Medieval Philosophy: Essential Readings with Commentary(Blackwell Readings in the History of Philosophy)

This collection of readings with extensive editorial commentary brings together key texts of the most influential philosophers of the medieval era to provide a comprehensive introduction for students of philosophy. Features the writings of Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Boethius, John Duns Scotus and other leading medieval thinkers Features several new translations of key thinkers of the medieval era, including John Buridan and Averroes Readings are accompanied by expert commentary from the editors, who are leading scholars in the field

Table of Contents:
Contents Text Sources and Credits viii Acknowledgments xiii General Introduction 1 Part I Logic and Epistemology 27 Introduction 27 Philosophy, Theology, Logic, and the Sciences 31 1 Augustine on Ancient Philosophy 31 2 Dialectica Monacensis (anonymous, twelfth century) on the Division of Science 43 3 Thomas Aquinas on the Nature and Scope of Sacred Doctrine 45 The Problem of Universals 59 4 Boethius Against Real Universals 59 5 John of Salisbury on the Controversy over Universals 63 6 The Summa Lamberti on the Properties of Terms 66 7 William Ockham on Universals 71 8 John Buridan on the Predicables 79 Illumination vs. Abstraction, and Scientific Knowledge 83 9 Augustine on Divine Ideas and Illumination 83 10 Thomas Aquinas on Illumination vs. Abstraction 87 11 Thomas Aquinas on our Knowledge of the First Principles of Demonstration 98 12 Henry of Ghent on Divine Illumination 103 13 Duns Scotus on Divine Illumination 110 Knowledge and Skepticism 117 14 Augustine on the Certainty of Self-Knowledge 117 15 Thomas Aquinas on whether the Intellect Can Be False 120 16 Henry of Ghent on whether a Human Being Can Know Anything 123 17 Nicholas of Autrecourt on Skepticism about Substance and Causality 134 18 John Buridan on Scientific Knowledge 143 Part II Philosophy Of Nature, Philosophy of The Soul, Metaphysics 151 Introduction 151 Hylomorphism, Causality, Natural Philosophy 157 19 Thomas Aquinas on the Principles of Nature 157 20 Thomas Aquinas on the Mixture of Elements 168 21 Giles of Rome on the Errors of the Philosophers 171 22 Selections from the Condemnation of 1277 180 23 John Buridan and the Impetus Theory of Projectile Motion 190 Human Nature and the Philosophy of the Soul 195 24 Augustine on the Soul 195 25 Averroës on the Immateriality of the Intellect 198 26 Siger of Brabant on the Intellective Soul 203 27 Thomas Aquinas on the Nature and Powers of the Human Soul 207 28 John Buridan on the Immateriality of the Soul 219 Metaphysics, Existence, and Essence 225 29 Avicenna on Common Nature 225 30 Thomas Aquinas on Being and Essence 227 31 John Buridan on Essence and Existence 250 God’s Existence and Essence 255 32 Augustine on Divine Immutability 255 33 Anselm of Canterbury on God’s Existence 259 34 Thomas Aquinas on God’s Existence and Simplicity 266 Part III Practical Philosophy 303 Introduction 303 Goodness and Being 309 35 Augustine on Evil as the Privation of Goodness 309 36 Augustine on the Origin of Moral Evil 311 37 Boethius on Being and Goodness 318 38 Thomas Aquinas on the Convertibility of Being and Goodness 322 Freedom of the Will 325 39 Augustine on the “Divided Will” 325 40 Boethius on Divine Providence and the Freedom of the Will 331 41 Anselm of Canterbury on Free Will 337 42 Henry of Ghent on the Primacy of the Will 349 Virtues and Happiness 353 43 Boethius of Dacia on the Supreme Good 353 44 Thomas Aquinas on Happiness 358 Divine Law, Natural Law, Positive Law 361 45 Thomas Aquinas on Natural Law and Positive Law 361 46 John Duns Scotus on Natural Law and Divine Law 375 Suggestions for Further Reading 382 Index 388

About the Author :
Gyula Klima is a professor of philosophy at Fordham University. He acts as director of the international Society of Medieval Logic and Metaphysics and an executive council member of the American Catholic Philosophical Association since 2003. Klima is the author of ARS ARTIUM: Essays in Philosophical Semantics, Medieval and Modern (1988) and John Buridan: Summulae de Dialectica (2001). Fritz Allhoff is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Western Michigan University. He has published work in journals including American Journal of Bioethics, History and Philosophy of the Life Sciences, International Journal of Applied Philosophy, and Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal. Anand Jayprakash Vaidya is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at San José State University. His research is in Metaphysics & Epistemology, and Philosophy of Mind.

Review :
"Klima has produced an impressive volume, with texts on a wide variety of medieval philosophical discussion points that show the range of views and, broadly speaking, the trajectory of historical development on the individual issues. The translations themselves are first rate, several appear for the first time in this volume, and they are accompanied by expert introductions and annotations, as well as by a guide to further reading.... Klima's anthology of medieval philosophical texts will serve well as a course textbook or for a reader interested in getting an idea of some main issues in medieval philosophy and some important medieval views on those issues." (Russell L. Friedman, Medieval Review)