Intentionality as a Philosophical Problem​​

Intentionality, understood as the directedness of mental states in virtue of their content, is a central topic in contemporary philosophy. It plays a major role in debates concerning the relation between mind and body, perception, emotions, consciousness, and language and meaning. ​​


The Historical Depth of Intentionality​

These debates are not new. Philosophers have reflected on intentionality in different historical contexts, for various purposes, and within other theoretical frameworks. Medieval philosophy is one of the most important of these contexts. 

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Medieval Theories and the Limits of the Standard Narrative​

Contemporary philosophers familiar with Brentano’s psychology are aware that medieval thinkers developed sophisticated accounts of intentionality. It is also widely acknowledged that Brentano’s interpretation of these medieval conceptions requires correction. Many historians of philosophy have contributed to this revision. Despite this work, significant aspects of medieval theories of intentionality remain insufficiently explored. ​​


A Project within the History of Philosophy​

This project is guided by the idea of a continuous history of philosophy, without gaps. Its general theme is the study of approaches to intentionality in medieval philosophy, understood as philosophically substantive positions rather than as mere precursors of modern views. ​


Beyond Linear Histories​

The project adopts a non-linear perspective on medieval thought. Medieval philosophy is not treated as a sequence of doctrines progressing toward a single outcome. Instead, it is approached as a network of interconnected views that often diverge in aims, methods, and conclusions. ​


Philosophical Alternatives and Historical Marginality​

This perspective becomes especially important when considering medieval accounts of intentionality that did not become historically influential. Some theories developed into dominant traditions. Others remained alternative approaches. Although these alternatives did not shape later philosophical developments, they are nonetheless part of the history of philosophy and deserve careful examination. ​


Focus and Corpus​

Within this framework, the project focuses on two relatively understudied philosophers from the thirteenth-century Oxford: John Pecham and Geoffrey of Aspall. Their views are examined not merely in terms of their sources but as original contributions situated within the broader landscape of medieval debates on intentionality. ​​


Aims​

The aim of the project is twofold. First, it reconstructs the conceptions of intentionality developed by Pecham and Aspall not only with respect to intellectual acts, but also with respect to emotions and inanimate beings. Second, it investigates the relations between these different kinds of intentionality, including their relation to perceptual intentionality.

Who are John Pecham and Geoffrey of Aspall?

Geoffrey of Aspall (?-1287) was an English secular, mostly known as a commentator of Aristotle's works, who was active at the University of Oxford. Most of his works still await editing. His commentary on the Physics is the most notable example of an edited work. John Pecham (1279-1292) was a Franciscan friar who later became Archbishop of Canterbury and who is most known for his works on optics and for his positioning against Thomis views, especially on matter and the soul.