Medieval Western Philosophy: Augustine to Ockham

Explain the core tenets of Neoplatonism, including Plotinus' concepts of the One, the Intellect, and the Soul.

Analyze how Augustine of Hippo adapted Neoplatonic concepts to formulate his Christian philosophy.

Reconstruct Augustine's account of evil as privation in 'Confessions' Book VII.

Analyze Augustine's central arguments about the nature of time in 'Confessions' Book XI.

Reconstruct Boethius' argument for reconciling divine foreknowledge with human free will in 'Consolation of Philosophy' Book V.

Reconstruct Anselm's ontological argument from the 'Proslogion' and analyze Gaunilo's objection.

Reconstruct Aquinas' Five Ways for proving God's existence from 'Summa Theologiae'.

Analyze the problem of universals and explain Ockham's nominalist solution and the principle of parsimony.