Teaching code

4S007318

Teacher

Alessandro Stavru

Coordinator

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 14, 2022 al Dec 23, 2022.

Lessons timetable Moodle Seminars 0

Learning objectives

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.

Prerequisites and basic notions

A previous knowledge of ancient philosophy is required. The knowledge of ancient Greek and Latin is not compulsory. More important is a careful lexical research and an interest in a critical reading of philosophical texts.

Program

Course title and content: "Illusion and Imagination in Greek Thought
The course aims to examine the connection between fiction, illusion and imagination in Greek thought. Texts by authors belonging to the poetic and philosophical tradition will be read and commented on, placed in a chronological segment that runs from the Homeric poems to the literature of the Byzantine age. Particular attention will be paid to the notion of ekphrasis (figurative description), and the associated constellation of "vividness" (enargeia) and "imagination" (phantasia) - as it is predominantly configured in ancient rhetorical and philosophical texts as far back as Aristotle. The connotative element of ekphrasis is the interdependence between the visual and the graphic media their mutual integration in a figuration that is articulated through words and in a writing that is articulated through images.
The fundamental theoretical moments of this path will be examined in depth, in the light of themes of decisive importance for the history of ancient philosophy such as the topics of aisthesis (perception) and phantasia (imagination), their role in the theories of perception and knowledge, and how they give way to intellectual, visual and verbal representations.
There will be a shared reading, carried out in the form of a workshop, of some fundamental texts concerning the relationship between fiction, illusion and imagination in the ancient world: this moment of confrontation will imply active participation in the discussion of the positions sustained in the texts and, where possible, a critical examination of them.
TEXTS TO BE BROUGHT AT THE EXAM
A) S. Marino, A. Stavru (eds.), Ekphrasis, Rome, Aracne 2013.
B) G. Lombardo, La figura inevidente, Modena, Mucchi 2021.
Recorded lectures will be available on the University e-learning service and are an integral part of the examination programme. NB These recordings do not substitute the reading of the texts to be brought at the exam.
PROGRAMME FOR NON-ATTENDERS
Non-attending students will bring another text (to be decided with teacher).

Bibliography

Didactic methods

The teaching is carried out in frontal mode. The lessons are made available via streaming (Zoom links are available on the Moodle page of the course). Recordings are placed on the Moodle at the end of each lesson.

Learning assessment procedures

the student will be examined orally; he will be invited to read and comment some passages of the examined texts. The student may write a short essay (5-7 pages) on the monographic section (Aristotle and pleasure). She will send it to the teacher a week before the exam.
The normal duration of the exam session is 15-30 minutes. Exam modes are differentiated between attending and non-attending students (see program).

Evaluation criteria

Ability to organize and articulate the acquired knowledge; critical reasoning on the topics of the course; quality, depth and coherence of the exposition, competence in the use of terminology and expressions rerlated to ancient philosophy.

Criteria for the composition of the final grade

The evaluation is expressed in a grade out of thirty.

Exam language

Italiano