Any important works of philosophy from the Middle Ages?

[Mr Arkadin]

I've created a reading list for my self of major philosophical works to give me a broad understanding of the field from it's original expositors (except in one case but he agrees with him at all points and van Til was a poor author). The areas of philosophy I want to cover are epistemology, metaphysics, ethics and aesthetics. At present my list jumps from Plotinus to Decartes. Are there any works by Aquinas or Augustine that are important or someone else who has skipped my mind? My list at present reads as follows:

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I have also been recommended:

Moreh Nevukhim by Moshe ben Maimon
Khitab al-Shifa by Ibn Sina (Avicenna)
Liber Quattuor Sententiarum by Petrus Lombardus
Dialectica by Pierre Abélard (incomplete)

And also Aquinas's Suma but I was wondering whether it was primarily a theological rather than philosophical text? Even if it is the former does it contain much of the latter.

Any seconders for the above (from Moreh Nevukhim down) or any other suggestions?

[GioD]

You'll definitely want Aquinas' Summa Theologica and possibly his Summa Contra Gentiles. Both of them discuss both philosophy as well as theology, but if you're interested in metaphysics or ethics from the Middle Ages they're must-haves. Also between Plotinus and Descartes are Leviathan (Hobbes) and The Prince (Machiavelli). They're mostly politics but have some ethics too.

[shunyadragon]

I've created a reading list for my self of major philosophical works to give me a broad understanding of the field from it's original expositors (except in one case but he agrees with him at all points and van Til was a poor author). The areas of philosophy I want to cover are epistemology, metaphysics, ethics and aesthetics. At present my list jumps from Plotinus to Decartes. Are there any works by Aquinas or Augustine that are important or someone else who has skipped my mind? My list at present reads as follows:

Noname.jpg

I have also been recommended:

Moreh Nevukhim by Moshe ben Maimon
Khitab al-Shifa by Ibn Sina (Avicenna)
Liber Quattuor Sententiarum by Petrus Lombardus
Dialectica by Pierre Abélard (incomplete)

And also Aquinas's Suma but I was wondering whether it was primarily a theological rather than philosophical text? Even if it is the former does it contain much of the latter.

Any seconders for the above (from Moreh Nevukhim down) or any other suggestions?

One of my favorites is Lucretius from 1st century BC Rome. His only known work was - De rerum natura (On the Nature of Things) He is probably the first secular naturalist philosopher. Not popular with many theists, but because he was probably the first philosopher related to science I like him.

[Soyeong]

And also Aquinas's Suma but I was wondering whether it was primarily a theological rather than philosophical text? Even if it is the former does it contain much of the latter.

Theology can be divided into revealed theology (truths about God that can only be known because they have been revealed by God) and natural theology (truths about God that can be know through reason alone). Aquinas focuses on the latter.

[Mr Arkadin]

The Suma has been added- I have always been interested in Natural Theology. Any seconders to Lucretius, Augustine, Lombard etc? Do

Gio D, I read the Prince a while back and was surprised it was considered so infamous given the content. I want to stay clear of political works really as they are predicated on ethics really.

[shunyadragon]

The Suma has been added- I have always been interested in Natural Theology. Any seconders to Lucretius, Augustine, Lombard etc? Do

Gio D, I read the Prince a while back and was surprised it was considered so infamous given the content. I want to stay clear of political works really as they are predicated on ethics really.

I considered all the above important, and in each some significance in the advancement and maturing of philosophy over the years. I will give a thumbs up to Kant also. Regardless of how important ancient philosophers are, their views are often dated, like my favorite Aristotle, his views on infinities and the universe are most definitely outdated.

[GioD]

because he was probably the first philosopher related to science I like him.

Aristotle used empirical science to develop his philosophy well before Lucretius did. Just because Aristotle's philosophy was theistic/deistic doesn't make it unscientific.

With that being said, I would second Lucretius, if nothing else to understand his view.

[shunyadragon]

Aristotle used empirical science to develop his philosophy . . . .

In Greek philosophy Archimedes is more the empiricist.

Not most of his philosophy. His nine spheres view of the universe and his concept of infinities was not based on empirical methods .He developed the method based on observations and causes, and applied them to physics and zoology. I do not believe Aristotle proposed an empirical method as Lucretius did in the Archimedes model, which later became the method used by Isaac Newton. Lucretius proposed concepts of infinities that we consider to day in math and science to be more closer to the standard, and as concepts in cosmology. Yes, philosophies do build on earlier philosophers.

Just because Aristotle's philosophy was theistic/deistic doesn't make it unscientific.

This has nothing to do with the philosophies I referred to.

With that being said, I would second Lucretius, if nothing else to understand his view.

There were evolutionary relationships in all these philosophers, not anything necessarily first, second nor third.

I believe the empiricism line is more . . . Archimedes > Lucretius > Michelangelo > Isaac Newton > on to the likes of Charles Darwin who emphasized peer review in research work before publishing. . . others too contributed.

[Thersites]

Peter Abelard is generally considered to be significant. I can't give you any specific names of works, though.

[siliconwafer]

The Consolation of Philosophy by Boethius deals with God's foreknowledge of all things and man's freedom.