The course of History of ancient philosophy is part of the program in Philosophy (BA level) and is included among the characterising training activities.
The objective of the course is to provide knowledge of the basic issues of ancient philosophy (philosophical debates, historical and intellectual background). Students will read through one of Plato’s dialogues or one of Aristotle’s treatises and they will focus on the basic issues and debates connected to it.
Students will be able to apply the acquired knowledge to discuss and to develop arguments both in a theorical and in a historical perspective.
Upon completion of the course students are expected to acquire the following skills:
Critical thinking on ancient philosophy and on its relation to wider issues (both historical and philosophical);
Language and argumentation skills required for reading ancient philosophy and discussing about it;
Basic capacity to read and analyse ancient philosophical sources (in translation).
The objective of the course is to provide knowledge of the basic issues of ancient philosophy (philosophical debates, historical and intellectual background). Students will read through one of Plato’s dialogues or one of Aristotle’s treatises and they will focus on the basic issues and debates connected to it.
Students will be able to apply the acquired knowledge to discuss and to develop arguments both in a theorical and in a historical perspective.
Upon completion of the course students are expected to acquire the following skills:
Critical thinking on ancient philosophy and on its relation to wider issues (both historical and philosophical);
Language and argumentation skills required for reading ancient philosophy and discussing about it;
Basic capacity to read and analyse ancient philosophical sources (in translation).
teacher profile teaching materials
Virtue, Agency and Happiness in Plato.
Part A will include weeks 1-6. The following issues will be covered: Socrates' intellectualism and Plato's criticism of it in the Republic, virtue and excellence, the soul's tripartition, justice and happiness.
B:
Virtue, Agency and Happiness in Aristotle.
Part B include weeks 7-12. The following issues will be covered: virtue and agency in Aristotle, virtue and contemplative life, happiness,
The syllabus of part A and the syllabus of part B must be studied in order to obtain 12 ECTS.
[1] B. Centrone, Prima lezione di filosofia antica, Laterza, Roma-Bari 2015.
R.Chiaradonna e P. Pecere, Vivere la Conoscenza, Mondadori Education, Milano, 2022, Volume 1A: Dalle origini ad Aristotele.
R. Chiaradonna, Platonismo, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2017.
[2] Platone, Repubblica, libro 1 e libro 4, trad. di M. Vegetti, Rizzoli, Milano 2007..
M. Vegetti, Quindici Lezioni su Platone, Einaudi, Torino, 2003.
M. Vegetti, L'etica degli antichi, Laterza, Roma-Bari, 2023 (VII ristampa).
[3] Students are required to prepare a paper (2500 words) on one of the following topics (for the bibliography, see [1]):
[i] The origins of Greek philosophy: myth and logos, the Milesian school, Heraclitus
[ii] Parmenides, his followers and his critics: Parmenides, Zeno, Melissus, Gorgias, Plato
[iii] The so-called 'pluralistic' cosmologies in the fifth century BC: Empedocles, Anaxagoras, Democritus
[iv] Being and causes in Plato and Aristotle
B
[1] B. Centrone, Prima lezione di filosofia antica, Laterza, Roma-Bari 2015.
R.Chiaradonna e P. Pecere, Vivere la Conoscenza, Mondadori Education, Milano, 2022, Volume 1A: Dalle origini ad Aristotele.
R. Chiaradonna, Platonismo, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2017.
[2] Aristotele, Etica Nicomachea, libro 1 e libro 10, a cura di C. Natali, testo greco a fronte, Laterza-Bari 1999.
M. Vegetti e F. Ademollo, Incontro con Aristotele, Einaudi, Torino 2016.
M. Vegetti, L'etica degli antichi, Laterza, Roma-Bari, 2023 (VII ristampa).
[3] Students are required to prepare a paper (2500 words) on one of the following topics (for the bibliography, see [1]):
[i] The origins of Greek philosophy: myth and logos, the Milesian school, Heraclitus
[ii] Parmenides, his followers and his critics: Parmenides, Zeno, Melissus, Gorgias, Plato
[iii] The so-called 'pluralistic' cosmologies in the fifth century BC: Empedocles, Anaxagoras, Democritus
[iv] Being and causes in Plato and Aristotle
Programme
A:Virtue, Agency and Happiness in Plato.
Part A will include weeks 1-6. The following issues will be covered: Socrates' intellectualism and Plato's criticism of it in the Republic, virtue and excellence, the soul's tripartition, justice and happiness.
B:
Virtue, Agency and Happiness in Aristotle.
Part B include weeks 7-12. The following issues will be covered: virtue and agency in Aristotle, virtue and contemplative life, happiness,
The syllabus of part A and the syllabus of part B must be studied in order to obtain 12 ECTS.
Core Documentation
A[1] B. Centrone, Prima lezione di filosofia antica, Laterza, Roma-Bari 2015.
R.Chiaradonna e P. Pecere, Vivere la Conoscenza, Mondadori Education, Milano, 2022, Volume 1A: Dalle origini ad Aristotele.
R. Chiaradonna, Platonismo, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2017.
[2] Platone, Repubblica, libro 1 e libro 4, trad. di M. Vegetti, Rizzoli, Milano 2007..
M. Vegetti, Quindici Lezioni su Platone, Einaudi, Torino, 2003.
M. Vegetti, L'etica degli antichi, Laterza, Roma-Bari, 2023 (VII ristampa).
[3] Students are required to prepare a paper (2500 words) on one of the following topics (for the bibliography, see [1]):
[i] The origins of Greek philosophy: myth and logos, the Milesian school, Heraclitus
[ii] Parmenides, his followers and his critics: Parmenides, Zeno, Melissus, Gorgias, Plato
[iii] The so-called 'pluralistic' cosmologies in the fifth century BC: Empedocles, Anaxagoras, Democritus
[iv] Being and causes in Plato and Aristotle
B
[1] B. Centrone, Prima lezione di filosofia antica, Laterza, Roma-Bari 2015.
R.Chiaradonna e P. Pecere, Vivere la Conoscenza, Mondadori Education, Milano, 2022, Volume 1A: Dalle origini ad Aristotele.
R. Chiaradonna, Platonismo, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2017.
[2] Aristotele, Etica Nicomachea, libro 1 e libro 10, a cura di C. Natali, testo greco a fronte, Laterza-Bari 1999.
M. Vegetti e F. Ademollo, Incontro con Aristotele, Einaudi, Torino 2016.
M. Vegetti, L'etica degli antichi, Laterza, Roma-Bari, 2023 (VII ristampa).
[3] Students are required to prepare a paper (2500 words) on one of the following topics (for the bibliography, see [1]):
[i] The origins of Greek philosophy: myth and logos, the Milesian school, Heraclitus
[ii] Parmenides, his followers and his critics: Parmenides, Zeno, Melissus, Gorgias, Plato
[iii] The so-called 'pluralistic' cosmologies in the fifth century BC: Empedocles, Anaxagoras, Democritus
[iv] Being and causes in Plato and Aristotle
Type of delivery of the course
Lectures, discussions and debates with students (in-person and online).Attendance
Attendance is not mandatory but strongly recommended.Type of evaluation
Oral interview. Students are required to prepare a paper (2500 words) to be discussed during the interview. Assessment: paper 40%; Interview 60%.