by Tom Byrne
12/13/04
So this is me writing my article. This is also me putting off studying for a final exam I have in sixteen and one half hours. Oh well, the early modern philosophers were around well before Philosophy 206 with Professor Wright Neely at the University of Illinois started and they sure as hell will be around after it too.
This line of incoherent nonsense brings me to the point of this article. That point being that those charged with developing the curriculum for the Department of Philosophy on this campus are certifiably a bunch of shmoes. That's right, shmoes.
The required coursework looks like this: First off, everyone has to take logic. That makes sense. Good logic is necessary to make a good argument, something that philosophy is very much concerned with. Next, ancient philosophy is mandated. This is good too. It is important to see the very beginnings of philosophy. Next we move to the course I am currently enrolled in: early modern philosophy. This covers those wonderful gentlemen in who existed in the early 1600s to the late 1700s. They are all idiots, but I guess one should at least know what they said. Finally, Ethical Theories rounds out the required curriculum with a discussion of the ethical philosophies of thinkers from ancient times and modern times.
You might be asking yourself, "What's the problem with all that?" Well, I'll tell you what the hell the problem is. THEY SKIPPED ABOUT TWO THOUSAND YEARS OF THOUGHT. That's right. We go from 400 BC with Aristotle all the way up to 1600 and something with Descartes. Hmmmm, did anyone forget about the entire medieval period? It was only one of the most significant times for philosophy in the history of the world! Wait, hang on a second...I know why its not required to study that stuff. BECAUSE IT'S ALL CATHOLIC PHILOSOPHY!
St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas made incredible progress on not only theology, but other very important topics such as natural law. St. Thomas incorporated the philosophy of Aristotle into Catholic theology in what was called the Medieval Synthesis. This is what the modern philosophers fight against and students aren't even given a chance to see what it says before all these nit wits start stomping all over it.
There is actually a medieval philosophy course offered, and I hear it is quite good. The only problem with it is that it's only offered once every four semesters! What the hell is that?
I guess that tells you how important medieval philosophy is to the shmoes who thought up the philosophy curriculum here at the all-powerful University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Ok, I'm done now. Are you happy, Colin?