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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY
COURSE CODE: "PH 210-1"
COURSE NAME: "Ancient Philosophy"
SEMESTER & YEAR:
Fall 2019
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SYLLABUS
INSTRUCTOR:
Brunella Antomarini
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS:
TTH 11:30-12:45 PM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS:
45
CREDITS:
3
PREREQUISITES:
OFFICE HOURS:
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COURSE DESCRIPTION:
The philosophers of ancient Greece and Rome debated fundamental questions with an imagination, subtlety, and daring that have captured the attention of thoughtful people in every epoch. For example, they considered the nature and origin of the universe, what changes and does not change, as well as what causes change, how perception and reasoning produce knowledge, the relation between the soul and the body, the meaning of justice and beauty, and the nature of the good life. Through a careful reading of selected texts – in the form of dialogues, poems, aphorisms, or treatises – the course will introduce you to the great questions and controversies of ancient philosophy.
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SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:
The course is aimed at introducing students to the idea that philosophy is a mode of thinking that has a historical beginning and a geographical cradle. In fact early philosophical language - in Greek and Latin - started expressing doubts about common beliefs and searched for a sense of the world on logical-conceptual terms, rather than through myths and poems. During the course we analyze the transition from analogical-imaginative language to logical-conceptual language, through close analyses of ancient philosophers' texts (Plato's and Aristotle's) or extant fragments (Pre-Socratics; Sceptics, Stoics). This general survey will demonstrate: 1. how the basics of modern Western philosophical traditions find their origins in ancient times (students will read modern philosophers' short excerpts); 2. that philosophical language expresses neither evolutionary nor revolutionary ways of thinking, being able to pose the ultimate questions that challenge definitive answers about the human condition and the world; 3. that philosophy was born as the art of turning the seemingly absurd aspects of life into cosmological order through the exclusive means of conceptual thinking and argumentation.
Classes will examine the main Ancient Greek and Roman Western philosophical traditions, with a special focus on Plato and Aristotle. Students will read some of their most influential philosophers in the original texts. In addition to these, students will read fragments by Pre-Socratic and Hellenistic philosophers. Each class consists of introductory lectures, textual analyses and in-class discussions.
Short texts and quotations by contemporary philosophers (such as Arendt, Bergson, Nietzsche, Nussbaum, Popper, Chomsky, Heisenberg, Hadot, and others) will be used to show the continuity between ancient and modern thinking.
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LEARNING OUTCOMES:
By the end of the semester students will be able to master and use basic philosophical concepts, like Becoming, Being, Chance, Entelecheia, Ideas, Matter, Mind, Process, Telos, Sensations, Universal, Particular.
They will develop analytic skills to elaborate in writing and speaking on arguments revolving around the origins of our:
- LOGIC (Socrates; Plato; Aristotle; Stoics; Sceptics)
- SCIENCE (Tales; Democritus; Aristotle)
- ETHICS (Plato; Aristotle; Stoics; Epictetus; Epicurus)
- COSMOLOGY (Pre-Socratics; Plato; Aristotle; Stoics)
- POLITICAL THEORIES (Gorgias; Plato; Aristotle; Stoics)
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TEXTBOOK:
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REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
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GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
| Assignment | Guidelines | Weight |
| one research paper at home | | 30% |
| Mid-term exam (presentation) | | 30% |
| final exam (in-class paper | | 30% |
| attendance and participation | | 10% |
-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
AWork of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the cou
BThis is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.
CThis is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.
DThis level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.
FThis work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.
-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:
Students should plan to regularly attend the class, since we will often broaden the topics contained in the texts to contemporary issues, and since this class is mainly intended to the rousing of students’ personal thoughts and ideas.
Please refer to the university catalog for the attendance and absence policy.
Academic honesty:
As stated in the university catalogue, any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred. In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment, may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course.
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ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic
dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred.
In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment,
may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of
academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student
who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from
the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation
to the President, who will make the final decision.
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STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap.
Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning
of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.
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SCHEDULE
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Plato, excerpts from ebook The Collected Dialogues of Plato, Hamilton, ed. Princeton Un. Pr., 1961.
Aristotle, excerpts from ebook The Complete Works of Aristotle, Barnes, Ed. Princeton Un. Pr., 1984.
REFERENCE BOOKS ON RESERVE:
Curd, Patricia. A Presocratics Reader: Selected Fragments and Testimonia, 2011.
Nahm, Selections from Early Greek Philosophy
C.Shields, Classical philosophy
D. Roochnik, Retrieving the Ancients
J.L.Saunders, ed., Greek and Roman Philosophy after Aristotle
Diogenes Laertius, Lives of Philosophers
https://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/d/diogenes_laertius/lives_of_the_eminent_philosophers/complete.html, Robert Drew Hicks, ed.
FILM EXCERPTS
Oedipus Rex by Pier Paolo Pasolini
Martha Graham on Oedipus (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_63g5TICeY)
Socrate by R. Rossellini
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SY-mgZbuxBA
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WEEK 1
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Intro
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Read Nietzsche on Thales
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WEEK 2
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The re-discovery of the Pre-Socratics
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Ancient idealism: Parmenides; Zeno, Pythagoras (Fragments from DK)
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WEEK 3
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Naturalism: Thales; Heraclitus, Democritus (Fragments from DK)
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Gorgias and the Sophists (Encomium of Helen)
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WEEK 4
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Socrates: Plato Apology of Socrates (2-26), Republic VII (Cave) Phaedo (43-52)
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Plato Meno (argument of the servant)
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WEEK 5
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Plato's participation theory: Parmenides (921-30) and The Sophist (argument of wolf/dog)
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Plato’s physics: Timaeus (1161-1169)
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WEEK 6
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Review
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MID-TERM EXAMINATION
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WEEK 7
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Film: Oedipus Rex, Pasolini
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Aristotle, Metaphysics, from Book I, Parts 1, 2, 3, 6, 9.
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WEEK 8
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Aristotle’s logic (Power Point)
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Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics (table of virtues)
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WEEK 9
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Aristotle Poetics
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Aristotle's Physics
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WEEK 10
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Plato and Aristotle on politics
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Epicurus Letter to Menoeceus (online)
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WEEK 11
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Sceptics (Diogenes Laertius)
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Stoics: Epictetus (Enchiridion) (online)
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WEEK 12
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Stoics: Seneca (Moral Political essays, Cam.Un.Pr. pp.172-180 )
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Modern philosophers on Pre-Socratics philosophers
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WEEK 13
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Modern philosophers on Plato
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Modern philosophers on Aristotle
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WEEK 14
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Review
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FINAL EXAMINATION
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