Learning outcomes

We aim at teaching the use of the proper philosophical terminology (nearly all deriving from the ancient Greek) and the critical reading of original philosophical texts, in order to acquire basic philosophical matters and concepts. Also, through seminars and debates, we aim at making postgraduates to acquire a skill to cross-examination.
A general knowledge of the history of ancient philosophy (from 6th Century b.C. to 529 a.D.) is presupposed. Surely s competence in ancient Greek and Latin languages makes it easier the work within this scientific field, however it is not compulsory. An attention to lexical research and an interest in a critical reading of philosophical texts and to arguments are very useful.

Program

Beginning: Monday November 8th
Timetable: Monday 15.40-17.20; Tuesday, Wednesday 17.20-19.00, Aula 1.4, Palazzo di Lettere
Office Hour: Tuesday 15-17

Title: Practice of self-care, dialogue and love of knowledge

Various currents of thought and individual thinkers recently refer to Plato’s epimèleia heautoû: the so-called philosophical practices, important philosophers in the XXth Century (Patoĉka, Hadot, Foucault) and the authors reflecting upon contemporary technological medicine (Jaspers, Gadamer). However the notion itself of “cure” needs today to be clarified, first recalling the different meanings already recognized by Heidegger to his Sorge. Moreover, we must distinguish the current purely therapeutic notion of “cure”and a wider, promotive notion of “care”, whose model is to be found in ancient Greek medicine and in Plato’s epimèleia.
Just in Phaedr. 270b Gadamer finds a basic analogy between medicine, granting health and strength to the body through pharmaka and good foods, and philosophical rhetoric, giving to the soul persuasion and virtue through good discourses and right actions. Both medicine and philosophy aim then at caring their objects, body and soul, making them to
flourish and to become as best as they by nature can be. However Plato’s relation between body and soul is not the sharp opposition imagined by the tradition: his heautòn is properly or primarily – not solely - psychè (Alc. I 128a-130d) and this psyche is a dýnamis, whose basic purpose is assuring life. Going by these Plato’s notions, we can deepen the three most important features of his epimèleia heautoû. We can take care of ourselves: i) within dialogical relations; ii) when we know ourselves and live as structurally non wise beings; iii) most of all, when we know ourselves and live as erotic beings. All of us is an Eros’ son, structurally poor and lacking, but also lifelong researching and creating by himself (giving birth to) the kalokagathòn he naturally loves. This is, according to Plato, the proper origin of the epimèleia all of us can act and needs to offer to himself, insofar as, in this life, he is by nature a psycho-somatic compound.
And, as Socrates facing with death says (Phaed. 115b-c), only such an epimèleia can allow all us to gain the desired happiness.

Bibliography:
A) PLATONE, Alcibiade I. Alcibiade II, introd. di G. Arrighetti, tr. it. di D. Puliga, Milano BUR 20124 (only the former dialogue will be studied)
B) Lecture Notes available at photocopy shops “La rapida” e “Ateneo”
C) one book chosen between :
-L.M. NAPOLITANO VALDITARA, Il sé, l’altro, l’intero. Rileggendo i Dialoghi di Platone, Milano-Udine Mimesis 2010
-EAD, Pietra filosofale della salute.. Filosofia a antica e formazione in medicina, a c. di F. Fermeglia, Verona QuiEdit 2011
-EAD. ,“Prospettive” del gioire e del soffrire nell’etica di Platone, Milano-Udine 2013
-EAD., Virtù, piacere, felicità nell’etica dei Greci, Verona aemme edizioni 2014
D) one book chosen between:
-M. FOUCAULT, La cura di sé. Storia della sessualità 3, tr. it. Milano Feltrinelli 1991 e ss.
-H.G. GADAMER, Dove si nasconde la salute, tr. it. Milano Cortina 2014
-C. BRENTARI – R. MÀDERA – S. NATOLI – L. VERO TARCA (a c. di), Pratiche filosofiche e cura di sé, Milano Mondadori 2006
- G. GIACOMETTI (a c. di), Sofia e psiche. Consulenza filosofica e psicoterapie a confronto, Napoli Liguori 2010
Lessons will be available by e-learning.

Examination Methods

Some oral questions will be put to the student; he will be invited to read and comment some passages of the original texts already read together during classes.