Seminars SoSe 26 – History of Philosophy

Lecturer: Prof. Dr. Mario Meliadò

Times: Thu, 16.04.2026 – 23.07.2026, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m., c.t.

Location: AR-B 2104/05

Description: The introductory module "History of Philosophy" consists of two related lectures. The aim of the module is to provide students with a systematic overview of the historical development of philosophy from antiquity to modern times and to familiarize them with the central questions, methods and debates that shape the history of philosophy as a modern discipline.

The first lecture "Introduction to the History of Philosophy: Basic Questions and Methods" (summer semester) introduces students to the theoretical and methodological foundations of the historiography of philosophy. On this basis, it then offers a critical overview of the philosophy of antiquity, which provides students with a differentiated understanding of the subject area and the central problem areas of the history of philosophy. The focus is on questions such as the relationship of philosophy to its own history and historicity, the origin and definition of philosophy, its relationship to other forms of knowledge and the meaning and benefits of studying the history of philosophy. In addition, problems of canon formation and perspectives of a global and transcultural history of philosophy are discussed and reflected on the basis of different approaches.

In the winter semester, the second lecture "Introduction to the History of Philosophy: Epochs and Traditions of Thought" directly follows on from this introduction. It focuses on exemplary historical stages, authors and currents in philosophy and examines how philosophical theories and practices have developed and evolved in different cultural, political, social and religious contexts. Starting with ancient philosophy, central positions and traditions of thought are reconstructed from the Middle Ages through the Renaissance to modern times, while at the same time making visible fundamental transformations, transmission processes and paradigm shifts in the history of thought.

The two lectures are coordinated in terms of content, but can also be taken independently of each other if required or in a different order, for example for organizational reasons.

Lecturer: Prof. Dr. Mario Meliadò and Prof. Dr. Gregor Nickel

Times: Wed, 15.04.2026 – 22.07.2026, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m., c.t.

Location: AE-A 101

Description: Can philosophical 'proofs' - for example about God's existence and nature as well as about the eternity of the world or its temporal beginning - lay claim to necessary validity, or are they in principle incapable of meeting the requirements of demonstrative certainty? So where are the limits of well-founded human knowledge? And how does a knowledge of reason that is secured by rational arguments relate to the doctrines of a traditional religion that derive their validity from the authority of revelation? The seminar explores these questions on the basis of two major works of Islamic philosophy: al-Ghazālī's (d. 1111) "The Incoherence of the Philosophers" (Tahāfut al-falāsifa) and Ibn Rushd's or Averroes' (d. 1198) later reply "The Incoherence of Incoherence" (Tahāfut al-tahāfut). The two texts not only make it possible to reconstruct a powerful philosophical controversy in the Islamic cultural area, but also to examine and reflect on paradigmatically competing conceptions of science, religion and rationality.

In his work, the Persian theologian and philosopher Al-Ghazālī critically examines the central teachings of contemporary and earlier philosophers - in particular Avicenna (Ibn Sīnā) and al-Fārābī, who in turn drew heavily on Aristotle. The focus is on metaphysics and natural philosophy: Al-Ghazālī reveals the methodological weaknesses of philosophical proof procedures and the lack of binding force of their conclusions in twenty fundamental questions. For him, reason remains an indispensable instrument of knowledge; however, where it operates beyond its legitimate epistemic domain, it becomes internally inconsistent and enters into a delicate relationship of tension with religion. The Andalusian philosopher and physician Averroes responded to this challenge by focusing on the premises of al-Ghazālī's critique itself. He not only defends individual philosophical positions, but also endeavors to redefine the scientific status of philosophy. In the "Incoherence of Incoherence", he maintains that philosophy and religion are not in competition, but serve different levels of discourse, with revelation aiming at the ethical orientation of the wider community and presenting a truth in symbolic language that is accessible to philosophy in the mode of scientific demonstration.

In the seminar, we will explore the central lines of argumentation of both texts and analyze the systematic consequences of the controversy - for example for questions of causality, necessity, eternity and time. The aim is to understand the debate as an exemplary field of tension in the history of philosophy, in which fundamental problems of the relationship between reason, faith and philosophical criticism are bundled. The course is designed to be interdisciplinary between the subjects of History of Philosophy and Philosophy of Mathematics. It deliberately addresses students of both philosophy and mathematics and aims to integrate different perspectives on rationality, proof and scientific thinking into the learning and teaching discussion and make them fruitful, starting from a heterogeneous seminar group.

Lecturers: Fabian Marx, M.A.

Times: Mon, 08.06.2026 – 20.07.2026, 4–8 p.m., c.t.

Location: AR-M 0216

Description: That philosophy has its history is trivial, that it is its history is a paradox. How can a discipline be identical with its own past? We would usually deny that this is possible. The history of physics, for example, also includes the geocentric world view, but it no longer belongs to physics in the modern sense - for very good reasons. Why should it be any different in philosophy? Isn't the past, or at least some of the past, obsolete here too, i.e. made obsolete by the current "state of research"? Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel said: No. His lectures on the history of philosophy are nothing other than an attempt to show that the study of philosophy is nothing other than the current state of research: The study of philosophy is nothing other than the study of its history. In the seminar, we will deal with this identity thesis by reading the lectures, especially their long introduction. Is it convincing? To what (philosophical? historical?) problem is it an answer? And what does "philosophy" actually mean here?

The seminar assumes no prior knowledge of Hegelian philosophy. Successful participation requires active participation in the seminar and a meticulous reading of a very demanding text. The seminar is also designed as an introduction to the reading of basic texts of the philosophical tradition and should thus also provide assistance for future readings.

Lecturer: Dr. Francesco Molinarolo

Times: Mon, 13.04.2026 – 20.07.2026, 2–4 p.m., c.t.

Location: AR-NB 0102

Description: Aristotle's "Physics" is one of the most important and influential texts in the history of philosophy. As part of a complex corpus that emerged from Aristotle's lectures at the Lykeion and covers almost all areas of human knowledge, the "Physics" sets out the theoretical foundations of the philosopher's natural science. The most fundamental subject of "Physics" is the world in its change and becoming. Aristotle describes this concept and at the same time presents his famous theory of the four causes (cause of effect, cause of purpose, cause of substance and cause of form). Other key concepts are examined, including the concepts of infinity, time, continuum and emptiness. These concepts formed the basis of all theories of natural philosophy for centuries. Aristotle's "Physics" culminates in an analysis of motion, which leads to the identification of an unmoved first mover: The last book of the "Physics" thus appears thematically convergent with Aristotle's specifically metaphysical considerations.

In this reading course, selected passages from the "Physics" will be examined, analyzed and discussed in detail. The aim of the course is to familiarize students with Aristotle's philosophical vocabulary and its historical-philosophical significance. Methodologically, the course aims to familiarize students with a text that is generally regarded as a classic of philosophy.

Lecturers: Prof. Dr. Mario Meliadò and Prof. Dr. Gregor Nickel

Times:

• Wed, 15.04.2026 – 03.06.2026, 4–6 p.m., c.t. (regular)
• Sat/Sun, 17.07.2026 – 19.07.2026, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m., c.t. (excursion)

Location: AR-H 103 (with excursion to the Cusanus Library and a workshop at the Cusanus Academy)

Description: Philosopher and mathematician as well as theologian and jurist: Nicholas of Cusa (1401-1464), also known as Cusanus, is regarded in the handbooks of the history of philosophy as a key figure in which the end of the Middle Ages and the transition to a new epoch can be paradigmatically understood. Cusanus himself played a decisive role in shaping this interpretation: The claim to renew philosophical research in terms of method and content and to break with the outdated tradition and form of thought runs like a red thread through his work. But what did this newness consist of and how does it relate to his intensive engagement with tradition? A paradox is characteristic of Cusanus: the sharp criticism of book knowledge bound to authority goes hand in hand with the elaboration of an ideal of philosophy that is essentially based on the art of reading and book collecting. For Cusanus, the library does not appear as a mere archive, but as a workshop for the transformation and reorganization of philosophical knowledge.

In the seminar, we will explore Cusanus' thinking through his productive engagement with ancient philosophy and science. The focus is on his criticism, reception and appropriation of central authors and sources: Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, Euclid and Ptolemy, Epicurus and the Stoa (mediated by Diogenes Laertios), through to Proclus and Pseudo-Dionysius Areopagita. This lively dialog with tradition can be traced not only in his writings, but also in the marginal notes and annotations that Cusanus systematically left behind in his books.

The seminar is divided into two parts: The first part introduces the thinking of Cusanus through an in-depth reading of selected writings; the second part is linked to an excursion to Bernkastel-Kues, during which we will visit the Cusanus Library in St. Nicholas Hospital and engage intensively with Cusanus' reading and interpretation practices in a workshop. Cusanus' manuscript collection, which is still kept in his birthplace today, is one of the most important private libraries of the 15th century and provides a unique insight into the world of thought and reading during the Renaissance. Beyond the specific case of Cusanus, the seminar teaches fundamental skills of historical-philosophical research: students acquire a deeper understanding of how philosophical innovation emerges from critical work on what has been handed down - an approach that is relevant to the history of philosophy as a whole.

The first part of the seminar will take place regularly on a weekly basis until June 3, 2026. The second part will be held as a block event in Bernkastel-Kues from July 17 to 19, 2026: it will be combined with an excursion to the Cusanus Library and a workshop at the Cusanus Academy. Organizational details will be discussed in the first session.

Lecturer: Dr. Francesco Molinarolo

Times: Tue, 14.04.2026 – 21.07.2026, 12–2 p.m., c.t.

Place: H-C 7326

Description: The question "are we free?" has an infinite number of nuances and can be approached from various disciplinary perspectives. Theological, juridical, and psychological answers can be found there. However, the question is primarily philosophical. What does "will" mean? What does it mean to "be free" and "make a choice"? The history of philosophy offers no unequivocal answer to these questions. At the same time, philosophers have been interested in this issue for centuries. Since antiquity, the relationship between will and natural causality has been explored, for example by Aristotle, the Stoics and Alexander of Aphrodisias. In the Middle Ages, the search for the meaning of free will was influenced by theological and religious concerns: Augustine's On Free Will is just one of the many examples of the medieval fortune of this debate. The tension between philosophy and theological thought exploded in the early modern age, with the famous dispute between Erasmus and Martin Luther. But the discussion went on, until the dawn of the contemporary era.
In the course of this seminar, we will examine and problematize some relevant theories on free will from antiquity to the early modern period. Following a historical-philosophical method of investigation, we will contextualize the different interpretations, trying to interpret them both with respect to their own context, and as for the theoretical-philosophical relevance they still hold. Purpose of this seminar will be to get acquainted with a relevant philosophical issue in a diachronic and comparative fashion, and to question the texts to obtain answers that may still be valid in contemporary times.

Lecturers: Prof. Dr. Mario Meliadò

Times: t.b.a.

Location: t.b.a.

Description: The History of Philosophy Colloquium is a research-oriented course with a workshop character that aims to introduce students to current debates and methods of academic work in the field of the history of philosophy. Students have the opportunity to talk to academics from the field of the history of philosophy and to get to know their research better.

This semester, the colloquium consists of three two-day workshops (in addition to an introductory and concluding session), which take place on Thursday afternoon (2-6 p.m., c.t.) and Friday morning (10:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m.). On Thursday afternoon, two external guests will each give a lecture on correlated topics, followed by a joint discussion. On Friday morning, the speakers will read a short text related to the topic of the lecture, which will be made available to all participants in advance. This format offers the opportunity to carry out close readings in a moderated round and to work out the results of interpretations together with the students.

The aim of the colloquium is to facilitate a productive dialog between the guests and to actively involve the students in this exchange. The colloquium also aims to support students' professional and methodological reflection with regard to early research experience and to promote the acquisition of key skills that are relevant to the conception and execution of a thesis or academic essay.