Unit information: Medieval Mind (Level C Special Topic) in 2008/09

Unit name	Medieval Mind (Level C Special Topic)
Unit code	HIST14017
Credit points	20
Level of study	C/4
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24)
Unit director
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	None
Co-requisites	None
School/department	Department of History (Historical Studies)
Faculty	Faculty of Arts

Description including Unit Aims

In the Middle Ages the created world was seen as a reflection of Gods will. Yet within the essential unity of this conception there was a great diversity of thought about the nature of man and the cosmos, which reflected the variety of scriptural and philosophical sources, as well legendary narratives, that medieval thinkers employed to describe their world. Thus, rigorous academic analysis of the cosmic and social orders coexisted with fantastic accounts of mythological beasts, distant magical lands, and demonic visitations. Christian ideals of the renunciation of the world thrived within an increasingly commercialised society, which valued beautiful art and architecture and fostered cultural ideals of courtly love. Through the study of historical, literary and artistic sources, this course will provide an introduction to the distinctive medieval contribution to some of the perennial concerns of Western thought about the nature of man and his universe.

Teaching Information

10 x 2 hour seminars

Assessment Information

1 x 2 hour exam

Reading and References

• Chenu, M.-D., Nature, Man and Society in the Twelfth Century (1968)

• Duby, G., The Three Orders: Feudal Society Imagined (1980)

• Ginzburg, C., The Cheese and the Worms (1980)

• Huizing, J., The Waning of the Middle Ages (1924)

• Le Goff, J., The Medieval Imagination (1988)

• Lewis, C.S., The Discarded Image (1964)

• Lindberg, D.C., The Beginnings of Western Science (1992)

• Murray, A., Reason and Society in the Middle Ages (1978)

• Southern, R.W., Western Society and the Church in the Middle Ages (1970)