Ancient Philosophy - 1st semester
Code
711031059
Academic unit
Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas
Department
Filosofia
Credits
6
Teacher in charge
António de Castro Caeiro
Weekly hours
4
Teaching language
Portuguese
Objectives
a) to acquire a basic knowledge of the most important figures in ancient philosophical thought and of some of their texts.
b) to acquire a basic understanding of the specificity of ancient philosophy as a foundational moment in and the beginning of the philosophical tradition.
c) to acquire the ability to identify the most significant philosophical problems in ancient thought.
d) to acquire a basic knowledge of the main lines of development of ancient philosophy.
e) to acquire a basic ability to place concepts, methodological strategies and doctrinal positions in the historical context to which they belong.
f) to acquire a basic understanding of ancient philosophical terminology and its role in the genesis of philosophical terminology.
g) to acquire a basic ability to read and interpret some key texts of ancient philosophy.
h) to recognize the importance of the study of ancient philosophy for the understanding of current philosophical issues.
Prerequisites
Not applicable
Subject matter
The concept of philosophy in Plato
Phaedo, Phaedrus, Alcibiades, Republic, Banquet
1) Insolation of terms such as philosophein, philosophers, philosophers in the Platonic corpus.
2) Insolation terms as eros, erastes, eromenos.
3) Understanding the fundamental motivation of the platonic philosophy as a radical experience of oneself.
4) Causality and motivation.
5) The archetypal situation leading to philosophizing: afections, transitivity, sense and meaning.
Bibliography
Plato., & Lamb, W. (1983). Lysis ; Symposium ; Gorgias. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press.
Plato., & Shorey, P. (1969). The Republic. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press.
Plato., & Fowler, H. (1990). Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, Phaedo, Phaedrus. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press.
Teaching method
The expository method best suits the aim of presenting the fundamental concepts and nuclear theoretical frameworks as long as critical analysis is strongly promoted and the keys for the systematization and interpretation of the texts are provided. It results in a more detailed study and a critical discussion and interpretation of the significant texts in the ancient philosophical tradition, while providing the keys for a theoretical analysis of philosophical problems and leading to a debate about alternative views and objections.
In class teaching
Evaluation method
Exam: 100