History of Ancient Philosophy

A.Y. 2023/2024
9
Max ECTS
60
Overall hours
SSD
M-FIL/07
Language
Italian
Learning objectives
The course aims to offer a brief knowledge of the history of ancient philosophy. The course also provide the ability to analyze and interpret the most up-to-date texts of the main reference authors and introduce the awareness of the perspective and historical distance, as well as of the problems related to it (with particular reference to the use of historiographical knowledge for the purposes of contemporary philosophical research). Finally, the course aims to provide the minor and conceptual tools suitable for historical-philosophical communication, with particular reference to ancient thought, both scientific and popular.
Expected learning outcomes
Knowledge and understanding:

- In-depth knowledge of the history of ancient philosophy through comparison between classic texts written by fundamental authors
- understanding of the theoretical and historical significance of the texts
- understanding of some central nodes of ancient thought
- full awareness of the transformation over time of concepts and argumentative forms in relation to language and reality.
Skills:
- Ability to critically apply the knowledge learned in reading and commenting on complex and ancient philosophical, framing them historically.
- Ability to apply the acquired knowledge on ancient thought, specifically on the relationship between language and reality.
Single course

This course cannot be attended as a single course. Please check our list of single courses to find the ones available for enrolment.

Course syllabus and organization

[A-K]

Responsible
Lesson period
First semester
Course syllabus
The teaching aims to introduce students to the study of fundamental concepts and the reading of some significant texts, differing in age and style, of ancient philosophy. Together with the basic knowledge, to be acquired also through the autonomous study of a textbook and the support of audio lectures designed for the teaching, three important topics will be explored in depth: i) the philosophy of nature from the pre-Socratics to Aristotle; ii) the moral philosophy of Plato and Aristotle; iii) Platonic psychology, particularly - but not exclusively - in the Republic. The teaching is based on the reading and interpretation of the texts on the syllabus, not on the manualised explanation of the history of the discipline. In this way, students will be able to problematise topics such as the origin of ancient philosophy, the emergence of the figure of the expert and his communication strategies, the study of nature and human behaviour, the relationship between ethics and politics, and the tripartite conception of the human soul according to Plato, which connects with the previous topics and anticipates some later reflections on the relationship between rationality and irrationality.
Prerequisites for admission
No specific prerequisites other than those required for access to the course of study.
Teaching methods
The main teaching method will be frontal lectures. During the lectures, constant reference will be made to the methodological aspects of the study of ancient philosophy and the texts on the syllabus will be read and commented on analytically, either in full or in large sections. The student community will be actively involved through the use of polls provided via the Slido platform, also aimed at promoting debate (which will not be evaluated, as it cannot involve all those present). Additions and optional readings, not subject to assessment, will be proposed on the Moodle platform for those who wish to further explore the teaching topics.
Teaching Resources
Teaching is exclusively provided by 9 CFU. The programme includes:
1) F. Trabattoni, La filosofia antica. Profilo critico-storico, Carocci [to be studied in full independently]*;
2) Lectures on the History of Ancient Philosophy, edited by A. Falcon, F. Forcignanò, S. Pavan and C. Zatta, made available via Moodle platform [to be studied in full independently]*;
3) Sylloge of pre-Socratic texts, edited by A. Falcon and F. Forcignanò, made available through Moodle platform [to be read and commented in full in class]**;
4) Plato, Apology of Socrates, edited by M.M. Sassi, BUR [reading and commentary in class of a selection of passages from the Apology of Socrates, to be studied in full]**;
5) Plato, The Republic, edited by M. Vegetti, BUR [full reading in class of Book I and partial reading of Books IV and V]**;
6) Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, edited by C. Natali, Laterza [full reading in lecture of Book I and partial reading of Books II and X]**;
7) Aristotle, Physics II, edited by A. Falcon, made available through the Moodle platform [full reading and commentary in class]**.

* The text indicated, which is a university textbook and not a high school textbook, CANNOT be substituted with other textbooks, as the questions in the first test are calibrated on it.
** The indicated translations will be used in class and in the examination. Please note that the use of different translations, which is obviously a personal choice, may lead to some difficulties in commenting on the texts.

The programme should be considered identical for non-attending students.

Optional in-depth readings, in Italian and English, will be indicated on the course's Moodle page.

Students with DSA are invited to follow the instructions on the https://www.unimi.it/it/studiare/servizi-gli-studenti/servizi-studenti-con-dsa page, in particular the item "Support for teaching and contact with teachers - compensatory measures". By the way, please note that the request for compensatory measures must always have in Cc [email protected] and must respect the indicated timeframe. Requests not included in the customised document will not be accepted.
Assessment methods and Criteria
L'esame sarà interamente scritto e svolto al computer, in aula informatica, tramite la piattaforma Moodle. Esso sarà diviso in tre parti e durerà 90 minuti:

1) una prova costituita da 20 domande a risposta multipla, finalizzata a verificare la conoscenza di base della storia della disciplina e dei problemi storiografici a essa connessi. Ogni risposta corretta permette l'acquisizione di 0.5 punti, per un massimo di 10 punti. Il test si considera superato da 7 punti (14/20). Il mancato raggiungimento della sufficienza comporta l'interruzione dell'esame, con esito "respinto";

2) una prova costituita da 5 concetti o termini da definire in modo preciso, con un massimo di 80 parole, finalizzata a verificare la comprensione del lessico fondamentale e la consapevolezza dei mutamenti di significato che i concetti hanno assunto nello sviluppo storico del pensiero antico. Ogni risposta verrà valutata da 0 a 2 punti, secondo il seguente schema: 0 punti = risposta assente o completamente errata; 1 punto = risposta parzialmente corretta e/o espressa in modo solo parzialmente appropriato; 2 punti = risposta pienamente corretta ed espressa in modo pienamente appropriato;

3) una prova costituita da 2 domande aperte sugli argomenti e i testi affrontati dall'insegnamento, cui sarà richiesto di rispondere con un massimo di 200 parole, finalizzata a verificare la capacità di argomentare i temi più rilevanti dell'insegnamento e di commentare i testi affrontati a lezione. Ogni risposta verrà valutata da 0 a 6 punti, secondo il seguente schema: 0 punti = risposta assente o completamente errata; 1 punto = risposta insufficiente e/o espressa in modo largamente inadeguato; 2 punti = risposta appena sufficiente e argomentata in modo poco rigoroso; 3 punti = risposta sufficiente e argomentata in modo appena adeguato; 4 punti = risposta buona e correttamente argomentata; 5 punti = risposta ottima e rigorosa sotto il profilo lessicale e argomentativo; 6 = risposta eccellente, che dimostra piena consapevolezza del tema o testo discusso ed eccellente capacità di orientarsi in modo critico nella storia della filosofia antica.
Si noti che due risposte eccellenti nella terza prova permettono di compensare quattro risposte errate nella prima prova. Il voto finale, espresso in trentesimi, è la somma dei voti delle tre prove; se il totale eccede il 30, verrà attribuita la lode.

In ogni appello, terminata la correzione dei compiti, si svolgerà un incontro orale formativo di chiarimento e spiegazione dei voti attribuiti. La presenza all'incontro formativo sarà facoltativa. In nessun caso verrà modificato il voto, eccetto che per errori materiali intercorsi durante la correzione notati dalla studentessa o studente.
M-FIL/07 - HISTORY OF ANCIENT PHILOSOPHY - University credits: 9
Lessons: 60 hours

[Blended learning]

Responsible
Lesson period
First semester
Course syllabus
The course aims to introduce students to the fundamentals of ancient philosophy and to the reading of a set of core texts, dating to different epochs and written in different styles. The course will pursue three important themes: i) the philosophy of nature from the Presocratics to Aristotle; ii) the moral philosophy of Plato and Aristotle; iii) Plato's psychology, particularly the Republic. The course is based on the reading and the interpretation of the core texts rather than on a textbook-based explanation of the history of the discipline. In this way, students will be able to confront critically themes such as the origin of ancient philosophy, the birth of the figure of the expert and her communication strategies, the study of nature and human behaviours, the relationship between ethics and politics, Plato's tripartite conception of the human soul, which is connected to the above themes and foreshadows later reflections on the relationship between rationality and irrationality.

Students are expected to integrate the in-class lecturing with the autonomous study of the textbook and the complementary set of audio-lessons available on Moodle.
Prerequisites for admission
None
Teaching methods
This course is offered in blended learning. This means that part of the course will be delivered remotely by means of synchronous and asynchronous activities. There will be also an in-person component is which reduced to a minimum to facilitate students who are trying to negotiate work and study (the so-called "studenti lavoratori").
Teaching Resources
The course is exclusively delivered by 9 CFU. The syllabus includes:
1. F. Trabattoni, La filosofia antica. Profilo critico-storico, Carocci [to be studied in full and autonomously]*;
2. Audio-lessons on the History of ancient philosophy, by A. Falcon, F. Forcignanò, S. Pavan, e C. Zatta, available on Moodle [to be studied in full and autonomously];
3. A collection of Presocratic texts, edited by A. Falcon e F. Forcignanò, available on Moodle [to be fully read and commented in class]**
4. Platone, Apologia di Socrate-Critone, ed. by M.M. Sassi, BUR [a selection will be read in class while students should read the entire text autonomously]**;
5. Platone, La Repubblica, ed. by M. Vegetti, BUR [book I will be read in full and books IV and V partially in class]**;
6. Aristotele, Etica Nicomachea, ed. by C. Natali, Laterza [book I will be read in full and books II and X partially in class]**;
7.Aristotele, Fisica II, ed. by A. Falcon, available on Moodle [to be read in full in class]**

*this text CANNOT be substituted with other textbooks because the final test is based on it.
** In class and on the exam these editions will be used. Resorting to other translations, which is obviously matter of a personal choice, can imply some difficulties during the exam, especially with respect to the interpretations of the texts.
Assessment methods and Criteria
The exam will be taken on Moodle in the computer lab. It will consist of three parts and the allotted time will be 90 minutes.

1.The first part consists of 20 multiple choice questions, aimed to assess the acquisition of the fundamentals of the history of the discipline and the historiographical problems connected with it. Every correct answer will get a score of 0.5 point for a maximum of 10 points. 7 points is the minimum required to pass this test (14/20). Failure to achieve this minimum determines the end of the exam with the outcome "failed".

2. The second part comprises 5 concepts or terms to be defined appropriately, with a maximum of 80 words. This part is aimed to assess the comprehension of the fundamental vocabulary and the awareness of the semantic changes the different concepts have undergone in the historical development of ancient thought. Every answer will receive a score between 0 and 2 points, according to the following scheme: 0 point= completely wrong or no answer; 1 point=partially correct and/or expressed only in a partially appropriate way answer; 2 points=fully correct and appropriately expressed answer.

3. The third part comprises two open questions on the themes and texts discussed in class. Students are requested to answer with a maximum of 200 words. This parts aims to assess the capacity to discuss the most relevant themes of the course and to comment on the texts dealt with in class. Every answer will receive a score between 0 and 6 points, according to the following scheme: 0 score= completely wrong or no answer; 1 point=insufficient and/or largely inadequate answer; 2 points= barely sufficient and superficially argued answer; 3 points=sufficient and barely adequately argued answer; 4 points=good and correctly argued answer; 5 points= very good answer, showing rigor both with respect to the lexicon and the argument; 6 points= excellent answer, showing full awareness of the theme and subject under discussion and an excellent critical capacity in the field of the history of ancient philosophy.

Note that two outstanding answers in the third part allow the student to compensate for four inadequate or wrong answers in the first part. The final grade, expressed on a 30/30 basis, consists in the sum of the scores from the three parts; if the score exceeds 30, the student will be given full mark with distinction (i.e., "30 e lode").
M-FIL/07 - HISTORY OF ANCIENT PHILOSOPHY - University credits: 9
Lessons: 60 hours
Professor: Falcon Andrea

[L-Z]

Responsible
Lesson period
First semester
Course syllabus
The course aims to introduce students to the fundamentals of ancient philosophy and to the reading of a set of core texts, dating to different epochs and written in different styles. The course will pursue three important themes: i) the philosophy of nature from the Presocratics to Aristotle; ii) the moral philosophy of Plato and Aristotle; iii) Plato's psychology, particularly the Republic. The course is based on the reading and the interpretation of the core texts rather than on a textbook-based explanation of the history of the discipline. In this way, students will be able to confront critically themes such as the origin of ancient philosophy, the birth of the figure of the expert and her communication strategies, the study of nature and human behaviours, the relationship between ethics and politics, Plato's tripartite conception of the human soul, which is connected to the above themes and foreshadows later reflections on the relationship between rationality and irrationality.

Students are expected to integrate the in-class lecturing with the autonomous study of the textbook and the complementary set of audio-lessons available on Moodle.
Prerequisites for admission
There are no prerequisites except those indicated in the curriculum.

However, it is recommended particularly to those who have never studied philosophy to study the audiolessons, available on the site of the course in my Ariel, during the summer and anyway before the beginning of the course and to become familiar with the textbook listed under "materiale di riferimento".
Teaching methods
The main teaching method is the lecture. During lectures there will be constant references to the methodological aspects of the study of ancient philosophy and the reading material will be read and discussed in an analytical way, integrally or in ample sections. The platform Moodle will make available complementary and optional readings, not subjected to evaluation, aimed to those interested in furthering their study of the course topics.
Teaching Resources
The course is exclusively delivered by 9 CFU. The syllabus includes:
1. F. Trabattoni, La filosofia antica. Profilo critico-storico, Carocci [to be studied in full and autonomously]*;
2. Audio-lessons on the History of ancient philosophy, by A. Falcon, F. Forcignanò, S. Pavan, e C. Zatta, available on Moodle [to be studied in full and autonomously];
3. A collection of Presocratic texts, edited by A. Falcon e F. Forcignanò, available on Moodle [to be fully read and commented in class]**
4. Platone, Apologia di Socrate-Critone, ed. by M.M. Sassi, BUR [a selection will be read in class while students should read the entire text autonomously]**;
5. Platone, La Repubblica, ed. by M. Vegetti, BUR [book I will be read in full and books IV and V partially in class]**;
6. Aristotele, Etica Nicomachea, ed. by C. Natali, Laterza [book I will be read in full and books II and X partially in class]**;
7.Aristotele, Fisica II, ed. by A. Falcon, available on Moodle [to be read in full in class]**

*this text CANNOT be substituted with other textbooks because the final test is based on it.
** In class and on the exam these editions will be used. Resorting to other translations,
Assessment methods and Criteria
Once the exam is graded, there will be the opportunity for a meeting with the professor in order to clarify and explain the grades. Attendance to the meeting is optional. In no way will the grade be modified except in cases when errors have been made during the correction of the exam.
M-FIL/07 - HISTORY OF ANCIENT PHILOSOPHY - University credits: 9
Lessons: 60 hours
Professor(s)
Reception:
Fridays 17:00-20:00. Please be in touch by email (no later than 13:00, on Friday) to arrange for a meeting on MS Teams.. No office hours in August
Microsoft Teams
Reception:
Wed. 5-8pm, you are kindly invited to arrange it via email