The teaching of History of ancient philosophy is part of the formative activities characterizing cds in Philosophy. The aim of the course is to acquire a knowledge of the history of ancient philosophy in relation both to theoretical debates and to the contextualization of historical-cultural. In addition, the student will read a dialogue by Plato or a treatise by Aristotle, studying, in the fundamental lines, the issues and debates associated with them.
The student will be able to apply the acquired knowledge in discussion and argumentation both in a theoretical perspective and in a historical-philosophical perspective.
At the end of the course the student will have acquired:
- critical thinking in relation to the history of ancient thought and contextualization of both historical and philosophical type;
- the properties of language and argumentative ability in relation to the topics covered in the course;
- ability to read and critically analyse sources (in translation).
The student will be able to apply the acquired knowledge in discussion and argumentation both in a theoretical perspective and in a historical-philosophical perspective.
At the end of the course the student will have acquired:
- critical thinking in relation to the history of ancient thought and contextualization of both historical and philosophical type;
- the properties of language and argumentative ability in relation to the topics covered in the course;
- ability to read and critically analyse sources (in translation).
Curriculum
teacher profile teaching materials
The topics covered in the two parts of the course are consistently brought into dialogue with the philosophical background of earlier thinkers (the Eleatics, the Sophists), with the broader frameworks of Platonic and Aristotelian philosophy, and with the reception of these ideas in Hellenistic and Late Ancient schools. In this way, the course offers not only grounding in specific content, but also a diachronic perspective on the history of ancient thought.
The course runs over two half-semesters of six weeks each, for a total of twelve weeks. Teaching combines lectures, guided text reading, and a workshop component. The workshop takes place primarily through the Laboratory of Institutions of Ancient Philosophy (optional); additional practice sessions focused on the final paper are scheduled throughout the course and especially during the final week.
Course Overview
First half-semester (weeks 1–6). Five thematic units on Plato and the Meno: a) Plato and the Sophistic tradition; b) understanding and definition; c) recollection; d) the method of hypothesis; e) knowledge and explanation.
Second half-semester (weeks 7–12). Five thematic units on Aristotle and Metaphysics I, plus a concluding unit of practical exercises: a) sensation and memory; b) experience and craft knowledge; c) the features of rational knowledge; d) knowledge and explanation; e) the theoretical sciences.
The final week is entirely devoted to preparatory work for the final paper. Students will give short presentations (5–10 minutes) outlining the topic and structure of their paper and will receive feedback from the instructor and their peers. Textual analysis exercises on selected passages from the Meno and the Metaphysics will also be held, designed to consolidate the skills developed throughout the course.
Final paper project presentations (5–10 minutes per student)
Group discussion and feedback
Textual analysis exercises on selected passages
[1] B. Centrone, Prima lezione di filosofia antica, Laterza, Roma-Bari 2015.
R. Chiaradonna e P. Pecere, La vita della mente: Tempi e temi della filosofia, Vol. 1, Mondadori Education, Milano 2026 (up to Plotinus and Neoplatonism, excluding medieval philosophy from Augustine onwards).
R. Chiaradonna, Platonismo, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2017.
[2] Platone, Menone, a cura di M. Bonazzi, Einaudi, Torino, 2010.
M. Vegetti, Quindici Lezioni su Platone, Einaudi, Torino, 2003.
M. Piazza, "Platone e la comprensione matematica", in G. Lolli (ed.), L'arte di pensare. Matematica e filosofia, 2020, Utet, pp. 40-61.
M. Piazza, "Platone e la confutazione", in R. Chiaradonna (ed.), Il Platonismo e le scienze, Carocci, Roma, 2012, pp. 25-43.
[3] In relation to the texts listed under point [1], students are required to prepare a written essay (tesina) of 2,500 words to be discussed at the exam on one of the following topics:
[i] The origins of philosophy in Greece: myth and argumentation, the Milesian school, Heraclitus
[ii] Parmenides, his followers and his critics: Parmenides, Zeno, Melissus, Gorgias, Plato
[iii] Pluralist cosmologies in the fifth century BC: Empedocles, Anaxagoras, Democritus
[iv] The Sophistic movement: persuasion, rhetoric and relativism in Protagoras and Gorgias
[v] Being and causes in Plato and Aristotle.
Module B Texts
[1] B. Centrone, Prima lezione di filosofia antica, Laterza, Roma-Bari 2015.
R. Chiaradonna e P. Pecere, La vita della mente: Tempi e temi della filosofia, Vol. 1, Mondadori Education, Milano 2026 (up to Plotinus and Neoplatonism, excluding medieval philosophy from Augustine onwards).
R. Chiaradonna, Platonismo, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2017.
[2] Aristotele, Metafisica, libro 1 capitoli 1-3 (any annotated translation). NB: chapters 4-10 are not part of the syllabus.
M. Vegetti e F. Ademollo, Incontro con Aristotele, Einaudi, Torino 2016.
[3] In relation to the texts listed under point [1], students are required to prepare a written essay (tesina) of 2,500 words to be discussed at the exam on one of the following topics:
[i] The origins of philosophy in Greece: myth and argumentation, the Milesian school, Heraclitus
[ii] Parmenides, his followers and his critics: Parmenides, Zeno, Melissus, Gorgias, Plato
[iii] Pluralist cosmologies in the fifth century BC: Empedocles, Anaxagoras, Democritus
[iv] The Sophistic movement: persuasion, rhetoric and relativism in Protagoras and Gorgias
[v] Being and causes in Plato and Aristotle.
Instructions for preparing the essay
1: The essay relating to part [1] of the syllabus is compulsory.
2: Recommended length: 2,500 words (approximately 15,000 characters).
The ability to synthesise is among the elements assessed at the exam. Consequently, essays exceeding 2,500 words will not be evaluated favourably.
3: Submission: the essay must be sent to the lecturer from the institutional email address in .pdf format no later than 7 days before the exam session in which the student intends to sit the exam. The file must be named with the student's surname in capital letters (e.g. ROSSI.pdf). NB: submissions from email addresses other than institutional ones will not be taken into consideration.
4: Formatting and editorial guidelines: follow scrupulously 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 the bibliography and bibliographic references, follow the Author-Year system (sections 6.2.2 and 6.3.2 of the Norme per la redazione di un saggio breve).
Linguistic and editorial care in the essay is among the elements assessed at the exam.
5: Each student will write the essay on one of the following topics of their choice:
[i] The origins of philosophy in Greece: myth and argumentation, the Milesian school, Heraclitus
[ii] Parmenides, his followers and his critics: Parmenides, Zeno, Melissus, Gorgias, Plato
[iii] Pluralist cosmologies in the fifth century BC: Empedocles, Anaxagoras, Democritus
[iv] The Sophistic movement: persuasion, rhetoric and relativism in Protagoras and Gorgias
[v] Being and causes in Plato and Aristotele.
6: Bibliography. The bibliography comprises the texts from the three-year programme in History of Ancient Philosophy 2026/2027 listed under point [1]:
[1] B. Centrone, Prima lezione di filosofia antica, Laterza, Roma-Bari 2015.
R. Chiaradonna e P. Pecere, La vita della mente: Tempi e temi della filosofia, Vol. 1, Mondadori Education, Milano 2026 (up to Plotinus and Neoplatonism, excluding medieval philosophy from Augustine onwards).
R. Chiaradonna, Platonismo, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2017.
7: Assessment criteria:
Knowledge and understanding of content
Language proficiency and clarity of expression
Ability to synthesise
Editorial care
Mutuazione: 20710018 STORIA DELLA FILOSOFIA ANTICA in Filosofia L-5 R CHIARADONNA RICCARDO
Programme
This course introduces students to the core concepts of intelligence, knowledge, and understanding in ancient Greek philosophy, focusing primarily on Plato and Aristotle. By combining close reading of original philosophical texts with attention to their broader historical and cultural context, the course develops students' ability to read, interpret, and critically engage with the epistemological and metaphysical questions of antiquity.The topics covered in the two parts of the course are consistently brought into dialogue with the philosophical background of earlier thinkers (the Eleatics, the Sophists), with the broader frameworks of Platonic and Aristotelian philosophy, and with the reception of these ideas in Hellenistic and Late Ancient schools. In this way, the course offers not only grounding in specific content, but also a diachronic perspective on the history of ancient thought.
The course runs over two half-semesters of six weeks each, for a total of twelve weeks. Teaching combines lectures, guided text reading, and a workshop component. The workshop takes place primarily through the Laboratory of Institutions of Ancient Philosophy (optional); additional practice sessions focused on the final paper are scheduled throughout the course and especially during the final week.
Course Overview
First half-semester (weeks 1–6). Five thematic units on Plato and the Meno: a) Plato and the Sophistic tradition; b) understanding and definition; c) recollection; d) the method of hypothesis; e) knowledge and explanation.
Second half-semester (weeks 7–12). Five thematic units on Aristotle and Metaphysics I, plus a concluding unit of practical exercises: a) sensation and memory; b) experience and craft knowledge; c) the features of rational knowledge; d) knowledge and explanation; e) the theoretical sciences.
The final week is entirely devoted to preparatory work for the final paper. Students will give short presentations (5–10 minutes) outlining the topic and structure of their paper and will receive feedback from the instructor and their peers. Textual analysis exercises on selected passages from the Meno and the Metaphysics will also be held, designed to consolidate the skills developed throughout the course.
Final paper project presentations (5–10 minutes per student)
Group discussion and feedback
Textual analysis exercises on selected passages
Core Documentation
Module A Texts[1] B. Centrone, Prima lezione di filosofia antica, Laterza, Roma-Bari 2015.
R. Chiaradonna e P. Pecere, La vita della mente: Tempi e temi della filosofia, Vol. 1, Mondadori Education, Milano 2026 (up to Plotinus and Neoplatonism, excluding medieval philosophy from Augustine onwards).
R. Chiaradonna, Platonismo, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2017.
[2] Platone, Menone, a cura di M. Bonazzi, Einaudi, Torino, 2010.
M. Vegetti, Quindici Lezioni su Platone, Einaudi, Torino, 2003.
M. Piazza, "Platone e la comprensione matematica", in G. Lolli (ed.), L'arte di pensare. Matematica e filosofia, 2020, Utet, pp. 40-61.
M. Piazza, "Platone e la confutazione", in R. Chiaradonna (ed.), Il Platonismo e le scienze, Carocci, Roma, 2012, pp. 25-43.
[3] In relation to the texts listed under point [1], students are required to prepare a written essay (tesina) of 2,500 words to be discussed at the exam on one of the following topics:
[i] The origins of philosophy in Greece: myth and argumentation, the Milesian school, Heraclitus
[ii] Parmenides, his followers and his critics: Parmenides, Zeno, Melissus, Gorgias, Plato
[iii] Pluralist cosmologies in the fifth century BC: Empedocles, Anaxagoras, Democritus
[iv] The Sophistic movement: persuasion, rhetoric and relativism in Protagoras and Gorgias
[v] Being and causes in Plato and Aristotle.
Module B Texts
[1] B. Centrone, Prima lezione di filosofia antica, Laterza, Roma-Bari 2015.
R. Chiaradonna e P. Pecere, La vita della mente: Tempi e temi della filosofia, Vol. 1, Mondadori Education, Milano 2026 (up to Plotinus and Neoplatonism, excluding medieval philosophy from Augustine onwards).
R. Chiaradonna, Platonismo, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2017.
[2] Aristotele, Metafisica, libro 1 capitoli 1-3 (any annotated translation). NB: chapters 4-10 are not part of the syllabus.
M. Vegetti e F. Ademollo, Incontro con Aristotele, Einaudi, Torino 2016.
[3] In relation to the texts listed under point [1], students are required to prepare a written essay (tesina) of 2,500 words to be discussed at the exam on one of the following topics:
[i] The origins of philosophy in Greece: myth and argumentation, the Milesian school, Heraclitus
[ii] Parmenides, his followers and his critics: Parmenides, Zeno, Melissus, Gorgias, Plato
[iii] Pluralist cosmologies in the fifth century BC: Empedocles, Anaxagoras, Democritus
[iv] The Sophistic movement: persuasion, rhetoric and relativism in Protagoras and Gorgias
[v] Being and causes in Plato and Aristotle.
Instructions for preparing the essay
1: The essay relating to part [1] of the syllabus is compulsory.
2: Recommended length: 2,500 words (approximately 15,000 characters).
The ability to synthesise is among the elements assessed at the exam. Consequently, essays exceeding 2,500 words will not be evaluated favourably.
3: Submission: the essay must be sent to the lecturer from the institutional email address in .pdf format no later than 7 days before the exam session in which the student intends to sit the exam. The file must be named with the student's surname in capital letters (e.g. ROSSI.pdf). NB: submissions from email addresses other than institutional ones will not be taken into consideration.
4: Formatting and editorial guidelines: follow scrupulously 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 the bibliography and bibliographic references, follow the Author-Year system (sections 6.2.2 and 6.3.2 of the Norme per la redazione di un saggio breve).
Linguistic and editorial care in the essay is among the elements assessed at the exam.
5: Each student will write the essay on one of the following topics of their choice:
[i] The origins of philosophy in Greece: myth and argumentation, the Milesian school, Heraclitus
[ii] Parmenides, his followers and his critics: Parmenides, Zeno, Melissus, Gorgias, Plato
[iii] Pluralist cosmologies in the fifth century BC: Empedocles, Anaxagoras, Democritus
[iv] The Sophistic movement: persuasion, rhetoric and relativism in Protagoras and Gorgias
[v] Being and causes in Plato and Aristotele.
6: Bibliography. The bibliography comprises the texts from the three-year programme in History of Ancient Philosophy 2026/2027 listed under point [1]:
[1] B. Centrone, Prima lezione di filosofia antica, Laterza, Roma-Bari 2015.
R. Chiaradonna e P. Pecere, La vita della mente: Tempi e temi della filosofia, Vol. 1, Mondadori Education, Milano 2026 (up to Plotinus and Neoplatonism, excluding medieval philosophy from Augustine onwards).
R. Chiaradonna, Platonismo, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2017.
7: Assessment criteria:
Knowledge and understanding of content
Language proficiency and clarity of expression
Ability to synthesise
Editorial care
Attendance
Attendance is not mandatory but is strongly recommended.Type of evaluation
Assessment takes the form of an oral examination.Assessment takes the form of an oral examination. In relation to the texts listed under section [1], students are required to submit a written paper of 2,500 words to be discussed during the exam (see Course Texts and Bibliography). Grading: Final paper 40% (assessed on: knowledge and understanding of the topics discussed; clarity of argumentation and ability to synthesise; linguistic and editorial quality) — Oral examination 60% teacher profile teaching materials
The topics covered in the two parts of the course are consistently brought into dialogue with the philosophical background of earlier thinkers (the Eleatics, the Sophists), with the broader frameworks of Platonic and Aristotelian philosophy, and with the reception of these ideas in Hellenistic and Late Ancient schools. In this way, the course offers not only grounding in specific content, but also a diachronic perspective on the history of ancient thought.
The course runs over two half-semesters of six weeks each, for a total of twelve weeks. Teaching combines lectures, guided text reading, and a workshop component. The workshop takes place primarily through the Laboratory of Institutions of Ancient Philosophy (optional); additional practice sessions focused on the final paper are scheduled throughout the course and especially during the final week.
Course Overview
First half-semester (weeks 1–6). Five thematic units on Plato and the Meno: a) Plato and the Sophistic tradition; b) understanding and definition; c) recollection; d) the method of hypothesis; e) knowledge and explanation.
Second half-semester (weeks 7–12). Five thematic units on Aristotle and Metaphysics I, plus a concluding unit of practical exercises: a) sensation and memory; b) experience and craft knowledge; c) the features of rational knowledge; d) knowledge and explanation; e) the theoretical sciences.
The final week is entirely devoted to preparatory work for the final paper. Students will give short presentations (5–10 minutes) outlining the topic and structure of their paper and will receive feedback from the instructor and their peers. Textual analysis exercises on selected passages from the Meno and the Metaphysics will also be held, designed to consolidate the skills developed throughout the course.
Final paper project presentations (5–10 minutes per student)
Group discussion and feedback
Textual analysis exercises on selected passages
[1] B. Centrone, Prima lezione di filosofia antica, Laterza, Roma-Bari 2015.
R. Chiaradonna e P. Pecere, La vita della mente: Tempi e temi della filosofia, Vol. 1, Mondadori Education, Milano 2026 (up to Plotinus and Neoplatonism, excluding medieval philosophy from Augustine onwards).
R. Chiaradonna, Platonismo, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2017.
[2] Platone, Menone, a cura di M. Bonazzi, Einaudi, Torino, 2010.
M. Vegetti, Quindici Lezioni su Platone, Einaudi, Torino, 2003.
M. Piazza, "Platone e la comprensione matematica", in G. Lolli (ed.), L'arte di pensare. Matematica e filosofia, 2020, Utet, pp. 40-61.
M. Piazza, "Platone e la confutazione", in R. Chiaradonna (ed.), Il Platonismo e le scienze, Carocci, Roma, 2012, pp. 25-43.
[3] In relation to the texts listed under point [1], students are required to prepare a written essay (tesina) of 2,500 words to be discussed at the exam on one of the following topics:
[i] The origins of philosophy in Greece: myth and argumentation, the Milesian school, Heraclitus
[ii] Parmenides, his followers and his critics: Parmenides, Zeno, Melissus, Gorgias, Plato
[iii] Pluralist cosmologies in the fifth century BC: Empedocles, Anaxagoras, Democritus
[iv] The Sophistic movement: persuasion, rhetoric and relativism in Protagoras and Gorgias
[v] Being and causes in Plato and Aristotle.
Module B Texts
[1] B. Centrone, Prima lezione di filosofia antica, Laterza, Roma-Bari 2015.
R. Chiaradonna e P. Pecere, La vita della mente: Tempi e temi della filosofia, Vol. 1, Mondadori Education, Milano 2026 (up to Plotinus and Neoplatonism, excluding medieval philosophy from Augustine onwards).
R. Chiaradonna, Platonismo, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2017.
[2] Aristotele, Metafisica, libro 1 capitoli 1-3 (any annotated translation). NB: chapters 4-10 are not part of the syllabus.
M. Vegetti e F. Ademollo, Incontro con Aristotele, Einaudi, Torino 2016.
[3] In relation to the texts listed under point [1], students are required to prepare a written essay (tesina) of 2,500 words to be discussed at the exam on one of the following topics:
[i] The origins of philosophy in Greece: myth and argumentation, the Milesian school, Heraclitus
[ii] Parmenides, his followers and his critics: Parmenides, Zeno, Melissus, Gorgias, Plato
[iii] Pluralist cosmologies in the fifth century BC: Empedocles, Anaxagoras, Democritus
[iv] The Sophistic movement: persuasion, rhetoric and relativism in Protagoras and Gorgias
[v] Being and causes in Plato and Aristotle.
Instructions for preparing the essay
1: The essay relating to part [1] of the syllabus is compulsory.
2: Recommended length: 2,500 words (approximately 15,000 characters).
The ability to synthesise is among the elements assessed at the exam. Consequently, essays exceeding 2,500 words will not be evaluated favourably.
3: Submission: the essay must be sent to the lecturer from the institutional email address in .pdf format no later than 7 days before the exam session in which the student intends to sit the exam. The file must be named with the student's surname in capital letters (e.g. ROSSI.pdf). NB: submissions from email addresses other than institutional ones will not be taken into consideration.
4: Formatting and editorial guidelines: follow scrupulously 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 the bibliography and bibliographic references, follow the Author-Year system (sections 6.2.2 and 6.3.2 of the Norme per la redazione di un saggio breve).
Linguistic and editorial care in the essay is among the elements assessed at the exam.
5: Each student will write the essay on one of the following topics of their choice:
[i] The origins of philosophy in Greece: myth and argumentation, the Milesian school, Heraclitus
[ii] Parmenides, his followers and his critics: Parmenides, Zeno, Melissus, Gorgias, Plato
[iii] Pluralist cosmologies in the fifth century BC: Empedocles, Anaxagoras, Democritus
[iv] The Sophistic movement: persuasion, rhetoric and relativism in Protagoras and Gorgias
[v] Being and causes in Plato and Aristotele.
6: Bibliography. The bibliography comprises the texts from the three-year programme in History of Ancient Philosophy 2026/2027 listed under point [1]:
[1] B. Centrone, Prima lezione di filosofia antica, Laterza, Roma-Bari 2015.
R. Chiaradonna e P. Pecere, La vita della mente: Tempi e temi della filosofia, Vol. 1, Mondadori Education, Milano 2026 (up to Plotinus and Neoplatonism, excluding medieval philosophy from Augustine onwards).
R. Chiaradonna, Platonismo, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2017.
7: Assessment criteria:
Knowledge and understanding of content
Language proficiency and clarity of expression
Ability to synthesise
Editorial care
Mutuazione: 20710018 STORIA DELLA FILOSOFIA ANTICA in Filosofia L-5 R CHIARADONNA RICCARDO
Programme
This course introduces students to the core concepts of intelligence, knowledge, and understanding in ancient Greek philosophy, focusing primarily on Plato and Aristotle. By combining close reading of original philosophical texts with attention to their broader historical and cultural context, the course develops students' ability to read, interpret, and critically engage with the epistemological and metaphysical questions of antiquity.The topics covered in the two parts of the course are consistently brought into dialogue with the philosophical background of earlier thinkers (the Eleatics, the Sophists), with the broader frameworks of Platonic and Aristotelian philosophy, and with the reception of these ideas in Hellenistic and Late Ancient schools. In this way, the course offers not only grounding in specific content, but also a diachronic perspective on the history of ancient thought.
The course runs over two half-semesters of six weeks each, for a total of twelve weeks. Teaching combines lectures, guided text reading, and a workshop component. The workshop takes place primarily through the Laboratory of Institutions of Ancient Philosophy (optional); additional practice sessions focused on the final paper are scheduled throughout the course and especially during the final week.
Course Overview
First half-semester (weeks 1–6). Five thematic units on Plato and the Meno: a) Plato and the Sophistic tradition; b) understanding and definition; c) recollection; d) the method of hypothesis; e) knowledge and explanation.
Second half-semester (weeks 7–12). Five thematic units on Aristotle and Metaphysics I, plus a concluding unit of practical exercises: a) sensation and memory; b) experience and craft knowledge; c) the features of rational knowledge; d) knowledge and explanation; e) the theoretical sciences.
The final week is entirely devoted to preparatory work for the final paper. Students will give short presentations (5–10 minutes) outlining the topic and structure of their paper and will receive feedback from the instructor and their peers. Textual analysis exercises on selected passages from the Meno and the Metaphysics will also be held, designed to consolidate the skills developed throughout the course.
Final paper project presentations (5–10 minutes per student)
Group discussion and feedback
Textual analysis exercises on selected passages
Core Documentation
Module A Texts[1] B. Centrone, Prima lezione di filosofia antica, Laterza, Roma-Bari 2015.
R. Chiaradonna e P. Pecere, La vita della mente: Tempi e temi della filosofia, Vol. 1, Mondadori Education, Milano 2026 (up to Plotinus and Neoplatonism, excluding medieval philosophy from Augustine onwards).
R. Chiaradonna, Platonismo, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2017.
[2] Platone, Menone, a cura di M. Bonazzi, Einaudi, Torino, 2010.
M. Vegetti, Quindici Lezioni su Platone, Einaudi, Torino, 2003.
M. Piazza, "Platone e la comprensione matematica", in G. Lolli (ed.), L'arte di pensare. Matematica e filosofia, 2020, Utet, pp. 40-61.
M. Piazza, "Platone e la confutazione", in R. Chiaradonna (ed.), Il Platonismo e le scienze, Carocci, Roma, 2012, pp. 25-43.
[3] In relation to the texts listed under point [1], students are required to prepare a written essay (tesina) of 2,500 words to be discussed at the exam on one of the following topics:
[i] The origins of philosophy in Greece: myth and argumentation, the Milesian school, Heraclitus
[ii] Parmenides, his followers and his critics: Parmenides, Zeno, Melissus, Gorgias, Plato
[iii] Pluralist cosmologies in the fifth century BC: Empedocles, Anaxagoras, Democritus
[iv] The Sophistic movement: persuasion, rhetoric and relativism in Protagoras and Gorgias
[v] Being and causes in Plato and Aristotle.
Module B Texts
[1] B. Centrone, Prima lezione di filosofia antica, Laterza, Roma-Bari 2015.
R. Chiaradonna e P. Pecere, La vita della mente: Tempi e temi della filosofia, Vol. 1, Mondadori Education, Milano 2026 (up to Plotinus and Neoplatonism, excluding medieval philosophy from Augustine onwards).
R. Chiaradonna, Platonismo, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2017.
[2] Aristotele, Metafisica, libro 1 capitoli 1-3 (any annotated translation). NB: chapters 4-10 are not part of the syllabus.
M. Vegetti e F. Ademollo, Incontro con Aristotele, Einaudi, Torino 2016.
[3] In relation to the texts listed under point [1], students are required to prepare a written essay (tesina) of 2,500 words to be discussed at the exam on one of the following topics:
[i] The origins of philosophy in Greece: myth and argumentation, the Milesian school, Heraclitus
[ii] Parmenides, his followers and his critics: Parmenides, Zeno, Melissus, Gorgias, Plato
[iii] Pluralist cosmologies in the fifth century BC: Empedocles, Anaxagoras, Democritus
[iv] The Sophistic movement: persuasion, rhetoric and relativism in Protagoras and Gorgias
[v] Being and causes in Plato and Aristotle.
Instructions for preparing the essay
1: The essay relating to part [1] of the syllabus is compulsory.
2: Recommended length: 2,500 words (approximately 15,000 characters).
The ability to synthesise is among the elements assessed at the exam. Consequently, essays exceeding 2,500 words will not be evaluated favourably.
3: Submission: the essay must be sent to the lecturer from the institutional email address in .pdf format no later than 7 days before the exam session in which the student intends to sit the exam. The file must be named with the student's surname in capital letters (e.g. ROSSI.pdf). NB: submissions from email addresses other than institutional ones will not be taken into consideration.
4: Formatting and editorial guidelines: follow scrupulously 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 the bibliography and bibliographic references, follow the Author-Year system (sections 6.2.2 and 6.3.2 of the Norme per la redazione di un saggio breve).
Linguistic and editorial care in the essay is among the elements assessed at the exam.
5: Each student will write the essay on one of the following topics of their choice:
[i] The origins of philosophy in Greece: myth and argumentation, the Milesian school, Heraclitus
[ii] Parmenides, his followers and his critics: Parmenides, Zeno, Melissus, Gorgias, Plato
[iii] Pluralist cosmologies in the fifth century BC: Empedocles, Anaxagoras, Democritus
[iv] The Sophistic movement: persuasion, rhetoric and relativism in Protagoras and Gorgias
[v] Being and causes in Plato and Aristotele.
6: Bibliography. The bibliography comprises the texts from the three-year programme in History of Ancient Philosophy 2026/2027 listed under point [1]:
[1] B. Centrone, Prima lezione di filosofia antica, Laterza, Roma-Bari 2015.
R. Chiaradonna e P. Pecere, La vita della mente: Tempi e temi della filosofia, Vol. 1, Mondadori Education, Milano 2026 (up to Plotinus and Neoplatonism, excluding medieval philosophy from Augustine onwards).
R. Chiaradonna, Platonismo, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2017.
7: Assessment criteria:
Knowledge and understanding of content
Language proficiency and clarity of expression
Ability to synthesise
Editorial care
Attendance
Attendance is not mandatory but is strongly recommended.Type of evaluation
Assessment takes the form of an oral examination.Assessment takes the form of an oral examination. In relation to the texts listed under section [1], students are required to submit a written paper of 2,500 words to be discussed during the exam (see Course Texts and Bibliography). Grading: Final paper 40% (assessed on: knowledge and understanding of the topics discussed; clarity of argumentation and ability to synthesise; linguistic and editorial quality) — Oral examination 60%