Spekulative Pädagogik

At the heart of this book lies a 22-stanza poem from the Parisiana Poetria by the English grammarian John of Garland in which he comes up with the pedagogic idea of a Platonico-Aristotelian curriculum. Alongside its first German translation, it is introduced in detail and discussed in terms of a commentary and interpretation of its verses and stanzas. This examination primarily focuses on the intellectual backdrop of the pivotal 12th century, notably exploring the Chartresian-Platonic tradition and its speculative origins. The book is thus divided into two main parts. The second one, dedicated to the history of ideas, pays particular attention to the selective-transformative appropriation and creative assimilation of various elements – topoi, motifs and passages – from Alan of Lille’s Anticlaudianus and Planctus Naturae . However, this study does not only contextualise and offer hermeneutical accessibility to the examined poem, but also engages in a thorough literary analysis. One surprising result is: John, hitherto perceived as primarily a grammarian, surfaces as a philosophically educated mind, capable of condensing the intellectual atmosphere of Chartres in a remarkably sophisticated way – a mastery that the book endeavours to bring to life.