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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "PH 210-1"
COURSE NAME: "Ancient Philosophy"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Fall 2024
SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Brunella Antomarini
EMAIL: [email protected]
 HOURS: MW 3:00 PM 4:15 PM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES:
OFFICE HOURS:
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.
SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:

Classes will regard a general historical reconstruction of Ancient Greek and Roman Western philosophical traditions, with a special focus on Plato and Aristotle. Some of the most influential philosophers will be read in the English translation of their original texts. One or more films are envisaged, depending on time schedule. Lectures and presentations imply a strong motivation and an active participation in class.

 

It will be shown that early philosophical language simultaneously gave voice both to human doubts about the world and to the human need to make sense of it. This general survey will serve to demonstrate 1, how the basics of modern Western philosophical traditions find their origins in ancient times (modern philosophers' short excerpts will be read); 2. that philosophical language expresses neither an evolutionary nor a revolutionary sense of accomplishment, nor does it imply definitive answers about the human conditions, 3. that philosophy was born as the art of turning the seemingly absurd aspects of life into cosmological harmony.

 

Key-concepts:

BECOMING, BEING, CHANCE, ENTELECHIA,

IDEAS, KNOWLEDGE, MATTER, MIND, PROCESS,

PURPOSE (TELOS), SENSATIONS, SOUL, UNIVERSAL, PARTICULAR.

 

AUTHORS (online texts):

Pre-Socratics (a short history of their re-evaluation)

Gorgias and the Sophists

Socrates

Plato

Aristotle

Epicurus

Cynics, Sceptics, Stoics

Epictetus

Lucretius

 

Short texts and quotations by contemporary philosophers (Arendt, Bergson, Friedlaender, Nietzsche, Nussbaum, Popper, Chomsky, Heisenberg, and others) will be used to show the continuity between ancient and modern thinking.

 

 

REFERENCE BOOKS ON RESERVE:

M. Thomas A. Blackson, Ancient Greek Philosophy: from the Presocratics to the Hellenistic Philosophers, 2011 (electronic format)

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

 

FILMS

Oedipus Rex by Pier Paolo Pasolini

Martha Graham on Oedipus (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_63g5TICeY)

 

 

SCHEDULE

 

WEEK 1

Intro

Read Nietzsche on Thales

WEEK 2

The re-discovery of the Pre-Socratics

https://jculibrary.on.worldcat.org/oclc/794493183

 

Naturalism: Thales and the Miletus school

MAKE-UP Heraclitus, Democritus (Fragments from DK)

WEEK 3

Ancient idealism: Parmenides; Zeno, Pythagoras (Fragments from DK)

Gorgias and the Sophists (Encomium of Helen)

http://www2.csudh.edu/ccauthen/576f12/gorgias-helen.pdf

 

WEEK 4

Socrates: Plato Apology of Socrates (2-26), Republic VII (Cave) Phaedo (43-52)

https://jculibrary.on.worldcat.org/oclc/11270391

Plato Meno (argument of the servant)

WEEK 5 ASSIGN PAPER

Meno and The Sophist (230a-235a)

Plato’s physics: Timaeus (1161-1169)

WEEK 6

Aristotle, Metaphysics, from Book I, Parts 1, 3, 6, 9..

https://jculibrary.on.worldcat.org/oclc/855726357

Prior Analytics, Book I (pp.39-40), Book II (pp. 109-110)

https://jculibrary.on.worldcat.org/oclc/855726357

 

WEEK 7

MID-TERM EXAMINATION

WEEK 8

Aristotle’s logic (Power Point)

Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics (table of virtues)

WEEK 9

Aristotle Poetics

Aristotle's Physics

WEEK 10

Plato and Aristotle on politics

Hellenistic philosophers

https://jculibrary.on.worldcat.org/oclc/13004576

Epicurus; Read Epicurus: §§: 4; 5; 11; 13; 14; 15;17; 24.

WEEK 11

Sceptics Hellenistic Philosophers, pp. 14-24

Stoics: §§. 45; 46; 47; 53; pp. 272-313. § 72, p. 473.

Epictetus (Enchiridion)

http://classics.mit.edu/Epictetus/epicench.html

 

WEEK 12

Stoics: Seneca (Moral Political essays, Cam.Un.Pr. pp.172-180 )

Modern philosophers on Pre-Socratics philosophers

WEEK 13

Modern philosophers on Plato

Modern philosophers on Aristotle

WEEK 14

Modern (Heisenberg)

Review

 

FINAL EXAMINATION

 

 
LEARNING OUTCOMES:

By the end of the semester students will be able to master and use basic philosophical concepts.  They will also be capable of understating the roots and the origin of our Western traditions in such fields as ontology, epistemology, politics, logic, ethics, and of critically constructing their own perspective on these issues.
TEXTBOOK:
NONE
REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
NONE

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
NONE
GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
AssignmentGuidelinesWeight
A mid-term exam Oral presentation30%
attendance and participation in class 15%
Final exam (a presentation in class)Oral presentation40%
2 papers at home (two pages each) 15%
 This course is based on in-class discussions and the student’s presence is essential to the final grade. You are not allowed to use your electronic devices, to eat in class and to go out of the classroom in the middle of a discussion. Any of these actions will cause a decrease of the participation grade. You cannot make-up a major exam (midterm or final) without the permission of the Dean’s Office. The Dean’s Office will grant such permission only when the absence was caused by a serious impediment, such as a documented illness, hospitalization or death in the immediate family (in which you must attend the funeral) or other situations of similar gravity. Absences due to other meaningful conflicts, such as job interviews, family celebrations, travel difficulties, student misunderstandings or personal convenience, will not be excused. Students who will be absent from a major exam must notify the Dean’s Office prior to that exam. Absences from class due to the observance of a religious holiday will normally be excused. Individual students who will have to miss class to observe a religious holiday should notify the instructor by the end of the Add/Drop period to make prior arrangements for making up any work that will be missed. Each absence, excused or unexcused, will negatively affect your participation grade. Regardless of whether absences are excused, missing class discussions will hinder your understanding of the material and your ability to meet course objectives.  

-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 course.
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.

 
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.
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.
SCHEDULE

WEEK 1

Intro

Read Nietzsche on Thales

WEEK 2

The re-discovery of the Pre-Socratics

Ancient idealism: Parmenides; Zeno, Pythagoras (Fragments from DK)

WEEK 3

Naturalism: Thales; Heraclitus, Democritus (Fragments from DK)

Gorgias and the Sophists (Encomium of Helen)

WEEK 4

Socrates: Plato Apology of Socrates (2-26), Republic VII (Cave) Phaedo (43-52)

Plato Meno (argument of the servant)

WEEK 5

Plato's participation theory: Parmenides (921-30) and The Sophist (argument of wolf/dog)

Plato’s physics: Timaeus (1161-1169)

WEEK 6

Review

MID-TERM EXAMINATION

WEEK 7

Film: Oedipus Rex, Pasolini

Aristotle, Metaphysics, from Book I, Parts 1, 2, 3, 6, 9.

WEEK 8

Aristotle’s logic (Power Point)

Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics (table of virtues)

WEEK 9

Aristotle Poetics

Aristotle's Physics

WEEK 10 DEADLINE OF PAPER

Plato and Aristotle on politics

Epicurus Letter to Menoeceus (online)

WEEK 11

Sceptics (Diogenes Laertius)

Stoics: Epictetus (Enchiridion) (online)

WEEK 12

Stoics: Seneca (Moral Political essays, Cam.Un.Pr. pp.172-180 )

Modern philosophers on Pre-Socratics philosophers

WEEK 13

Modern philosophers on Plato

Modern philosophers on Aristotle

WEEK 14

Review

 

FINAL EXAMINATION