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2022/2023

Ancient Philosophy

Code: 100306 ECTS Credits: 6
Degree Type Year Semester
2500246 Philosophy OB 2 1
2503702 Ancient Studies FB 2 1

Contact

Name:
Jesús Hernandez Reynes
Email:
jesus.hernandez@uab.cat

Use of Languages

Principal working language:
catalan (cat)
Some groups entirely in English:
No
Some groups entirely in Catalan:
Yes
Some groups entirely in Spanish:
No

Prerequisites

This course has no prerequisites.

Objectives and Contextualisation

Ancient Philosophy (6 ECTS) is a subject considered UAB Basic Training, scheduled for the second year of following undergraduate programs: Bachelor's Degree in Philosophy and Bachelor's Degree in Ancient Studies.

The subject fulfills two goals: on the one hand, it is mainly the study of the two most important authors of ancient philosophy (Plato and Aristotle), which at the same time are the most important of philosophy in general. On the other hand, since the field of study is historiographically the same as that of the birth of philosophy, the subject is also a beginning to philosophy, in its historical singularity. In this sense, the study of the first philosophers will be done through two of the most indicated figures: Heraclitus and Parmenides.

Competences

    Philosophy
  • Analysing and summarising the main arguments of fundamental texts of philosophy in its various disciplines.
  • Placing the most representative philosophical ideas and arguments of a period in their historical background and relating the most important authors of each period of any philosophical discipline.
  • Recognising and interpreting topics and problems of philosophy in its various disciplines.
  • Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  • Students must develop the necessary learning skills to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
  • Students must have and understand knowledge of an area of study built on the basis of general secondary education, and while it relies on some advanced textbooks it also includes some aspects coming from the forefront of its field of study.
  • Using the symbology and procedures of the formal sciences in the analysis and building of arguments.
    Ancient Studies
  • Dominate the use of specific instruments, with special attention to digital tools, for analysing the ancient world.
  • Interrelate linguistic, historical and archaeological knowledge of the ancient world with knowledge of other areas of the humanities, mainly ancient literature, philosophy and art.
  • Recognise the impact of some important aspects of the ancient world in contemporary culture and society.
  • Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  • Students must have and understand knowledge of an area of study built on the basis of general secondary education, and while it relies on some advanced textbooks it also includes some aspects coming from the forefront of its field of study.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Accurately using the specific lexicon of the history of philosophy.
  2. Arguing about several issues and philosophical problems for the purpose of different works and the assessment of the results.
  3. Carrying out a planning for the development of a subject-related work.
  4. Discriminating the features that define the writer's place in the context of a problem and reorganising them in a consistent diagram.
  5. Distinguishing and outlining the fundamental content of a philosophical text.
  6. Documenting a philosophical issue and contrasting its sources.
  7. Effectively communicating and applying the argumentative and textual processes to formal and scientific texts.
  8. Establishing relationships between science, philosophy, art, religion, politics, etc.
  9. Explaining the specific notions of the History of Philosophy.
  10. Expressing both orally and in written form, the issues and basic problems of the philosophical tradition.
  11. Identifying the main ideas of a related text and drawing a diagram.
  12. Indicate the main themes of the history of philosophy.
  13. Indicating and discussing the main characteristics of the distinctive thought of a period and contextualizing them.
  14. Indicating the main issues of the history of philosophy.
  15. Point out and discuss the main characteristics of era-defining thought, placing them in their context.
  16. Producing an individual work that specifies the work plan and timing of activities.
  17. Reading basic philosophical text thoroughly.
  18. Reading thoroughly philosophical texts of the History of Philosophy.
  19. Recognising, with a critical eye, philosophical referents of the past and present and assessing its importance.
  20. Relate various orders that can be discovered among the philosophical ideas of different authors and moments in history.
  21. Relating the various orders of the philosophical ideas of different authors and historical moments.
  22. Rigorously building philosophical arguments.
  23. Solving problems autonomously.
  24. Submitting works in accordance with both individual and small group demands and personal styles.
  25. Summarising the topics and arguments exposed in a classical philosophical debate.
  26. Using suitable terminology when drawing up an academic text.

Content

The syllabus of the subject consists of the following topics:

Block 1.

1. The problem of the birth of philosophy.

2. The so-called "pre-Socratic" philosophy.

3. Heraclitus of Ephesus.

4. Heraclitus of Ephesus.

5. Parmenides of Elea.

6. Parmenides of Elea.

7. The "revolution" of the sophists.

8. Socrates.

Block 2.

9. Plato, author of Socratic dialogues.

10. Plato, the philosopher who learns to die.

11. Plato and ideas.

12. Plato, politeia.

13. Plato and the just city.

14. Plato and the just life.

15. Plato, the good and the dialectic.

Block 3.

16. Aristotle and syllogistic.

17. Aristotle and the categories.

18. Aristotle, knowledge, and causes.

19. Aristotle, actuality, and potentiality.

20. Aristotle and movement.

21. Aristotle and the soul.

22. Aristotle and animal reproduction.

23. Aristotle, technique, and nature.

Methodology

Classes are based on the teacher's exposition ("master classes"). However, there is usually room for debates, text comments and small student presentations.

The dynamics of the class makes it necessary to read texts indicated by the teacher outside the classroom timetable.

Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Activities

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Classes 45 1.8 2, 22, 8, 9, 7, 26, 1
Type: Supervised      
Reports 22.5 0.9 22, 4, 5, 6, 16, 3, 10, 11, 14, 13, 17, 18, 21, 25
Type: Autonomous      
Readings and study 75 3 4, 5, 10, 14, 13, 21

Assessment

The evaluation will consist of 3 multiple choice tests, at the end of each of the three thematic blocks (of 2 points each), 2 deliveries of reports in the periods between the test tests (of 2 point each).

The student who has not done at least a number of assessment activities worth 2/3 of the mark (7 points) is considered "not evaluable".

The subject will be considered pass if the average of the five activities is equal to or greater than 5.

Prior to formally entering final marks, the lecturer will publish the date / time for assessment revision and the final mark. There is a procedure for resitting or making up evaluated activities, i.e. the subject has a schedule of retrieves before the establishment of the final mark, which will take place between the end of classes and the final evaluation date established by the Academic Office of the Faculty. This recovery may affect, if necessary, the five activities mentioned above.

The maximum mark that can be obtained if a student sits the reassessment exam is a 5.

In the event of a student committing any irregularity that may lead to a significant variation in the grade awarded to an assessment activity, the student will be given a zero for this activity, regardless of any disciplinary process that may take place. In the event of several irregularities in assessment activities of the same subject, the student will be given a zero as the final grade for this subject.

Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
1st records 20% 1.5 0.06 2, 15, 22, 4, 5, 6, 16, 8, 3, 9, 10, 7, 26, 11, 14, 12, 13, 17, 18, 21, 20, 23, 25, 1
1st test 20% 1.5 0.06 2, 15, 22, 4, 5, 6, 16, 8, 3, 9, 10, 7, 26, 11, 14, 12, 13, 17, 18, 21, 20, 23, 25, 1
2nd records 20% 1.5 0.06 2, 15, 22, 4, 5, 6, 16, 8, 3, 9, 10, 7, 26, 11, 14, 12, 13, 17, 18, 24, 21, 20, 23, 25, 1
2nd test 20% 1.5 0.06 2, 15, 22, 4, 5, 6, 16, 8, 3, 9, 10, 7, 26, 11, 14, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 21, 20, 23, 25, 1
3rd test 20% 1.5 0.06 2, 15, 22, 4, 5, 6, 16, 8, 3, 9, 10, 7, 26, 11, 14, 12, 13, 17, 18, 24, 19, 21, 20, 23, 25, 1

Bibliography

Edicions de les fonts

Els escrits conservats dels principals filòsofs antics es troben editats a les grans col·leccions de clàssics grecs i llatins. Amb traducció: “The Loeb Classical Library”, “Collection des Universités de France” (Fond. G. Budé). Sense traducció: “Bibliotheca Teubneriana” i “Bibliotheca Oxoniensis”. Alguns títols es troben també a la col·lecció de la Fundació Bernat Metge.

 

Edicions de fragments

Diels, Hermann i Walther Kranz. Die fragmente der vorsokratiker, 2 vol. i 1 vol. d’índex, Hildesheim: Weidmann, 2004-2018.

Laks, André i Glenn Most. Les débuts de la philosophie grecque. París: Fayard, 2016. [Edició anglesa: Loeb edition of Early Greek Philosophy, en 9 volums. El volum I conté materials d'introducció i de referència imprescindibles per utilitzar totes les altres parts de l'edició. Els volums II i III inclouen capítols sobre doxografia antiga, antecedents i els jònics des de Ferècides fins a Heràclit. Els volums IV i V presenten els pensadors grecs occidentals des dels pitagòrics fins a Hipó. Els volums VI i VII comprenen sistemes filosòfics posteriors i les seves seqüeles en els segles cinquè i quart. Els volums VIII i IX presenten reflexions del segle cinquè sobre llenguatge, retòrica, ètica i política (els anomenats sofistes i Sòcrates) i conclouen amb un apèndix sobre filosofia i filòsofs en el drama grec.]

Kern, Otto. Orphicorum fragmenta, Berlin, 1922.

Untersteiner, Mario i Antonio Battegazzore. I Sofisti. Testimonianze e frammenti, Milà: Bompiani, 2009.

Giannantoni, Gabriele. Socratis et socraticorum reliquiae, 4 vol. Nàpols: Bibliopolis, 1990.

 

Algunes traduccions

De Tales a Demòcrit. El pensament presocràtic. Fragments i testimonis, edició i traducció de Joan Ferrer Gràcia. Girona: Edicions de la Ela Geminada, 2011.

De Tales a Demócrito. Fragmentos presocráticos, trad. Alberto Bernabé. Madrid, Alianza, 2016.

Saviesa grega arcaica, Traducció de Jaume Pòrtulas / Sergi Grau. Martorell: Adesiara editorial, 2012.

Los Sofistas. Testimonios y fragmentos, trad. José Solana Dueso. Madrid: Alianza editorial, 2013.

Platón: Traduït al castellà en 9 vols. a la col·lecció "Biblioteca Clásica Gredos".

Plató. Diàlegs. Barcelona: Fundació Bernat Metge (ed. encara incompleta).

Aristòtil: Traduït al castellà en 18 vols. a la col·lecció "Biblioteca Clásica Gredos".

Laercio, Diógenes. Vidas y opiniones de los filósofos ilustres. Madrid: Alianza, 2007.

 

Diccionari de conceptes

Brunschwig, Jackes i Geoffrey Lloyd (ed.). Diccionario Akal de El saber griego, Madrid: Akal, 2000.

 

Històries de la filosofia antiga recomanades

Bréhier, Émile. Història de la filosofia 1. Antiguitat i edat mitjana, Barcelona: UAB Servei de Publicacions-Tecnos, 1998.

García Gual, Carlos. Historia de la filosofía antigua, Madrid: Trota, 1997.

*Guthrie, W. K. C.. Historia de la filosofía griega, edició nova en 3vol., Madrid: Gredos, 2012.

Martínez Marzoa, Felipe. Historia de la filosofía Antigua, Madrid: Akal, 1995.

 

Bibliografia secundària

Bloc temàtic 1.

Berti, Enrico. En el principio era la maravilla. Las grandes preguntas de la filosofía antigua. Madrid: Gredos, 2009.

Colli, Giorgio. El naixement de la filosofia, Barcelona: Ed. 1984, 2001.

Snell, Bruno. El descubrimiento del espíritu. Estudios sobre la gènesis del pensamiento europeo en los griegos. Barcelona: Acantilado, 2008.

*Vernant, Jean-Pierre. Los orígenes del pensamiento griego, Barcelona: Paidós, 2011.

Williams, Bernard. Vergüenza y necesidad. Recuperación de algunos conceptos Morales de la Grecia Antigua. Madrid: Antonio Machado Libros, 2011.

Zellini, Paolo. Número y “logos”. Barcelona: Acantilado, 2018.

* Kirk, Geoffrey S.;  John Earle Raven i Michael Schofield. Los filósofos presocráticos, Madrid: Gredos, 2014.

Laks, André. Introducción a la filosofía "presocrática". Madrid: Gredos, 2010.

Brun, Jean. Sòcrates, Barcelona, Edicions de 1984, 2005.

Wilson, Emily. La muerte de Sócrates. Héroe, villano, charlatán, santo. Barcelona: Ed. Biblioteca Buridán, 2008.

Bloc temàtic 2.

*Bredlow, Luis Andrés. Platón Esencial. Todo lo bueno es bello, y lo bello no carece de medida, Barcelona: Montesinos, 2017.

Görgemanns, Herwig. Platón. Una introducción, Santiago de Chile: IES, 2010.

Grube, G.M.A.. El pensamiento de Platón, Madrid: Gredos, 2010.

Hare, Richard Mervyn. Platón. Madrid: Alianza Editorial, 2009.

Melling, D. J.. Introducción a Platón, Madrid: Alianza, 1991.

Ross, Willian David. Teoría de las ideas de Platón, Madrid: Cátedra, 1989.

Taylor, Alfred Edward. Platón. Madrid: Tecnos, 2014.

*Vegetti, Mario, Platón. Quince lecciones sobre Platón, Madrid: Gredos, 2012.

Bloc temàtic 3.

*Calvo, Tomás. Aristóteles y el Aristotelismo, Madrid: Akal, 2008.

Düring, Ingemar. Aristóteles. Exposición e interpretación de su pensamiento. Mèxic: UNAM, 2005.

Leroi, Armand Marie. La laguna. Cómo Aristóteles inventó la ciencia. Córdoba: Guadalmazán, 2017.

Lloyd, Geoffrey Ernest Richard. Aristóteles. Desarrollo y estructura de su pensamiento, Buenos Aires: Prometeo, 2013.

Ponsatí-Murlà, Oriol. Aristóteles. Barcelona: RBA, 2019.

*Ross, Willlian David. Aristóteles, Madrid: Gredos, 2013.

Rovira, R.. Repertorio de definiciones aristotélicas. Madrid: Escolar y Mayo, 2015.

Vigo, A.. Aristóteles. Una Introducción, Santiago de Chile: IES, 2007.

 

 

  • Els llibres marcats amb * són els especialment recomanats.

 

Software

Not applicable.