PHIL 627 Aquinas & His Arabic Sources
An introduction to the Arabic philosophical tradition by way of their reception, development, and criticism in the works of Thomas Aquinas. Aquinas learned early in his career from his teacher, Albertus Magnus, how to engage with the Arabic philosophical tradition. Both in terms of what he chooses to appropriate and what he chooses to reject, Aquinas¿s thought is shaped by his engagement with thinkers like Ibn S¿n¿ (Avicenna), Ibn Rushd (Averroes), and Ibn Bajjah (Avempace), Ibn Gabirol (Avicebron), and Maimonides. Topics include: the transmission of Greek philosophy to Arabic-speaking, Islamic and Jewish cultures; the problem of divine predication; the distinction between essence and being; theories of cognition; happiness and the beatific vision.