Platonism and Neoplatonism
In this course, we will start with Plato's teachings and trace the development of Platonism in the Academy and its relationship to other Greek schools of thought before the Christian era. Then we will read the major pagan and Christian neo-platonists, Origen and Plotinus. Finally we will study the influences of Platonism on medieval philosophy and the revival of Platonism in early modern age. The philomobile route starts in Alexandria and moves on to Rome via Athens.

Aristotle and Neo-aristotelianism
This course will trace the development of Aristotle's ideas as they influence the middle ages and the modern age. We start with some of Aristotle's major works and then read Aquinas and Averroes and see how they interpreted Aristotle's teachings. We will also consider the neo-Aristotelian schools of the Renaissance. The course starts in Athens, Greece, moves to Italy and ends in Cordoba, Spain.


13th Century Mystics
This course is prepared to study mystic traditions in Judaism, Christianity and Islam in the 13th century. We will read texts from the Cabala, from the Sufi poets such as Rumi and the Christian mystics such as Meister Eckhardt. The trip starts in Konya, Turkey, moves to Germany (Thuringia and Saxony) and to southern France via Strasbourg and ends in southern Spain. Medieval monasteries and towns will be visited on the way in order to enhance our familiarity with the middle ages.

French Moralists
We will read from the writings of the so-called French moralists who can be loosely called a school of thought. What brings them together is their insightful reflections on human psychology. We will read La Rochefoucauld, Pascal, La Bruyere, Fontenelle, and Chamfort. The class will meet in various parts of France, but most of the time will be spent in Paris.