PHIL 899 Arabic into Latin: the Influences of Arabic Texts on Medieval Latin Authors
The course presents some themes from Arabic philosophy, such as the classification of the sciences, the "flying man", the transcendental "thing" (res), the inner senses, the primacy of ethics over metaphysics, etc., that much influenced the Medieval Latin world. If some Medieval Latin philosophers adopt them fairly faithfully, others endowed them with a life of their own and so these themes give rise to lively controversies and unexpected developments. The course also examines some of the relevant methodological issues and initiates to useful research tools.