PHIL 790 Late Medieval Theories of Cognition

This course aims to explore some of the central themes of later medieval theories of cognition with specific regard to Franciscan philosophy. Particular attention will be devoted to the notion of intuitive and abstractive cognition; intentionality; intellectual cognition of singulars; the formation of universal concepts and its ontological prerequisites. Our discussion will center on the way the Franciscan theologian Peter Auriol (ca. 1280-1322) addresses these themes. His views will be discussed through a critical engagement with the alternative solutions proposed by other fourteenth-century thinkers such as Duns Scotus, William of Ockham, Walter Chatton, and Adam Wodheam. This dialectical approach will offer an accurate picture of the complexities of Later Medieval debates on human cognition. Reading knowledge of Latin is recommended and desirable, inasmuch as not all course reading materials will be made available in English translation.