PHIL249 Study Guide - Kangaroo Court, Nominalism

• School: University of Alberta
• Department: Philosophy at St Joseph's College
• Course: PHIL249
• Professor: Matthew Kostelecky

Document Summary

Is boethius a realist or a nominalist? realist - universals exist independent of the human mind nominalist - particulars exist, universal are only names we put on them. historians of ideas call him a moderate realist. Boethius dies without being able to translate all of aristotle like he wants. He only translates some logical works (like the categories) and the isogoge. Aristotle does get translated into islam / arabic however! they have all of aristotle"s works and some of plato. Abelard does not get aristotle"s other works yet. The complete and utter collapse of the western roman empire. the so called "dark ages", the rise of islam, the beginnings of the university. But what htey are trying to do in the 12th century is metaphysics, which they are doing without aristotle"s book, the metaphysics. Boethius commentaries and theological tracks, the isogoge, and the logical works of aristotle. And so the kind of metaphysical problems asked have to do with universals.