SYLLABUS PART 1 OF 2

Aquinas and ‘the Arabs’

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.

In Fall 2016 (i) the graduate course “Aquinas and ‘the Arabs’: Five Major Issues” will be taught in the Philosophy Department at Marquette University by Prof. Richard Taylor (Marquette) with the collaboration of Prof. Andrea Robligio (KU Leuven, Belgium) and (ii) the graduate course “Aquinas in Context” will be taught at the Philosophy Institute at KU Leuven by Prof. Robiglio with with the collaboration of Prof. Taylor.

The “Aquinas in Context” course at KU Leuven, Aquinas on senses, dreams, and phantasies: the embodied character of human thinking, has as its primary focus human knowledge and the external and internal senses that are involved in embodied human thinking. They will study in its entirety:  Thomas Aquinas. Sentencia libri De senus et sensato Commentary on Aristotle’s De Sensu et Sensato, tr. Kevin White (Catholic University of America Press, 2005) which is available via this link: click HERE. Our Marquette course will meet together with the KU Leuven class eight (8) times for common discussion of this topic in Aquinas and the importance of the Arabic tradition for the development of his thought.

     These global collaboration courses will be with face-to-face discussion in live video with Professors Taylor & Robiglio and their students using Polycom technology. Though these are distinct courses, the eight (8) live class meetings for discussion of common texts and issues studied by both classes will meet on the following days:

29 September 10-11 am

6 October 9-10 am

13 October 9-10 am

20 October 9-10 am

10 November 9-10 am

17 November 9-10 am

1 December 9-10 am

8 December 9-10 am

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

(A)  Students are required to study the assigned materials (videos, primary and secondary literature) indicated on the syllabus and be prepared to discuss them in detail in class. Take special note that since the course meets only once per week, at that meeting we will be doing the work equivalent to a regular graduate course that meets twice per week.  This puts a strong requirement of self-discipline on students.

Note on Course Materials: Most course materials will be available via the Marquette Library, the Marquette ARES Reserves system or other online links.

(B) Teamwork: Three (3) Team Presentations By Each Student

Students will be collaborating in teams for a total of three presentations for each student, one in connection with our KU Leuven collaboration and two in our distinct studies on Aquinas and ‘the Arabs’.

(C) Marquette Course Requirements & Grading:

Class will meet Thursdays at 9:00 - 11:40 in Memorial Library 320(a).

Class attendance and participation in class discussions are required, not optional. Attendance and quality of participation make up 25% of the course grade.

Student Team work will make up 25% of the course grade.

One professionally prepared course research paper of ca. 20-25 pp. due 12 Dec. via TURNITIN.COM Class ID 5419804, makes up 50% of the course grade.

Course papers should be prepared in accord with the guidelines of the Journal of the History of Philosophy available at https://www.press.jhu.edu/journals/journal_of_the_history_of_philosophy/guidelines.html.

(D) 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 doctrines of each of the five (5) topics as found in Aquinas’s sources and also indicate how those doctrines played key roles in the thought of Aquinas. Assessment tools: student work in classroom presentations and discussions; final course paper.

2. The student will be able to explain the ontological constitution of the soul 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.

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: classroom presentations and discussions; final course paper.

3. The student will develop his/her own critical analysis of an important doctrine of Aquinas in connection with the Arabic tradition demonstrating familiarity with bibliographical resources, the texts of Aquinas, his sources, and key secondary sources. Assessment tool: final course paper.

(E) Faculty Office Hours and Contact Information

Prof. Taylor: Marquette Hall, room 437

Tuesdays 10:30 am - 12 pm; Wednesdays 1:00-2:30 pm and by appointment.  The appointments website is located at: https://academic.mu.edu/taylorr/Theory_of_Ethics/Appointments.html

KU Leuven office hours: “misterteaatmac” via Skype Fridays 14h-16h

ARES Reserves access code: mistertea

TURNITIN.COM Class ID 5419804, Enrollment password: mistertea

(F) 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 this course on the Theory of Ethics.  The Marquette University Academic Honest Policy is spelled out on at https://bulletin.marquette.edu/undergrad/academicregulations/.

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

(G) ATTENDANCE POLICY

Class Attendance and Absence Policy

For this course students are expected to attend each and every class meeting.  It is the student’s responsibility to be sure to sign the attendance sheet at each class. For this course Attendance as well as participation is included as a measure of academic performance.

(H) 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.