École doctorale CUSO 2019 en philosophie antique et médiévale

14-16 novembre 2019

Paolo Natali, UNIGE
Prof. Paolo Crivelli, UNIGE
Parwana Emamzadah, UNIGE

PROF. Nadja Germann (Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg)

PROF. Tomás Mariano Calvo-Martinez (Universidad Complutense de Madrid)

Being, Truth, and Contradiction. Logic and Ontology in Aristotle and his medieval commentators.

The 2019 CUSO doctoral school will comprise two sections: 

1. The first section will be about Aristotle's logic and ontology and will be run by Prof. Tomás Mariano Calvo-Martinez (Universidad Complutense de Madrid); 

2. The second will be about logic and ontology in the tradition of commentators on Aristotle's works from Late Antiquity to the Middle Ages and will be run by Prof. Nadja Germann (Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg). 

1) Questions of logic and questions of ontology are closely intertwined in the Aristotelian corpus. Even though Aristotle is cautious in distinguishing the three dimensions of language, thought, and neither-linguistic-nor-mental reality (as in De int. 1), he often assumes that there is a straightforward correspondence between logico-linguistic and ontological principles. This is most famously the case of his discussion of the Principle of Non-Contradiction (Met. IV.4-6 and part of IV.8) and the Principle of Excluded Middle (Met. IV.7 and part of IV.8). Another case in point is his theory of truth. More in general, in many passages from the Categories, the De interpretatione, the Topics, the Posterior Analytics, the Sophistical Refutations, and parts of the Physics, the Metaphysics, and the biological works, arguments bearing on ontological issues are often based on considerations of how ordinary and scientific language work (or should work). 

2) Logico-linguistic questions and questions of ontology are also closely intertwined in the works of the late ancient and medieval commentators of Aristotle's treatises. From Plotinus' discussion of Aristotle's categories and Porphyry's Isagoge in the 3rd and 4th century AD to the later medieval Arabic and Latin traditions flourishing between the 10th and the 14th centuries, an enormous amount of reflection was produced on the question of how language latches onto external reality. Greater stress than in Antiquity was put on the role of the mind as bridge between the two: a huge variety of different subtle analyses of signification and its relation to our mental acts were offered by figures as diverse as al-Farabi, Avicenna, Averroes, Abelard, Aquinas, Roger Bacon, Radulphus Brito, Duns Scotus, Burley, Ockham, Buridan, Wyclif, and many others. 

The modality of the event will be that of a 'séminaire résidentiel'. It will last 3 days (1 full day + 2 half-days), from Thursday noon to Saturday noon, and will be organized as follows: 

i. Thursday afternoon. Introduction to the two topics by the speakers (possibly accompanied by short commentaries by graduate students). 

ii. Friday morning. Presentations (1) on selected Ancient and Medieval texts: talks given by the speakers, possibly accompanied by short commentaries by graduate students. 

iii. Friday afternoon. Talks given by graduate students. 

iv. Saturday morning. Presentations (2) on selected Ancient and Medieval texts: talks given by the speakers, possibly accompanied by short commentaries by graduate students. 

Each session will be followed by a discussion involving both senior and graduate participants. 

The aims of this doctoral school are: 

- To enhance the philosophical competence and scientific methodology of CUSO PhD students; 

- To improve their skills of communication and presentation; 

- To provide them with an opportunity to have their research discussed by leading experts in the areas of Ancient and Medieval Philosophy; 

- To enable graduate students to compare their own work with that of others at a commensurate stage of their career, in a spirit of emulation.

Crêt Bérard (Puidoux)

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