VI. Details Course Syllabus.
Note that each class day we have a double length class equivalent to the normal Marquette two classes per week schedule.
01/16: Introduction to the thought of Averroes.
Philosophy in Islam before and after Averroes.
Philosophy in the Latin West before and after Averroes’ writings were
made available.
“Destiny”
01/23: The Fasl al-Maqal / Decisive Treatise
01/30: We will devote this class to the Fasl al-Maqal. I will complete my comments on the text.
We will take a break and then open the floor to the questions, discussion and reflections on how
to understand the structure of the text and its argument(s). Reflect on this: it certainly may have a
legal structure and a rhetorical structure. Or is there a rhetorical structure? There is a dialectical
structure which may be dominant. Or is it? Does it have a philosophical structure?
02/06: We will devote this class to al-Kashf and a discussion of its arguments.
al-Kashf can manâhij or “Explanation of the Sorts of Proofs in the
Doctrines of Religión” Faith and Reason in Islam, Ibrahim Najjar, tr.
1.On proving God’s existentence
2-3. God’s unity and attributes
4. knowledge of Transcendente
5. knowledge of God’s actions
creation
messengers
divine decree and predestination
divine justice
resurrection
02/13: Your assignment for 02/13 is to begin prepare seminar presentations on selected topics in the
Tahafut at-Tahafut (Incoherence of the Incoherence, hereafter TT) and to read widely in the TT.
These presentations will be on 02/20 and 03/06. Each presenter will have 37 min. total time but
presentations must be limited to 20 min. I prefer that you do these as Powerpoint presentations.
We will have 4 presentations on 02/20 and 3 on 03/06, using the last 37 min. of this latter class
for general discussion of the TT. You should make some use of secondary literature and other
works by Averroes in the preparation of these presentations.
Topics for presentations:
(a) agency and will (TT3) (assigned student)
(b) the eternity of the world (TT1) (assigned student)
(c) Predication of 'creator' (TT4 & 3) (assigned student)
(d) Divine attributes (TT6) (assigned student)
(e) Divine knowledge of the world (TT 13 & 11)
(f) The nature of the connection of cause and effect (TT17 = Van Den Bergh 'Natural Sciences' 1)
(assigned student)
(g) The politics of resurrection (TT19-20, Van Den Bergh 'Natural Sciences' 3 & 4) (student)
(h) Divine causality (TT passim)
I will discuss these at class on 01/30.
02/20 : Tahâfut at-Tahâfut. Seminars (1) - (3).
(1) the eternity of the world (TT1) (assigned student)
(2) Predication of 'creator' (TT4 & 3) (assigned student)
(3) Divine attributes (TT6) (assigned student)
02/27: "Averroes: a Roundtable Discussion" with B. Carlos Bazán
(Ottawa), Therese-Anne Druart (The Catholic University of
America), Deborah Black (University of Toronto), David Twetten (Marquette University), Richard Taylor (Marquette University) and other guests. Sponsored by the 'Aquinas and the Arabs' Project at Marquette University. Location: Raynor Library, Seminar Room 301 (3rd floor).
03/06 : Tahâfut at-Tahâfut. Seminars (4) - (7).
(5) agency and will (TT3) (assigned student)
(6) The nature of the connection of cause and effect (TT17 = Van Den Bergh 'Natural Sciences' 1)
(assigned student)
(7) The politics of resurrection (TT19-20 = Van Den Bergh 'Natural Sciences' 3 & 4)
(assigned student)
03/13 : No class. Spring break.
03/20: 3:35-4:20: (8) Divine knowledge of the world (TT 13 & 11 (assigned student)
4:20-4:30 Break
4:30-6:15: Natural Theology, Cosmology and Intellect. Guest lecturer: Prof. David B. Twetten
03/27 : Issues in the Long Commentary on the De Anima. Overview.
Lecture: Philosophical Psychology in the Arabic Tradition and in the
Short and Middle Commentaries on the De Anima;
Epistle 1 On Conjunction and the transition to the new doctrine of intellect
The role of the Paraphrase of the De Anima by Themisitus
Material Intellect
Agent Intellect and participation
Readings: Middle Commentary, Long Commentary, precise texts TBA
04/03 : Continued discussion of Averroes on Intellect.
04/10: Issues in the Long Commentary on the Metaphysics.
Divine Nature, Divine Causality, Divine Knowledge, Being by Reference
Readings Genequand’s translation of Lam / Lambda of Averroes’ Long Commentary
on the Metaphysics of Aristotle
04/17: Student presentation of drafts of course papers* 1:(student); 2:(student)
.
04/24: Student presentation of drafts of course papers* 3: (student); 4: (student); 5: (student).
05/01 : Student presentation of drafts of course papers 6: Nathan; 7: Alex; general discussion;
Course evaluations.
Final course paper* due date: 12 noon Tuesday May 8, 2007.
*In preparing your papers you will need to make use of bibliographical works and websites listed at: http://web.mac.com/mistertea/iWeb/Averroes%20Seminar/Bibliographical%20Guide.html
