Topics in the History of Philosophy: Albertus Magnus' Conception of Place

This course investigates Albertus Magnus' conception of place, by offering a philosophical introduction to Albert's treatise De Natura Loci ("On the Nature of Place"). The course provides a close reading of this text in its own right and also studies the text in its historical context by identifying its main philosophical and scientific influences in the Aristotelian and Neoplatonist traditions and in Ptolemy. The seminar is based on a new English translation of Albert's Latin text.