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DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2013/2014
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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures : Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies

Undergraduate Course: Medieval Islamic Philosophy and Theology (IMES10036)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of Literatures, Languages and Cultures CollegeCollege of Humanities and Social Science
Course typeStandard AvailabilityAvailable to all students
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) Credits20
Home subject areaIslamic and Middle Eastern Studies Other subject areaNone
Course website None Taught in Gaelic?No
Course descriptionThis course will start by providing an introduction, first, to medieval Islamic intellectual history, focusing on the traditions of philosophy (falsafa) and rational theology (kalam), and second, to the state of the contemporary academic field of study specialising in these subjects. It will then take a closer look at the main schools, trends, philosophers and theologians, providing an overview of the nature of their thought and their key doctrines and contributions.

The course will then turn to a selection of topics, which are likely to vary from session to session. Most will consist of problems and debates in which both philosophers and theologians engaged, which will thus provide opportunities to shed light on both their doctrines and their contrasting methods of enquiry. These may include problems relating to ethics (e.g. the nature of ethical value, and the problem of evil), psychology and human nature, metaphysics (e.g. the existence and nature of God), and the philosophy of religion (e.g. theories of prophecy, and the relation between philosophy and religion).

Teaching will consist of a combination of lectures and seminars. In the latter, the class will engage in discussions focused around selections of primary texts, translated into English, and secondary texts, as well as sets of discussion questions. No knowledge of any language other than English is required.
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Students MUST have passed: Islamic History 1 (IMES08018)
Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements None
Additional Costs n/a
Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisitesA pass in Islamic History 1, or evidence of qualifications considered satisfactory by the lecturer in charge of the course.
Displayed in Visiting Students Prospectus?Yes
Course Delivery Information
Not being delivered
Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, students:
1. should have acquired knowledge of the history of medieval Islamic philosophy and theology,
2. should have a good understanding of key philosophical and theological concepts, problems and debates, and of their broader historical and intellectual contexts,
3. should be able to read and understand various types of medieval Arabic intellectual texts in translation,
4. should be able critically to examine and interpret historical materials, and
5. should have competence in analysing medieval intellectual notions and modes of reasoning.
Assessment Information
One 2,500-word essay.
One 3-hour examination.
Special Arrangements
None
Additional Information
Academic description Not entered
Syllabus Not entered
Transferable skills Not entered
Reading list Not entered
Study Abroad Not entered
Study Pattern Not entered
KeywordsNot entered
Contacts
Course organiser Course secretaryMrs Rhona Hajcman
Tel: (0131 6)51 3846
Email: Rhona.Hajcman@ed.ac.uk
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