Philosophy for Real: Faith and Reason in the Dark Ages

Welcome to the next chapter in the Philosophy for Real series!

You've certainly heard of the Middle Ages, that time following the fall of Rome when Western civilization seemed to be at a standstill for almost a full millennium. But was it really? What was going on during those dark times? What followed the rise of Christianity? How did Plato and Aristotle continue to exert influence on so many of the schools and institutions of higher learning that cropped up during that time?

In  this module of four classes, students will take a look at several leading thinkers of the Medieval Period such as Plotinus, Origen, Saint Augustine, Boethius, Peter Abelard, and Thomas Aquinas. We will explore the rise of Neoplatonism in the advent of Christianity and the formulation of Scholasticism with the revamping of Aristotelian ethics and science. We'll also discuss the concept of the soul, the question of proving the existence of God, and much more.

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MODULE OVERVIEW
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Module C - Medieval Philosophy: Faith and Reason in the Dark Ages

  Day 1: Plotinus, Origen, and Neoplatonism
  Day 2: Augustine and the Problem of Evil
  Day 3: Boethius and Abelard Revitalize Aristotle
  Day 4: Aquinas and the Proof of God

Classes in this series are structured as follows:

 + Do Now - 5 minutes
 + Share Outs - 10 minutes
 + Direct Instruction - 30 minutes
 + Short Break - 5 minutes
 + Socratic Circle - 20 minutes
 + Mastery Check - 10 minutes
 + Next Steps - 2 minutes

Do Now (5): 

Students are given a couple of minutes to read over an excerpt and some of the questions that will be addressed in class (often the same as those in the handout) while other are arriving to class.

Share Outs (10):

Following a quick self-introduction of the instructor for the first of each new module, students are invited to share their preliminary thoughts on the subject at hand and the excerpt read during the Do Now. 

Direct Instruction (30):

The instructor provides background of the philosopher(s) and their time period as well as details of their philosophical ideas and innovations. 

Socratic Circle (20):

Students and the instructor participate in a dialogue-based conversation to address the questions prompted at the beginning of class as well as additional questions posed by students to the group or each other.

Mastery Check (10):

Students are prompted with multiple choice- and short answer-type questions that are meant to serve as a CFU (check for understanding) in addition to solidifying key terms and content from class.

Next Steps (2):

Students are given an outline of what the topic of the following class will be and next steps to take in the meantime.

*** Please note: a minimum of three (3) students must be enrolled for me to sustainably hold this course. If there are not enough students enrolled within five to seven days of the first class, all students will be transferred to the next available scheduled date of the same class. Feel free to contact me directly if you have any questions. ***