Medieval philosophy spans roughly from the fall of Rome in the 5th century to the rise of modern science and Rationalism in the 17th century. During this long period, philosophy flowered in four main traditions across Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa: Greek, Latin, Arabic, and Jewish. Though emerging from different cultures and religions, these traditions were unified by their common origin in ancient Greek thought, as well as ongoing exchanges of ideas enabled by translation movements.

In late antiquity, Aristotle’s corpus was fused with Neoplatonism by thinkers like Plotinus and Porphyry. Their schools taught that properly understanding Aristotle’s thought on the natural world required first studying Plato on transcendent reality. This curriculum endured into the Middle Ages, shaping philosophy across cultures. Yet medieval thinkers transformed the ancient heritage based on their particular contexts.

The Greek-speaking Byzantines could access Hellenistic learning directly, but feared hellenization. Latin philosophers like Augustine, Boethius, and Anselm absorbed ancient reason into Christian revelation. Arabic Falsafa under al-Farabi and Avicenna articulated Aristotle with Islamic Kalām theology. And Jewish thought from Philo to Maimonides harmonized Greek philosophy and monotheism.

Despite their differences, shared problems united medieval philosophy: Can reason prove religious truths? Is there one truth for philosophers, another for the masses? How can God’s foreknowledge allow human freedom? How can the soul survive death? Debating these questions, thinkers in Athens, Baghdad, Paris, and Cordoba were participants in a common quest for understanding, each peering through their own window onto the unfolding panorama of ideas.

Though philosophy is now more fragmented across cultures, medievals can inspire us to look past borders and beliefs for wisdom. The intersections of their traditions suggest philosophy’s universal aspirations. By using reasoned argument to bridge faiths, they modeled honest inquiry. And they proved ideas can flow between civilizations as freely as their thinkers roamed from Andalusia to the gates of Cathay. Their world was not as narrowed as they believed; nor perhaps is ours.

Overview

1. Foundations of Medieval Philosophy
   • Platonic schools of late antiquity as shared root of medieval traditions
   • Other key sources shaping each tradition
     • Greek Christian thought for Byzantines
     • Augustine, Boethius for Latin philosophy
     • Kalam theology for Arabic philosophy
     • Jewish scripture and Talmudic tradition for Jewish philosophy
2. The Four Traditions of Medieval Philosophy
   • Greek/Byzantine Philosophy
     • Overview of key figures, texts, and themes
   • Latin Philosophy
     • Overview of development from Boethius to scholasticism
   • Arabic/Islamic Philosophy
     • Rise of falsafa tradition
     • Kalam rational theology
     • Major figures like al-Farabi, Avicenna, Averroes
   • Jewish Philosophy
     • Arabic-language Jewish philosophy led by Maimonides
     • Later philosophy in Christian Europe
3. Themes and Problems
   • Eternity of the World
     • Aristotelian view of eternal universe
     • Arguments by Philoponus and Maimonides against eternity
     • Positions of Latin and Arabic philosophers
   • Divine Omniscience and Human Freedom
     • Problem of prescience and foreknowledge
     • Approaches of Boethius, Aquinas, Averroes
     • Radical solutions by Scotus and Gersonides
   • The Soul and Immortality
     • Aristotelian vs. Platonic views
     • Doctrines of resurrection in monotheistic religions
     • Arguments of Avicenna, Averroes, and Aquinas
4. Logic and Language
   • Centrality of logic in medieval education
   • Development of Arabic logic after Aristotle
   • Expansion of logic in Latin scholasticism
5. Intellectual Exchanges Through Translations
   • Greek to Arabic translations in 9th century
   • Translation movements Greek to Latin and Arabic to Latin
   • Other translations between traditions