Medieval Philosophy

Peter Adamson presents a lively introduction to six hundred years of European philosophy, from the beginning of the ninth century to the end of the fourteenth century. The medieval period is one of the richest in the history of philosophy, yet one of the least widely known. Adamson introduces us to some of the greatest thinkers of the Western intellectual tradition, including Peter Abelard, Anselm of Canterbury, Thomas Aquinas, John Duns Scotus, William of Ockham, and Roger Bacon. And the medieval period was notable for the emergence of great women thinkers, including Hildegard of Bingen, Marguerite Porete, and Julian of Norwich. Original ideas and arguments were developed in every branch of philosophy during this period - not just philosophy of religion and theology, but metaphysics, philosophy of logic and language, moral and political theory, psychology, and the foundations of mathematics and natural science.

Peter Adamson took his doctorate from the University of Notre Dame and first worked at King's College London. In 2012 he moved to the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, where he is Professor of Late Ancient and Arabic Philosophy. He has published widely in ancient and medieval philosophy, especially on Neoplatonism and on philosophy in the Islamic world.

- Preface
- Early Medieval Philosophy
- 1: Arts of Darkness: Introduction to Medieval Philosophy
- 2: Charles in Charge: Alcuin and the Carolingian Period
- 3: Grace Notes: Eriugena and the Predestination Controversy
- 4: Much Ado About Nothing: Eriugena's Periphyseon
- 5: Philosophers Anonymous: The Roots of Scholasticism
- 6: Virgin Territory: Peter Damian on Changing the Past
- 7: A Canterbury Tale: Anselm's Life and Works
- 8: Somebody's Perfect: Anselm's Ontological Argument
- 9: All or Nothing: The Problem of Universals
- 10: Get Thee to a Nunnery: Heloise and Abelard
- 11: It's the Thought that Counts: Abelard's Ethics
- 12: Learn Everything: The Victorines
- 13: Like Father, Like Son: Debates over the Trinity
- 14: On the Shoulders of Giants: Philosophy at Chartres
- 15: The Good Book: Philosophy of Nature
- 16: One of a Kind: Gilbert of Poitiers on Individuation
- 17: Two Swords: Early Medieval Political Philosophy
- 18: Law and Order: Peter Lombard and Gratian
- 19: Leading Light: Hildegard of Bingen
- 20: Rediscovery Channel: Translations into Latin
- 21: Straw Men: The Rise of the Universities
- The Thirteenth Century
- 22: No Uncertain Terms: Thirteenth Century Logic
- 23: Full of Potential: Thirteenth Century Physics
- 24: Stayin' Alive: Thirteenth Century Psychology
- 25: It's All Good: The Transcendentals
- 26: Do the Right Thing: Thirteenth Century Ethics
- 27: A Light That Never Goes Out: Robert Grosseteste
- 28: Origin of Species: Roger Bacon
- 29: Stairway to Heaven: Bonaventure
- 30: Your Attention Please: Peter Olivi
- 31: None for Me, Thanks: Franciscan Poverty
- 32: Begin the Beguine: Hadewijch and Mechtild
- 33: Binding Arbitration: Robert Kilwardby
- 34: Animal, Vegetable, Mineral: Albert the Great's Natural Philosophy
- 35: The Shadow Knows: Albert the Great's Metaphysics
- 36: The Ox Heard Round the World: Thomas Aquinas
- 37: Everybody Needs Some Body: Aquinas on Soul and Knowledge
- 38: What Comes Naturally: Ethics in Albert and Aquinas
- 39: What Pleases the Prince: The Rule of Law
- 40: Onward Christian Soldiers: Just War Theory
- 41: Paris When it Sizzles: The Condemnations
- 42: Masters of the University: "Latin Averroism"
- 43: The Neverending Story: The Eternity of the World
- 44: Let Me Count the Ways: Speculative Grammar
- 45: Love, Reign Over Me: the Romance of the Rose
- 46: Frequently Asked Questions: Henry of Ghent
- 47: Here Comes the Son: The Trinity and the Eucharist
- 48: Once and for All: Scotus on Being
- 49: To Will or Not to Will: Scotus on Freedom
- 50: On Command: Scotus' Ethics
- 51: One in a Million: Scotus on Universals and Individuals
- The Fourteenth Century
- 52: Time of the Signs: the Fourteenth Century
- 53: After Virtue: Marguerite Porete
- 54: To Hell and Back: Dante Alighieri
- 55: Church and State: Theories of Political Authority
- 56: Keeping the Peace: Marsilius of Padua
- 57: Do As You're Told: Ockham on Ethics and Political Philosophy
- 58: A Close Shave: Ockham's Nominalism
- 59: What Do You Think? Ockham on Mental Language
- 60: Keeping it Real: Responses to Ockham
- 61: Back to the Future: Divine Foreknowledge
- 62: Trivial Pursuits: Fourteenth Century Logic
- 63: Quadrivial Pursuits: the Oxford Calculators
- 64: Get to the Point: Fourteenth Century Physics
- 65: Portrait of the Artist: John Buridan
- 66: Seeing is Believing: Nicholas of Autrecourt's Skepticism
- 67: On the Money: Medieval Economic Theory
- 68: Down to the Ground: Meister Eckhart
- 69: Men in Black: The German Dominicans
- 70: A Wing and a Prayer: Angels in Medieval Philosophy
- 71: Alle Maner of Thyng Shall be Welle: English Mysticism
- 72: Say it With Poetry: Chaucer and Langland
- 73: The Good Wife: Gender and Sexuality in the Middle Ages
- 74: The Most Christian Doctor: Jean Gerson
- 75: Morning Star of the Reformation: John Wyclif
- 76: The Prague Spring: Scholasticism Across Europe
- 77: Renaissance Men: Ramon Llull and Petrarch