Curiosity and Learning in the Premodern Culture - AGLV00053

• Title: Curiosity and Learning in the Premodern Culture
• Guaranteed by: Institute for Greek and Latin Studies (21-URLS)
• Faculty: Faculty of Arts
• Actual: from 2020
• Semester: summer
• Points: 0
• E-Credits: 4
• Examination process: summer s.:
• Hours per week, examination: summer s.:1/1, Ex [HT]
• Capacity: unknown / unknown (unknown)
• Min. number of students: unlimited
• 4EU+: no
• Virtual mobility / capacity: no
• State of the course: not taught
• Language: English
• Teaching methods: full-time
• Teaching methods: full-time
• Note: course can be enrolled in outside the study plan; enabled for web enrollment
• Guarantor: Luciano Micali, Ph.D.
• Class: A – Mezioborová nabídka VP: Literatura; A – Mezioborová nabídka VP: Filosofie, náboženství; A – Mezioborová nabídka VP: Historické vědy; Exchange - 08.1 Philosophy; Exchange - 08.9 Others-Humanities; Exchange - 09.2 General and Comparative Literature; Exchange - 09.5 Classical Philology
• Is interchangeable with: AGLV00038

Annotation

Last update: Luciano Micali, Ph.D. (24.01.2020)

The course aims to recall the history of the concept of curiosity. As a positive driving force, curiosity leads to constantly seek out knowledge, as well as to grasp new ideas, responding to the Aristotelian sentence "omnes homines natura scire desiderant" (“all men by nature desire to know”). In other contexts and in particular in the Christian thought, curiosity is seen as a negative temptation of the soul that distracts the human being from another goal, the spiritual elevation. This preoccupation often leaves him in a perpetual research of earthly things, bringing him ultimately to confusion, dissatisfaction, and perdition. During the course, this double dimension of curiosity will constantly be put in relation with the process of studying and learning in their various forms and fields of the ancient and medieval culture. The course is meant as interdisciplinary and is open to all those who are interested in the ancient and medieval culture, in particular philosophers, philologists, historians, theologians and experts of cultural studies.

Course completion requirements

Last update: Luciano Micali, Ph.D. (20.01.2020)

Regular and active attendance. Preparation of the primary and secondary literature before each lesson. Final exam: oral exam of ca. 20 minutes (dates of the sessions to be defined).

Literature

Last update: Eva Zezulková (17.12.2019)

The primary sources will be read in the English translations, with some references to the original Latin and Greek texts. Course materials (primary and secondary literature) will be provided in PDF format by the teacher. Language of the course: English.

Syllabus

Last update: Luciano Micali, Ph.D. (06.02.2020)

General part

18.02.Introduction to the course, informations about requirements and exams. Overview on the relationship between curiosity and knowledge

25.02. A short history of curiosity

 

Curiosity in the Latin literature and philosophy

03.03. Curiosity in the ancient thought. Cicero and Seneca.

10.03. Curiosity in the Latin literature: Apuleius

 

Curiosity in the Late Antiquity

17.03. Fathers of the Church and the early Christian account of curiositas. Tertullian and Augustine

24.03. Augustine: curiositas between physical and intellectual desire

 

Desire of knowing and curiosity in the Middle Ages

31.03. Gregory the Great and Peter Damiani

07.04. Peter Abaelard

14.04. Bernard of Clairvaux and the monastic view on curiosity

14.04. Jean Gerson on the relationship between curiosity and philosophy

21.04. Jean Gerson on curiosity and doctrinal errors

 

The relationship between studiositas and curiositas

28.04. A history of the concept of studiositas

05.05. Studiositas and curiositas in the works of Thomas Aquinas

12.05. Studiositas and curiositas in the works of Bonaventure of Bagnoregio