Department of History – Carleton University
The History of
Early Medieval Thought
HIST 3006A
Marc Saurette
447 Paterson Hall
Fall, 2008
saurette@connect.carleton.ca
613.520.2600 ext. 2831
This course explores in detail the nature of early medieval society through a focus on Western
European textual culture from the fourth to the eleventh century. This period spans the passing of a Late
Antique society dominated by Roman ideas, the rise of distinct ideas characteristic of western Christendom
and the development of these traditions into the eleventh century. Themes treated in the class and the
readings will include: the social context of learning, the diverse understandings of knowledge/ wisdom, the
nature of medieval oral and textual culture, and the impact of learned discourses on the popular
imagination.
The student will be introduced to differing early medieval mentalities predominantly through
primary text readings. The course will maintain a chronological approach, moving from the education of
Augustine, bishop of Hippo to the academic debates of the eleventh-century and will demand that the
student read a range of sources in translation, including: pedagogical treatises, saint’s lives, chronicles and
training manuals. Students will be expected to analyze and interpret the primary sources, as well as to
evaluate historiographical debates related to medieval thought.
Required Texts
• Augustine of Hippo, The Confessions, trans. Henry Chadwick, Oxford World Classics (Oxford:
University of Oxford Press, 1998).
• Peter Abelard, The Letters of Abelard and Heloise, 2nd edition, trans. Betty Radice and Michael
Clanchy (New York: Penguin Classics, 2003).
• Cassiodorus, The Institutions of Divine and Secular Learning, trans. James Halporn and Mark
Vessey, Translated Texts for Historians (Liverpool: Liverpool University Press, 2004).
• Dhuoda, Handbook for William: A Carolingian Woman's Counsel for Her Son, trans. Carol Neel,
Medieval Texts in Translation. (Washington, DC: Catholic University of America Press, 1999).
• Early Christian Lives, trans. Caroline White, (New York: Penguin Classics, 1998).
The course texts are available at Mother Tongue Books, 1067 Bank Street (at Sunnyside), telephone
613.730.2346. Additional readings will be posted on WebCT.
The texts by Abelard and Augustine are available in other translations, which are antiquated and often
difficult to understand. The above texts have been selected as the most up-to-date and flowing translations.
They also contain introductions, appendices and additional texts necessary for the course.
HIST 3006A
EARLY MEDIEVAL THOUGHT
FALL, 2008
Communication
Communication in class and outside the classroom is actively encouraged. During all classes students
should feel welcome to ask questions, request clarifications and express their thoughts about the material
being treated. Discussion and an exchange of views is one of the keystones of learning.
Please remember that personally meeting with the professors, or with your TA during office hours is often
the best way to resolve your concerns, questions and queries. I am available for answering questions,
helping with assignments, or general gabbery on Tuesdays, 2-4 pm at my office (447 Paterson). Given
sufficient warning, I can also meet with students outside of this time.
Email Policy
Please do not use e-mail to ask questions that should/ could be brought up during or after class or for
information that is contained in the syllabus. Please understand that I cannot be counted on to receive
messages late in the day or on the weekend until some time the next weekday, nor am I always free to
respond immediately. Unless otherwise specified, no essays or assignments submitted by email will be
accepted; you must submit a hard copy.
Evaluation
10% =
15% =
35% =
40% =
Participation
Reading Response (the best 5 of 6 responses will count towards this mark)
Wikipedia Project
Document Analysis Paper
Deadlines
Wikipedia Project
Document Analysis Paper:
Reading Responses:
Wednesday, October 8th, 2008
Friday, November 14th, 2008
due at the end of the class on each relevant day (see calendar below)
Every student make an appointment and meet with me to discuss the thesis of your paper before Friday,
October 24th, 2008. My time is limited, so do not assume that you will all be able to meet me at the last
minute.
Papers should be handed to the instructor or deposited in the essay box outside the History office, Paterson
Hall, room 400. Deadlines are firm, unless due to exceptional circumstances. Any paper handed in after
the due date must be accompanied by official documentation to support your claim if you wish to avoid the
penalty. All other written work handed in late will be marked down one grade point per 24 hrs, i.e. a C+
paper submitted late becomes a C, whether it is submitted 5 hours or 23 hours after the deadline.
SYLLABUS
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Assignments
For an appropriate citation guide for history: see http://www.libs.uga.edu/ref/chicago.html#docnote
(see Documentary-Note Style). Footnotes, not endnotes or parenthetical notes, are the standard citation
method for History papers.
1. Participation
All students are expected to have read and assimilated the material for discussion each week, and will be
responsible for verbalizing and discussing the readings and their attendant questions. On five occasions
during the term, we will conduct the class as a seminar, with the students debating a specific question about
the text being read. The question under discussion is the same for the seminar and for the reading response
of the primary source.
For the seminars, you will assign yourself a participation mark (according to a preset format handed out by
the professor), which will be used as the basis for your grade (subject to revision). Your mark will be
determined both by the frequency of your attendance (5%) and the degree of your involvement (5%).
11. Reading Responses
For each assigned primary source, the student must submit a one page single-spaced typed mini-paper
showing the ability to assimilate the material being read, and to restate it cogently without repeating or
quoting the words of the author. I have provided you (see below) with questions to guide your reading and
your written response. Do not exceed a single page of text (single spaced); to do otherwise is to indicate a
lack of sufficient distillation of thought. Each reading response will be evaluated according to the following
criteria:
1) accurate statement of major points,
2) insight into the implications of the author’s stated thought, and
3) clear, effective academic syntax and style.
Please note that you must attend and participate in the associated seminar in order to receive credit for
a reading response. I will not accept late responses or responses from students who do not attend class for
any reason. This includes illness, family emergencies, and transportation problems. Of the reading
responses submitted, only the student’s best five (5) responses will count towards the final grade, which is
intended to cover you in the event of misfortune.
111. Wikipedia Entry
Due to its popularity and its ease of access (and despite its lack of accuracy) Wikipedia has become the
standard reference work of our time. It is your task to contribute a brief, but well researched entry on an
early medieval thinker (interpreted broadly) of your choice. You may significantly expand a current “stub”
(a very brief preliminary entry) or create a new entry, but you cannot edit already established entries. Stubs
which contain the footer, “This article incorporates text from the public-domain Catholic Encyclopedia of
1913” are usually entries in need of work and could benefit from your revision.
SYLLABUS
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Suggested stages for writing a wikipedia entry
1. If you are not familiar with wikipedia, peruse its many pages at http://en.wikipedia.org.
2. Create a user account. At the top right of every wiki page, there is a link to “create account”. Only with
an account are you able to create new entries. Also, having a user name is essential to show that you
wrote the entry. Email me your user name so that I can monitor your contribution.
3. If desired, write a little about yourself, so that other editors can get an idea of your credentials. For a
simple example, see my user page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Saurette. Due to privacy
concerns, you will likely wish to remain mostly anonymous. It will take some time to become familiar
with how to write wiki pages so I suggest you practice with your user page. Wikipedia has created a
number of useful help pages which will introduce you to how to write their pages. As a starting place,
see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Welcoming_committee/Welcome_to_Wikipedia.
4. Identify a medieval thinker (from the early medieval period) in need of work. Since your next
assignment involves writing on a primary source, you will likely want to select a thinker/ writer whose
works have been translated into English (or another language you read) and are available at Carleton,
UOttawa or through interlibrary loan.
5. After you have identified the entry you wish to work on, list your user name and the name of your early
medieval figure onto the list entitled, “Wikipedia Entries under edit by students” on the Wiki page:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Saurette/EarlyMedievalThought. Adding your name and subject
will require a modicum of knowledge on how to code wikipedia entries.
No two students can work on the same individual. If two students independently decide to
work the same entry, whomever first claims the person by placing their name and the name of
the entry onto the above list will be given permission. Since each new entry to the list is saved
and time coded any disputes that might arise can be easily resolved.
6. You might also wish to claim early in the term what text you will use for your document analysis.
7. Leave aside Wikipedia for the moment and begin your research. Use the Carleton library catalogue,
JSTOR or the International Medieval Bibliography (all available online) to search for relevant
secondary sources. In creating a Wiki entry you are writing a tertiary source (that is, a summary of
secondary sources). You should not, therefore, base your research on tertiary sources (i.e. dictionary
entries, encyclopedia entries, textbooks…). At this stage, you should also not read any primary texts.
8. You should consult at least one monograph (that is, a book length study) and at minimum six articles
about your thinker. These must be listed in a bibliography at the end of your entry.
9. Synthesize your findings. You should note areas of agreement and disagreement about what scholars
have said, and try to create a cumulative picture of your subject and his/her writings.
10. Your entry should follow the format given in the example provided (on Richard of Poitiers), beginning
with 1) a summary introduction, 11) a discussion of biography, 111) a short description of their writings,
1v) brief suggestions about their impact and their contribution, v) references and a bibliography, v1)
links to relevant online resources (especially online versions of their texts).
SYLLABUS
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1v. Document Analysis Paper.
The ability to read historical documents with a discerning and critical eye is the foundation of the
historian’s craft. This assignment asks the student to read and to comment on one document (chosen from
the bibliography of sources provided) in order to discuss the historical value of the source selected, that is,
what you as a historian can learn about some aspect of the early medieval thought.
Since all historical sources are different and also shed light on a variety of matters, it will be necessary for
you to select one topic which arises within the document. In a structured argument, your paper should
describe accurately the information that the document contains and what you can learn from it about its
particular description of ancient or medieval society and thought. Your paper should not simply
paraphrase or retell the source text, but must organize a selection of material into an argument.
Suggested stages for preparing a document analysis paper:
1. Select a primary source, usually one written by the person you have just researched.
2. Read the source. A first reading will introduce you to the kinds of ideas are present in the document.
3. Understand the context. Think about the ideas emerging from the secondary sources you read in
writing the minor paper, and relate them to the primary source you have just read.
4. Identify a thesis for your paper. You must come talk to me, the professor, to approve your thesis.
5. Reread the source. A second reading will allow you to identify what information and quotations will be
useful in making your argument.
Suggested framework for the paper (though use whatever format best suits your text and subject):
1. Introduce topic: Your paper should begin with a brief introduction that summarizes your material and
thesis – you are not writing a detective novel and should not leave the reader in suspense. Explain in
clear and unequivocal language the topic and thesis that you have chosen to investigate and argue.
Also, please do not begin your paper with, “throughout history”, “from the dawn of time”, “according
to Webster’s dictionary” or the like. Indulge me, or pay the consequences. (1 paragraph)
2. Identify context: You should state at the outset of your essay what source you have chosen and provide
a brief description of it, of its author, if known, and of the time and place for which the source is
relevant (a few paragraphs will suffice). You should not repeat the information provided in your minor
paper. (1 paragraph)
3. Argue thesis: In the remainder of your paper you should organize and discuss the information relevant
to your topic, including examples, quotations, analysis of the quotations and the conclusions arising
from your examination of the text. Your argument must be clearly and logically structured, in order to
prove your hypothesis.
4. Conclusion: Your conclusion should not just repeat your introduction, but rather suggest how your
paper contributes to the field, and how it suggests areas for future development.
5. Cite sources. The central document, additional primary sources and all secondary sources must be
cited in a footnote each and every time it is appropriate (please use Chicago style). At then end of the
paper, please provide a full bibliography or a works cited page.
5. Length. The paper should not exceed 3,000 words, not including bibliography and notes.
You must proofread. You should not trust the spellchecker. You must double space and have proper
margins. Your font and type size must neither blind nor overwhelm, nor pain me by their ugliness.
SYLLABUS
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HIST 3006A
EARLY MEDIEVAL THOUGHT
FALL, 2008
LECTURE CALENDAR
Dates
05/09
10/09
12/09
Topics
I.
Introduction
The syllabus, the course, and everybody’s expectations.
II.
Concepts
What are knowledge, wisdom and thought to us? To medievals?
What is a text? Reading, writing and learning in the Early Middle Ages
Late Antique Foundations
17/09
19/09
III.
Antony the Anchorite
Philosophy as a way of life
Life of Antony, by Athanasius of Alexandria
24/09
WIKIPEDIA TUTORIAL (in class)
26/09
01/10
03/10
08/10
IV.
10/10
Augustine of Hippo
A spiritual thing happened on the way to the forum: Augustine’s life and writings
The Confessions: Late Antique pedagogy
The Confessions: New Christian directions
Seminar
-- Wikipedia Project Due -UNIVERSITY DAY (no classes)
Barbarian Transitions
15/10
17/1o
22/10
24/10
V.
Cassiodorus
A Roman aristocrat in Emperor Theodoric’s court
Institutions of Divine and Secular Learning: authority and the Christian canon
Subordinating Classical Learning to the Christian cause
Seminar
Defining Medieval Thought
29/10
31/10
05/11
SYLLABUS
VI.
Benedict of Nursia
The Monastery: “A School for the Lord’s Service”
Life of Benedict, by Gregory the Great
Seminar
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FALL, 2008
07/11
12/11
14/11
VII. Dhuoda
Mother knows best: living la vida Dhuoda
Handbook for William: training for the Christian aristocracy
Seminar
-- Document Analysis Paper Due --
19/11
21/11
26/11
VIII. Peter Abelard
Cathedral schools, schoolmasters and mistresses.
Historia Calamitatum: challenges to the traditional order
Seminar
28/11
IX.
Abelard and the new modes of thought
SEMINAR AND READING RESPONSE QUESTIONS
19/09
Life of Antony reading response due.
To think about: How is the person, and more specifically the body, at the centre of
Antony’s practices of learning and teaching?
01/10
Confessions reading response due.
To think about: Augustine embodies a very literate approach to learning. Beyond the
potential for communication (which Augustine sees as problematic), how else does the
Confessions suggest books and reading may serve as a means to expand one’s mind?
17/10
Institutions of Divine and Secular Learning reading response due.
To think about: Like Augustine, Cassiodorus has a very literate approach to learning.
How is his way of reading particularly indebted to Christian hermeneutics?
31/10
Life of Benedict reading response due.
To think about: Compare the Life of Benedict to that of Antony. How do they differ or
have similarities? What is the role of bodily practices in the later work?
19/11
Handbook for William reading response due.
To think about: How does Dhuoda use her status as a woman for authority?
26/11
History of my Calamities reading response due.
To think about: How does Abelard, as he presents it, challenge the status quo?
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2007
* Reading available on WebCT
READINGS
05/09
I.
Introduction:
10/09
II.
Jacques Fontaine, “Education and learning (500–700),” in The New
Cambridge Medieval History, vol. 1 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,
2005), pp. 735-760.
17/09
III.
The Life of Antony, in White, pp. 7-70.
26/09
01/10
03/10
IV.
The Confessions, bk 1, bk 3 (1-7), bk 5 (8, 12-14).
The Confessions, bk 8 (2-12).
The Confessions, bk 10 (1-21) .
15/10
17/1o
22/10
V.
The Institutions, pp. TBA.
The Institutions, pp. TBA.
The Institutions, pp. TBA.
29/10
VI.
The Life of Benedict, in White, pp. 165-204.
07/11
12/11
VII.
Handbook for William, pp. TBA.
Handbook for William, pp. TBA.
19/11
VIII.
History of my Calamities, pp. 3-46.
28/11
IX.
The end:
SYLLABUS
no assigned readings.
no assigned readings.
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