Seminar in Philosophical Anthropology - 2nd semester
Code
73203102
Academic unit
Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas
Department
Filosofia
Credits
10
Teacher in charge
João Pardana Constâncio
Weekly hours
2
Teaching language
Portuguese
Objectives
Acquire a high-level ability to:
a) Distinguish Philosophical Anthropology from scientific, biological, psychological, and theological views on man, and develop a Philosophy of Anthropology
b) Test and validate the results of the systematic analysis and develop a diachronic overview of disparate anthropological perspectives
c) Draw the scientific and philosophical consequences from prejudiced, pre-scientific and pre-philosophical, assumptions on man
d) Analyze the theoretical constructs that give a philosophical form to common ground assumptions on man (the modern “rational being”, the postmodern “animal”, the phenomenological “transcendence-related person”, etc.)
e) “Deconstruct” all philosophically unfounded “images of man”
f) Radicalize the “What is Man?”-question and clear up the confusion arising from traditional views on man and from their lack of intelligibility
g) Analyze the “human condition” in the framework of an always elusive transcendence.
Prerequisites
None.
Subject matter
Philosophical Reading(s) of Sophocles’ Antigone
The Antigone poses a challenge for Philosophical Anthropology. On the one hand, it touches on major issues that lie at the very heart of Philosophical Anthropology. On the other hand, Sophocles’ play is cryptic (both in its single components and as a whole) and poses an “enigma” of its own. It is hence no wonder that it has given rise not only to disparate interpretations but also to very different philosophical readings of it.
Our purpose is to deal with this set of problems. What does Philosophical Anthropology (viz. different approaches to Philosophical Anthropology) have to say about Sophocles’ Antigone – and what does the latter have to say to Philosophical Anthropology (viz. to different methodological and doctrinal approaches to it)? How do they “behave” when faced with one another?
This “experimental” seminar combines an in-depth analysis of the play and of the challenges it poses for Philosophical Anthropology.
Bibliography
Jebb, R. C. (Ed.) (1891). Sophocles The Plays and Fragments 3, The Antigone. Cambridge: Univ. Pr.
Campbell, L.(Ed.) (1879). Sophocles The Plays and Fragments I. Oxford: Clarendon Pr.
Bruhn, E. (Ed.) (1904). Sophokles IV, Antigone. Berlin: Weidmann
Müller, G. (1967). Sophokles, Antigone. Heidelberg: Winter,
Kamerbeek, J. C. (Ed.) (1978). The Plays of Sophocles 3, Antigone. Leiden: Brill
Brown, A. (Ed.) (1987). Sophocles Antigone. Warminster: Aris & Phillips
Griffith, M. (Ed.) (1999). Sophocles’ Antigone. Cambridge: C.U.P.
Susanetti, D. (Ed.) (2012). Sofocle Antigone. Roma: Carocci
Goheen, R. F (1951), The Imagery of Sophocles‘ Antigone. Princeton: Princeton Univ. Pr.
Rohdich, H. (1980). Antigone. Heidelberg: Winter
Utzinger, C. (2003). Periphrades Aner. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht
Oudemans, T. C. W. & Lardinois, A. P. M. (1987). Tragic ambiguity: anthropology, philosophy and Sophocles’ Antigone. Leiden: Brill
Steiner, G. (1984). Antigones. Oxford: Clarendon Pr.
Teaching method
This curricular unit has a theoretical-practical character.
Seminar-oriented classes.
Reading and interpretation of and commentary on Sophocles’ Antigone. Analysis and discussion both of interpretive (including syntactic and semantic) issues and related philosophical questions and concepts.
The teaching methodology combines: a) a thorough interpretation of Sophocles’ Antigone (of its different components, of their connection both with each other and with the rest of the corpus sophocleum) b) a theoretical analysis of philosophical problems, and c) a discussion of alternative views, objections, counter-examples, etc.
Evaluation method
Individual appraisal. Each student will have to present a research paper (of about 20 pages) on a topic individually agreed upon with the Lecturer and then discuss this paper with the latter. This counts for 3/4 of final marks. Class participation (participation in the discussion) counts for 1/4 of final marks.