In this series of episodes, Peter examines the history of philosophy in the Latin Christian world, from the Carolingian period (the time of Charlemagne and his successors) down to 1400. The episodes are divided into three sections:

Early Medieval

13th Century

14th Century

The podcast episodes will devote extensive coverage to famous names like Alcuin, Eriugena, Anselm, Peter Abelard, Hildegard of Bingen, Thomas Aquinas, Duns Scotus, Dante, William of Ockham, and John Buridan, while also looking at many less well-known figures. Among the philosophical themes on the agenda are the problem of universals, political philosophy, and arguments for the existence of God. Along the way interviews will feature numerous leading scholars of medieval intellectual history.

Peter would like to thank Catarina Dutilh Novaes, Bob Pasnau, Dominik Perler, Martin Pickavé, and Georgio Pini for advice on planning the medieval episodes.

Further reading

Survey volumes

• J.A. Aertsen and A. Speer (eds), What is Philosophy in the Middle Ages? (Berlin: 1998).

• J. Canning, A History of Medieval Political Thought 300-1450 (London:1996).

• R. Cross, The Medieval Christian Philosophers: an Introduction (London: 2014).

• J.E. Gracia and T. Noone, A Companion to Philosophy in the Middle Ages (Oxford: 2003).

• E. Grant, God and Reason in the Middle Ages (Cambridge: 2001).

• D. Knowles, The Evolution of Medieval Thought (New York: 1964).

• D.C. Lindberg and M.J. Shank (eds), The Cambridge History of Science: Volume 2, Medieval Science (Cambridge: 2013).

• J. Marenbon (ed.), The Routledge History of Philosophy: The Middle Ages (London: 1998).

• J. Marenbon, Medieval Philosophy: an Historical and Philosophical Introduction (London: 2007).

• A.S. McGrade (ed.), The Cambridge Companion to Medieval Philosophy (Cambridge: 2003).

• R. Pasnau (ed.), The Cambridge History of Medieval Philosophy, 2 vols (Cambridge: 2010).

Stanford Encyclopedia: Medieval Philosophy

P.V. Spade's page on Medieval Logic and Philosophy, with numerous resources

Anthologies of texts

• R.N. Bosley and M.M. Tweedale (eds), Basic Issues in Medeieval Philosophy (Ontario: 2006).

• A. Hyman, J. Walsh, and T. Williams (eds), Philosophy in the Middle Ages: The Christian, Islamic and Jewish Traditions (Indianapolis: 2010).

• N. Kretzmann and E. Stump (ed. and trans.) The Cambridge Translations of Medieval Philosophical Texts. Vol. 1: Logic and the Philosophy of Language (Cambridge: 1988).

• G. Klima (ed. and trans.), Medieval Philosophy: Essential Readings with Commentary (Oxford: 2007).

• S.A. McGrade, J. Kilcullen, and M. Kempshall (ed. and trans.), The Cambridge Translations of Medieval Philosophical Texts. Vol. 2: Ethics and Political Philosophy (Cambridge: 2001).

• R. Pasnau (ed. and trans.) The Cambridge Translations of Medieval Philosophical Texts. Vol. 3: Mind and Knowledge (Cambridge: 2002).

• A.B. Schoedinger (ed.) Readings in Medieval Philosophy (New York: 1996).