IMC 2017: Sessions

The papers are dedicated to the problem of perception of Aristotle's knowledge in the Middle Ages. The first paper (Maya Petrova) discusses the questions as how early it could have begun; to what extent and in what form the ingredients of Aristotle's theories began to appear in the texts of the European medieval authors on dreams, visions, and the occurrence of sleep? The theories of William of Conches (De phil. Mundi XXI-XXII), including his glosses on Macrobius's Commentary on the Dream of Scipio, and ps.-Augustine (De sp. Et an. XXV) are analysed. It is shown that their texts contain the synthesis of different, non-direct psychological, and physiological Greek concepts, in which one can see not only the influence of Platonic and Neoplatonic doctrines, but also the ingredients of the Aristotelian theories. The aim of the second paper (Irina Konovalova) is to discuss the ways of reception of ancient scientific knowledge in medieval Islamic culture. This problem is analysed by the example of development of Aristotle's ideas in Islamic geographical treatises of the 10th -14th centuries. Beginning with the 9th century, many writings of ancient authors have been translated into Arabic and in revised form became part of Islamic culture. In particular, various works of Aristotle had a great influence on the formation of Islamic science, theology, and medicine. The following cases will be considered in the analysis of development of Aristotle's geographical ideas in Islamic writings: 1) the spherical shape of the Earth; 2) the world Ocean and its seas; 3) the island of Socotra; 4) the river Nile. And finally some conclusions about relative significance of Aristotle and Ptolemy for the development of medieval Islamic geography will be made. The last paper (Anna Seregina) explores some medieval interpretations of Aristotelian ideas of true and false statements and, consequently, of lying and the concealment of truth (which was not considered a mortal sin, unlike the former). These ideas are discussed in connection to the spreading practice of frequent confession of sins in the 15th - 16th centuries, and to political conflicts that made it necessary to conceal the truth because of some political / religious reasons. The paper will look into text by the late medieval theologians and canonists and explore their practical implications (for the practice of confession, as well as the advice to the 16th century Catholics how to behave when questioned by authorities).