At the end of the course students are expected to acquire an in-depth knowledge of an ancient philosophical work. Their knowledge will cover the following issues: ancient philosophical theories and debates, historical and cultural background, international scholarly debate.
Furthermore students are expected to acquire the following skills:
In-depth critical reading and analysis of ancient philosophical sources and of the relevant scholarly literature;
In-depth critical thinking and historical methodology;
Critical analysis and argumentation in oral and written form.
Furthermore students are expected to acquire the following skills:
In-depth critical reading and analysis of ancient philosophical sources and of the relevant scholarly literature;
In-depth critical thinking and historical methodology;
Critical analysis and argumentation in oral and written form.
teacher profile teaching materials
This course will address Plato's main metaphysical doctrines through guided reading of significant excerpts from the Phaedo, the Republic, the Parmenides, the Sophist, the Timaeus and other dialogues. If time allows, we will also turn to Aristotle's critical report of Platonic metaphysics in the first book of Metaphysics and On Ideas. The goal is to provide a critical and coherent overview of Platonic thought concerning the nature of Forms and sensibles, the contrast between being and becoming, the relation of participation, causality, the structure of reality, and the first principle of all, the Idea of the Good. Through textual analysis and comparison of different dialogues, the course aims to highlight the complexity, developments, implications, and historical impact of Plato's metaphysical thought, offering tools to navigate some of the key aspects of his philosophy and the history of metaphysics.
Primary texts:
1. Plato, Complete Works, ed. by J. M. Cooper, ass. ed. D. S. Hutchinson, Hackett, Indianapolis 1997 [Phaedo (in full); Republic V, VI, VII and X.595a1-608c1; Parmenides until 136a3; Sophist 251a5-261c10; Timaeus 27d5-31b3, 37c6-38c3, 51b2-52d1
2. Selection of further primary texts provided by the course instructor.
Articles (listed in chronological order):
7. Harold F. Cherniss, ‘The Philosophical Economy of the Theory of Ideas’, American Journal of Philology 57 (1936): pp. 445–56 (repr. in H.F. Cherniss, Selected Papers, ed. by L. Tarán. Leiden, Brill 1977, pp. 121–32).
8. David Sedley, ‘Platonic Causes’, Phronesis 43 (1998): pp. 114–132.
9. Matthias Baltes, 'Is the Idea of the Good in Plato’s Republic Beyond Being?, in M. Joyal (ed.), Studies in Plato and the Platonic Tradition, London, Routledge 1998, pp.
1-23 (rist. in M. Baltes, Διανοήματα, Stuttgart-Leipzig, Teubner 1999, pp. 351-371)
10. Francesco Ademollo, ‘Plato’s Conception of the Forms: Some Remarks’, in R. Chiaradonna-G. Galluzzo (eds.), Universals in Ancient Philosophy, Pisa, Edizioni della Normale 2013, pp. 41-85.
11. Francesco Ademollo, ‘On Plato’s Conception of Change’, Oxford Studies in Ancient Philosophy 55 (2018): pp. 35–83.
12. Verity Harte, ‘Plato’s Metaphysics’ [2008], in G. Fine (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Plato, 2nd ed., New York, Oxford University Press 2018, pp. 466-80.
13. Allan Silverman, ‘Plato’s Middle Period Metaphysics and Epistemology’, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Edward N. Zalta & Uri Nodelman (eds.), URL =
Articles 7.-13. will be provided by the course instructor in .pdf format.
Additional bibliographic references for optional further study will be provided during the course (see ‘Svolgimento’).
Non-attending students (see ‘Frequenza’) are also required to study the following work:
• William David Ross, Plato's Theory of Ideas, Oxford, Clarendon Press 1951.
A basic knowledge of the History of Ancient Greek and Roman Philosophy, from its origins to Late Antiquity, will be assumed. To acquire or strengthen this knowledge, the following textbooks are recommended (choose one):
• David Sedley (ed.), The Cambridge Companion to Greek and Roman Philosophy, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press 2003.
A basic knowledge of Plato’s thought will also be assumed. To acquire or strengthen this knowledge, the following introductory monographs on Plato are recommended (choose one):
• Christopher Rowe, Plato, 2nd ed., Bloomsbury, London 2004
• Constance Meinwald, Plato, London-New York, Routledge 2016.
• Gail Fine (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Plato, 2nd ed., Oxford, Oxford University Press 2019.
• Peter Larsen-Vasilis Politis (eds.), The Platonic Mind, London-New York, Routledge 2025.
Programme
Plato's MetaphysicsThis course will address Plato's main metaphysical doctrines through guided reading of significant excerpts from the Phaedo, the Republic, the Parmenides, the Sophist, the Timaeus and other dialogues. If time allows, we will also turn to Aristotle's critical report of Platonic metaphysics in the first book of Metaphysics and On Ideas. The goal is to provide a critical and coherent overview of Platonic thought concerning the nature of Forms and sensibles, the contrast between being and becoming, the relation of participation, causality, the structure of reality, and the first principle of all, the Idea of the Good. Through textual analysis and comparison of different dialogues, the course aims to highlight the complexity, developments, implications, and historical impact of Plato's metaphysical thought, offering tools to navigate some of the key aspects of his philosophy and the history of metaphysics.
Core Documentation
FOR ERASMUS STUDENTSPrimary texts:
1. Plato, Complete Works, ed. by J. M. Cooper, ass. ed. D. S. Hutchinson, Hackett, Indianapolis 1997 [Phaedo (in full); Republic V, VI, VII and X.595a1-608c1; Parmenides until 136a3; Sophist 251a5-261c10; Timaeus 27d5-31b3, 37c6-38c3, 51b2-52d1
2. Selection of further primary texts provided by the course instructor.
Articles (listed in chronological order):
7. Harold F. Cherniss, ‘The Philosophical Economy of the Theory of Ideas’, American Journal of Philology 57 (1936): pp. 445–56 (repr. in H.F. Cherniss, Selected Papers, ed. by L. Tarán. Leiden, Brill 1977, pp. 121–32).
8. David Sedley, ‘Platonic Causes’, Phronesis 43 (1998): pp. 114–132.
9. Matthias Baltes, 'Is the Idea of the Good in Plato’s Republic Beyond Being?, in M. Joyal (ed.), Studies in Plato and the Platonic Tradition, London, Routledge 1998, pp.
1-23 (rist. in M. Baltes, Διανοήματα, Stuttgart-Leipzig, Teubner 1999, pp. 351-371)
10. Francesco Ademollo, ‘Plato’s Conception of the Forms: Some Remarks’, in R. Chiaradonna-G. Galluzzo (eds.), Universals in Ancient Philosophy, Pisa, Edizioni della Normale 2013, pp. 41-85.
11. Francesco Ademollo, ‘On Plato’s Conception of Change’, Oxford Studies in Ancient Philosophy 55 (2018): pp. 35–83.
12. Verity Harte, ‘Plato’s Metaphysics’ [2008], in G. Fine (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Plato, 2nd ed., New York, Oxford University Press 2018, pp. 466-80.
13. Allan Silverman, ‘Plato’s Middle Period Metaphysics and Epistemology’, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Edward N. Zalta & Uri Nodelman (eds.), URL =
Articles 7.-13. will be provided by the course instructor in .pdf format.
Additional bibliographic references for optional further study will be provided during the course (see ‘Svolgimento’).
Non-attending students (see ‘Frequenza’) are also required to study the following work:
• William David Ross, Plato's Theory of Ideas, Oxford, Clarendon Press 1951.
A basic knowledge of the History of Ancient Greek and Roman Philosophy, from its origins to Late Antiquity, will be assumed. To acquire or strengthen this knowledge, the following textbooks are recommended (choose one):
• David Sedley (ed.), The Cambridge Companion to Greek and Roman Philosophy, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press 2003.
A basic knowledge of Plato’s thought will also be assumed. To acquire or strengthen this knowledge, the following introductory monographs on Plato are recommended (choose one):
• Christopher Rowe, Plato, 2nd ed., Bloomsbury, London 2004
• Constance Meinwald, Plato, London-New York, Routledge 2016.
• Gail Fine (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Plato, 2nd ed., Oxford, Oxford University Press 2019.
• Peter Larsen-Vasilis Politis (eds.), The Platonic Mind, London-New York, Routledge 2025.
Attendance
Attendance is not mandatory but strongly recommended. Students will be considered as attending only if with a minimum attendance rate of 75% of the lectures. Active participation in class discussions will be taken into account in the evaluation (see 'Valutazione').Type of evaluation
The evaluation will be based on three factors: i) PARTICIPATION (20%) Assessing the student's active contribution to in-class discussions. ii) ORAL EXAMINATION (40%) In either Italian, English, or French, and assessing the student’s knowledge and understanding of the texts and issues analyzed thorughout the course. iii) FINAL PAPER (40%) Each student is required to write a term paper in either Italian or English (3,000 words). The paper will be discussed during the oral examination and should focus on a specific topic chosen from one of the following themes: a. Reasons for positing Forms b. Participation and causality c. Being, becoming and non-being d. The Idea of the Good e. Objections to the doctrine of Forms Guidelines for the final paper: 1) Requirement: The final paper is mandatory and can be written in either Italian or English. 2) Length: The paper must not exceed 3,000 words. Conciseness features prominently among the evaluation criteria. Papers exceeding 3,000 words will not be evaluated positively. 3) Preparation: By the end of the course, each student will have to agree on a specific topic with the course instructor and submit to him a brief outline of the paper along with a short bibliography. 4) Submission: The paper must be submitted to the course instructor via institutional email in .pdf format no later than 7 days before the oral examination chosen date. The file must be named with the student’s last name in capital letters (e.g., ROSSI.pdf). NB: Submissions from non-institutional email addresses will not be considered. 5) Formatting and editorial guidelines: - The final paper must closely follow the Norme per la redazione di un saggio breve, available at the following link: - https://www.academia.edu/9319345/Norme_di_redazione_per_un_saggio_breve - For citations and bibliographic references, students must stick to the Author-Year system (sections 6.2.2 and 6.3.2 of the Norme per la redazione di un saggio breve). - The linguistic and editorial care of the paper features prominently among the evaluation criteria. 6) Evaluation Criteria - Knowledge and understanding of the content - Language ccuracy and clarity of exposition - Conciseness and synthesis skills - Linguistic and editorial care