Teaching code

4S007318

Teacher

Alessandro Stavru

Coordinatore

Alessandro Stavru

Credits

6

Also offered in courses:

• History of Ancient Philosophy (p) of the course Bachelor’s degree in Humanities

Language

Italian

Scientific Disciplinary Sector (SSD)

M-FIL/07 - HISTORY OF ANCIENT PHILOSOPHY

Period

Sem. 1B dal Nov 15, 2021 al Jan 12, 2022.

Lessons timetable Moodle Seminars

Learning outcomes

History of Ancient Philosophy
KNOWLEDGE
The course aims at offering in-depth knowledge of the basic subjects, authors and schools of ancient philosophy (6th Century bC-529 aD), thus allowing students to deepen their knowledge of the history of a fundamental phase of Western philosophy and its most important concepts.
SKILLS
At the end of the course, students will be able: to consider ancient philosophical texts within their proper historical-critical perspective; to approach them from viable hermeneutical points of view; and to judge critically and by themselves the subjects and the authors treated in classes. This will also enable them to compare some topics of ancient philosophy with contemporary subjects and authors. Students will also develop the capacity to communicate philosophical contents to specialists and non-specialists alike, and the capacity to continue their studies at a MA level.

Program

Course title and content: 'Poetry, Myth and Philosophy from Homer to Plato'.

The course tackles the connection between poetry, myth and philosophy in ancient Greek thought. Texts by authors belonging to the poetic and philosophical traditions from Homer to Plato will be read and discussed. Particular attention will be devoted to the "ancient quarrel" between poetry and philosophy: the role and status of the poet, the sophist and the philosopher; the notion of "divine possession" (enthousiasmos) and the role of myth for knowledge and education; the problem of artistic production in its double meaning of "pruduction" (poiesis) and "expression" (mimesis); the problem of illusion and appearance in fine arts, sophistry and philosophy; the role that the quarrel between poetry and philosophy plays for the human psyche and its pedagogical consequences.
We will examine the seminal moments of this development, delving into topics largely debated in ancient philosophy such as the dialectic between opinion and truth, the coincidence between virtue and beauty, the link between psyche and knowledge.
The course will provide a shared reading of texts dealing with the relationship between appearance and truth in ancient philosophy: students will be involved in discussing these texts and, where possible, developing a critical approach to them.

TEXTS TO BE READ FOR THE ORAL EXAM:
A) G. Lanata, Poetica pre-platonica, Edizioni di Storia e Letteratura, Roma 2020.
B) L. Napolitano, Filosofi sempre. Immagini dalla filosofia antica, Quiedit, Verona 2021.

NON-ATTENDING STUDENTS:
Non-attending students will bring the same texts as attending students.

Examination Methods

Teaching method: The course will be held in accordance with the provisions on COVID-19 issued by the University of Verona. The course includes lessons and seminars in which texts will be read and discussed. Attendance is therefore useful, but not mandatory. Given the unpredictability of the health emergency, lessons will be recorded via panopto/e-learning/zoom and uploaded on the Moodle platform. In case of specific provisions issued by the University of Verona, these lessons may eventually replace the teaching in presence.

Office hour: Throughout the academic year, the instructor is available either in his room, or via e-mail, or via Zoom/Skype.

Evaluation method: The student will be interviewed orally or via Zoom (depending on the developments of the health emergency). Students can choose a topic from which they can start their exam (such choice must be communicated to the teacher by e-mail at least one week before the date of the exam).