Mediated Recognition and the Quest for a Common Rational Field of Discussion in Three Early Medieval Dialogues

• Authors: Ritva Palmén , Heikki J. Koskinen
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

Using interpretative resources from contemporary recognition theory with a special focus on the notion of mediated recognition, this paper discusses the nature and degree of methodological agreement as manifested in three twelfth-century dialogues. The first source to be considered was written by Gilbert of Crispin, and known as Disputatio Christiani cum Gentili (Disputation of Christian with a Pagan), ca. 1093. The second source was composed by the Christian convert Peter Alfonsi, whose dialogue Dialogi contra Iudaeos (Dialogue against the Jews) was written about 1110. The third source to be considered is Peter Abelard’s treatise Collationes, a dialogue with three participants and the narrator, written between 1127 and 1132. In particular, the paper discusses the role of reason, the principles of argument, and the potentially-shared set of rules these dialogues employ, thereby bringing the agreement among conflicting parties into focus. In this respect, the novel interpretative approach based on recognition theory also differs markedly from the standard reading of apologetic texts, which usually emphasizes conflict and disagreement.

Keywords

EN

medieval philosophy; recognition theory; methodological agreement; disputation literature; reason

• Publisher: Sciendo
• Journal: Open Theology
• Year: 2016
• Volume: 2
• Issue: 1

Dates

received

2016-01-29

accepted

2016-03-09

online

2016-05-24

Contributors

author

Ritva Palmén

• University of Helsinki, Finland

author

Heikki J. Koskinen

• University of Helsinki, Finland

Identifiers

DOI

10.1515/opth-2016-0031