Course Description

Course Description

     The Arabic philosophical tradition played an important role in the formation of theological, philosophical and scientific thought in medieval Europe subsequent to the translations from Arabic into Latin in the 12th and 13th centuries. The influence of that Arabic classical rationalist tradition in works by al-Farabi, Avicenna, Averroes and the Liber de causis is evident in the thought of Thomas Aquinas, though the breadth and depth of that influence is often insufficiently noted and explained by scholars of Aquinas.

     After a general introduction to key issues in the philosophical thought of Aquinas, this course will focus on the metaphysics of Aquinas in the development of his philosophical conceptions of being, the cause of being and related issues in the context of his use of sources in Aristotle and works by philosophers of the Arabic tradition, particularly Avicenna and Averroes. Readings will be selected from his early first developments of his metaphysical thought supplemented by writings from each of the four major periods of his career.

     This is a global collaborative course taught by Prof. Richard C. Taylor at Marquette University and Professor Andrea Robiglio at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven as a hybrid course.  That is, it will be taught using online tools and resources and also in the classroom with face-to-face meetings live video once per week on Thursdays 9 -11 am. On Thursdays students will meet online with video and audio for questions and discussion with Profs. Taylor & Robiglio and the student groups in Milwaukee and Leuven, Belgium, live.

    We will make extensive use of the MU D2L system which is similar to KU Leuven’s Toledo system. All students will be enrolled in D2L and must use that system.

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

(A)  Each week two video lectures of ca. 25-35 min. on the assigned material will be provided to students who are required to study these and the assigned readings. Students are also required to participate in on-line discussions on D2L.

Classes will meet “live” Thursdays at 9-11 am Milwaukee time, 16h-17h Leuven time. The first few minutes will be used for local pre-discussion briefing before the “live” video discussion. Class attendance is required, not optional.

(B) Teamwork at classes MU: 7, 9, 11;  KUL: 8, 10, 12; KUL & MU team: 13

Students at each location will be gathered into distinct groups for collaborative teamwork involving (i) the guidance of on-line D2L discussions of the assigned videos and readings Thursday afternoon until Monday at midnight, and (ii) posting on D2L a 4-5 page single spaced summary of the key teachings discussed on the video and in the readings, plus at least three (3) important questions from the online discussion. Regarding (ii) note this: this must be sent to Prof. Taylor (Richard.Taylor@Marquette.edu) and posted on D2L by noon Wednesday; also the group will make a summary presentation with questions in no more than 7 minutes at the next “live” Thursday class meeting. Take special note regarding Modeling: These procedures will be modeled by Prof. Robiglio for class 6 (3 October). After that, student teams will begin these duties, starting with Marquette University, then Universidad Panamericana, and last Katholieke Universiteit Leuven.

NOTE: There are seven (7) team assignments, 3 for Marquette teams, 3 for KULeuven teams, and a special global team of students from Marquette and KULeuven who will collaborate internationally for their assignment.

     All texts are available in English translation with many available on the Web. Students are welcome to study the texts in Latin, Arabic, Spanish, French, Dutch, German, or any other language, but classroom discussions will all be in English. Each instructor will take responsibility for placing relevant texts on reserve for student use on their own campuses.

Marquette Course Requirements & Grading:

1. Class will meet Thursdays at 9-11 am in Memorial Library 320b. Class attendance and participation in on-line and in class discussions are required, not optional. Attendance and quality of participation make up 25% of the course grade.

2. One required student team assignment as indicated in section (B) under General Requirements of the syllabus will make up 25% of the course grade.

3. One professionally prepared course research paper of ca. 20-25 pp. (due 10 Dec. via email and D2L) makes up 50% of the course grade. This paper must be submitted via email in PDF and WORD or RTF form.

NOTE: Given the innovative character of this international course, Prof. Taylor will be available live for office hours at Coughlin Hall 238 Tuesdays 9 am - 12 noon and at the same time on MSLync at meet.marquette.edu/richard.taylor/PRTCFB5F.

BOOKS & TEXTS: St. Thomas Aquinas. An Exposition of the On the Hebdomads of Boethius. Introduction and translation by Janice L. Schultz and Edward A. Synan (Washington, D.C.: The Catholic University of America Press, 2001.)

Others on reserve or available online for the most part.

COURSE LEARNING OBJECTIVES,  OUTCOMES AND ASSESSMENT

Course learning objectives and outcomes with assessment tools indicated:

By the end of the course,

1. The student will be able to expound the metaphysical reasoning of Aquinas and its key concepts and arguments in his chief sources. Assessment tools: student work in D2L on-line & classroom discussions; final course paper.

2. The student will be able to explain the metaphysics developed by Aquinas including his account of finite and infinite being together with the relevant technical terminology. Assessment tools: student work in D2L on-line & classroom discussions; final course paper.

3. The student will be able to give an account of the development of the metaphysical teachings of Aquinas in relation to his major sources in the Latin, Greek and Arabic traditions. Assessment tools: student work in D2L on-line & classroom discussions; final course paper.

4. The student will be able to explain the ontological constitution of being in Aquinas, including how the doctrine of essence-existence applies to the human soul and person. Assessment tools: student work in D2L on-line & classroom discussions; final course paper.

5. The student will be able to demonstrate a basic familiarity with selected secondary literature on the thought of Aquinas in oral and written work. Assessment tools: student work in D2L on-line & classroom discussions; final course paper.

6. The student will develop his/her own critical interpretive account of an important metaphysical doctrine of Aquinas demonstrating familiarity with bibliographical resources, the texts of Aquinas, his sources, and key secondary sources. Assessment tool: final course paper.

Faculty Office Hours and Contact Information

Prof. Taylor, MU: Coughlin Hall 238 and live online via MSLync at meet.marquette.edu/richard.taylor/PRTCFB5F.

Email: richard.taylor@hiw.kuleuven.be (preferred) or Richard.Taylor@Marquette.edu

Tuesdays 9:00 am - 12 pm Milwaukee, 16h-19h Leuven time, and by appointment.

Prof. Robiglio, KUL: forthcoming. Email address: Andrea.Robiglio@hiw.kuleuven.be.

STATEMENT ON STUDENT CONDUCT ACADEMIC DISHONESTY

Academic Dishonesty Policy

Dishonesty in academic matters undermines student intellectual development and the goal of Marquette University to develop the whole person. Further, dishonesty undermines the foundations of the search for the true and the right in ethical matters. Cheating in such forms as copying, sharing answers or questions, plagiarism and the like certainly cannot be tolerated in any university course, and all the more so in philosophy which is discipline particularly concerned with truth and understanding.  Consequently, in this course I adhere fully with the Marquette University Academic Honest Policy as spelled out in the Graduate Bulletin.

Students who have any questions about just what constitutes academic dishonesty should study the Academic Honesty Policy and bring any questions to the instructor to forestall any problems.

ATTENDANCE POLICY

Class Attendance and Absence Policy

For this course students are expected to attend each and every class meeting. For this course Attendance is included as a measure of academic performance.

Policy for Students with Disabilities or Special Needs

Please see me privately if you have any documented disabilities or special needs. I will be glad to work with you has necessary to make this a valuable learning experience. For the implementation accommodations, students must normally identify themselves to the instructor within the first week of classes as students with documented disability as certified by the Office of Disabilty Services (ODS).  I will work closely with the staff of the ODS in establishing reasonable accommodations as defined by University policy. Students seeking accommodations must register with ODS and receive appropriate certification.

For Part 2 of the Syllabus, see the Detailed Syllabus page of this website.