Medieval Political Theory

8/10/2019 Medieval Political Theory

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Political Science 304b: Political Thought Ib: Medieval Political Theory

Spring 2007

Faner 3075

11:00-12:15 TR

Professor Clinton

Faner 3179

Office hours by appointment only

Course Content

This course is a survey of the works of important political thinkers in the medieval world, with special

emphasis given to the works of Saint Augustine and Saint Thomas Aquinas, the two most important

thinkers of Western Christendom in the Middle Ages. The entire medieval period extends from the fall of

the Roman Empire in the West to the beginning of the sixteenth century A.D. Attention will be paid to the

problems of justice and political constitutionalism in the medieval world, theories of the state and forms of

government, the relationship between religion and politics, and the relation of the individual to the state.

An overarching theme of the course will be the interplay between theories of human nature and theories of

political order. Throughout the history of political thought, a common thread runs through the diverse

efforts of political thinkers to come to grips with social and political reality: each thinkers understanding

of society and polity depends crucially upon what s/he thinks human beings really are. That is to say,what one thinks is a well-constituted, fully authoritative polity--a good or best form of government, in

the older formulation--depends largely upon what one thinks about the essential, defining characteristics of

individuals conceived either as citizens or simply as persons. Put another way, how one thinks human

beings ought to be governed will depend crucially upon what one thinks human beings will do whenever

they are not being governed. The question about what individual human beings are really like is the

question of human nature. In this course, we will raise and explore--with the help of our medieval

teachers--the question about what individual human beings are really like, and the implications of different

answers to that question for social and political order.

Student Learning Objectives

This course has the following goals. On completion of the course, students should have:

1. become familiar with some of the standard classic readings in medieval political philosophy (see

reading list below);

2. gained an understanding of the way(s) in which medieval political thought emerged from the ancient

world;

3. gained an understanding of the medieval roots of modern political science;

4. gained an understanding of how medieval political thought forms a bridge between the ancient and

modern worlds;

5. gained an understanding of how the subject of political science was related to other fields of study (e.g.,

psychology, ethics, theology, jurisprudence) in the medieval world;

6. gained knowledge of the basic presuppositions underlying the idea of political order in the medieval

worlds, and how these presuppositions differ from their counterparts in the modern era;

7. developed a high level facility in speaking and writing about fundamental questions in political science.

Student Responsibilities and Assignments


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things will be subject to a range of penalties from a minimum of having the final grade lowered to a

maximum of disciplinary action by the university.

Topical Outline

Unit 1 Augustinian Political Thought

This unit examines the classic works of the greatest political thinker of the early Middle Ages, Saint

Augustine. Featured here are readings from Augustines City of Godand his dialogue On Free Will.

These works address the problem of of human freedom, the nature and definition of the state amid the

collapsing Roman Empire, and the role of chance (fate) versus intelligent design (God) in the

government of the cosmos.

Unit 2 Thomistic Political Thought

This unit examines several of the works of the most important political thinker of the later Middle Ages,

Saint Thomas Aquinas. Aquinas accomplished the great thirteenth century synthesis of philosophy in his

Summa Theologica, and we will read from several portions of this work, including the Treatise on Man, the

Treatise on Happiness, the Treatise on Virtue, and the Treatise on Law. We will also read extensively

from Aquinass Commentary on Aristotles De Anima and from his Commentary on Aristotles Politics, aswell as from a number of other works.

Required Texts

Aquinas, Thomas, On Law, Morality, and Politics, 2d ed. trans. Baumgarth and Regan.

Indianapolis: Hackett, 1988.

Aquinas, Thomas, On Human Nature, ed. Hibbs. Indianapolis: Hackett, 1999.

Augustine, On Free Choice of the Will, trans. Williams. Indianapolis: Hackett, 1993.

Augustine, Political Writings, ed. Fortin, trans. Tkacz and Kries. Indianapolis: Hackett, 1994.

Weston, Anthony,A Rulebook for Arguments, 3d ed. Indianapolis: Hackett, 2000.

Recommended Texts

Hyman, Arthur and James J. Walsh, eds., Philosophy in the Middle Ages: The Christian, Islamic,

and Jewish Traditions, 2d ed. Indianapolis: Hackett, 1983.

Mansfield, Harvey, Jr.,A Students Guide to Political Theory. ISI Books, 2000.

Nederman, Cary and Kate Langdon Forhan, eds., Readings in Medieval Political Theory: 1100-

1400. Indianapolis: Hackett, 2000.

Bibliography

Abelard, Peter,Ethical Writings, trans. Spade. Indianapolis: Hackett, 1995.

Augustine, The City of God, trans. Walsh, et al. Garden City, New York: Doubleday, 1958.

Five Texts on the Mediaeval Problem of Universals: Porphyry, Boethius, Abelard, Duns Scotus,

Ockham, trans. Spade. Indianapolis: Hackett, 1994.

Gilson, Etienne, The Unity of Philosophical Experience. St. Ignatius Press.


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John of Salisbury, Policraticus, trans. Webb. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1909 (Cambridge

University Press Reprint).

Maimonides, Moses, Guide of the Perplexed, trans. Rabin. Indianapolis: Hackett, 1995.

Strauss, Leo and Joseph Cropsey, eds.,History ofPolitical Philosophy, 3d ed. Chicago:University of Chicago Press, 1987.

Tentative Itinerary

Dates Topics Readings

Topic 1 Syllabus,

Introduction to Political Thought

Arguments Weston,Rulebook.

Topic(s) 2 Augustinian Epistemology Augustine, The Teacher, in

Hyman & Walsh, pp. 20-33.

Augustinian Psychology Augustine, On the Trinity, Bk. X,

Chaps. 6-12, in Hyman & Walsh,

pp. 68-74.

Augustinian Metaphysics Augustine, Confessions, Bk. XI,


pp. 75-88.

Topic 3 Augustinian Freedom Augustine, On Free Will.

Topic 4 Paganism and the Roman Empire Augustine, City of God, Bk. I-X, in

Political Writings, pp. 1-

77.

Topic 5 The Two Cities Augustine, City of God, Bks. XI-

XVIII, in Political Writings, pp.

78-139.

Topic 6 The Ends of Life Augustine, City of God, Bks. XIX-

XXII, in Political Writings, pp.

140-201.

Topic 7 Augustinian Political Science Political Writings, pp. 202-256.

Topic 8 Thomistic Metaphysics and Theology Aquinas, On Being and Essence,


pp. 508-515.

Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Part

One, Q. I(1-4, 8-10), Q. II(1-3), Q.

XIII(2,5), Q. XIX(8), Q. XXII(2-

4), Q. XLVI(1-2).


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Documents

Medieval Political Theory