Structure, theme, or context: on what should the work of the historian of philosophy concentrate, especially the medievalist?

Abstract

Many works in history of philosophy, especially in the history of medieval philosophy, are marked by a methodological opposition between three approaches: an emphasis on the internal structure of a thought, an emphasis on investigating a theme or concept, and an emphasis on the place of a thought in its historical-philosophical context. However, it is possible to defend the approximation of these three approaches, and even their combination, aiming at greater intelligibility of the thoughts under investigation. This article aims to point out the artificiality of the opposition between the three approaches and to defend a communicational model that overcomes it.

Recebido: 30/12/2019
Aceito: 30/12/2019