12362 - History of Ancient Philosophy (1)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, the student will have acquired: (1) a general knowledge of the history of ancient philosophy from its origins to late antiquity, and particular knowledge of an author, a work, or a philosophical topic specific to Greek or Roman antiquity in relation to its historical context; and (2) three sets of skills: (a) philological – he/she will know how to analyze an ancient text employing the basic tools for the study of Greek and Roman philosophy; (b) dialectical – he/she will have been trained to discuss a philosophical problem in a synchronic and diachronic way, through the comparison between ancient and modern philosophers; and (c) rhetorical – he/she will be capable of arguing exegetical and philosophical theses in oral and/or written form.

Course contents

Socrates Atopos: The Invention and Legacy of the Philosopher

The Greek adjective atopos is formed from the privative alpha and the noun topos (“place”) and literally means “without a place,” that is, “strange” in the sense of being unclassifiable or unique. Socrates is unique above all because of his decision not to write, a decision grounded in his conviction that philosophy is essentially dialogical. In his view, no form of writing could ever serve as an adequate substitute for the living dialogue between two souls and two voices. Yet this radical decision has irrevocably deprived us of his own voice and authentic thought, leaving them dispersed among a plurality of often conflicting testimonies. According to Plato, atopia is Socrates’ defining characteristic. It extends far beyond his refusal to write, encompassing every aspect of his figure, thought, and life, to such an extent that he cannot be compared with any other human being, past or present. To grasp his nature, one must therefore speak in images, likening him to figures that are more than—or less than—human (from the gadfly and the electric ray to Eros, satyrs, and Silenus figurines), or even to female figures such as midwives.

The course will be divided into two parts.

(1) In the first part, we shall reconstruct the figure of Socrates atopos by reading and commenting on the Platonic passages devoted to the six defining features of his uniqueness. We shall examine both the external traits, concerning the body (his appearance, physical endurance, and relationship to space and time), and, above all, the internal ones, concerning the soul (his way of thinking, moral steadfastness, and manner of speaking).

(2) In the second part, we shall consider the hypothesis that Plato’s Socrates atopos is the dialogical projection of a new and previously unprecedented conception of the philosopher. This figure emerges at the intersection of other traditional and contemporary models, yet survives—thanks to Plato’s work—the misunderstandings that threatened to obscure it. Particular attention will be devoted to the trial and condemnation of Socrates, events which, in Plato’s account, transform him into a heroic figure standing at the boundary between the human and the divine.

The course will be complemented by a series of seminars on the historical Socrates and on the reception of Socrates as a philosopher, especially in Hellenistic philosophy.

__________

SFA (1) will be offered in the second semester, fourth teaching period.

First class: Thursday, 1 April 2027, 11:00 a.m., Room C.

 

Schedule:

• Tuesday, 3:00–5:00 p.m., Room C (Via Zamboni 34);

• Thursday, 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m., Room C;

• Friday, 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m., Room C.

 

* Any supplementary activities (conferences, seminars, etc.) will be announced on the Facebook page Filosofia Antica a Bologna.

Readings/Bibliography

Primary Sources

• Plato, Apology of Socrates, edited by Simonetta Nannini. Siena: Barbera, 2007 (reprint: Santarcangelo di Romagna: Rusconi, 2015).

• Anthology of passages included in the course handout (for attending students only).

Background Knowledge (materials available on the Virtuale platform)

• Handbook of Ancient Philosophy: From the Presocratics to Augustine (for non-attending students: Chapters 1–16, from the origins of Greek philosophy to Aristotelian logic; for attending students: the sections specified during the course).

• Chronological chart (to be memorized in its entirety).

Secondary Literature

A) An Introduction to Philosophy (optional)

• Bruno Centrone, Prima lezione di filosofia antica. Rome–Bari: Laterza.

• Robert Nozick, The Examined Life (1989), Italian trans. La vita pensata. Milan: Bompiani, 2004.

(B) Socrates (choose one)

• Carlotta Capuccino, "Socrate" (2011), in Umberto Eco (ed.), L'Antichità: Grecia. Milan: EncycloMedia, 2012, pp. 382–394; and Simonetta Nannini, "Socrate atopos e paradossale," in G. Alvoni, R. Batisti, and S. Colangelo (eds.), Figure dell'Altro: Identità, alterità, stranierità (EIKASMOS: Quaderni Bolognesi di Filologia Classica, Studi Online, 3). Bologna: Pàtron, 2020, pp. 77–101.

• Louis-André Dorion, Socrate (2004), Italian trans. by G. Castagnoli. Rome: Carocci, 2010.

• William K. C. Guthrie, Socrate. Bologna: il Mulino, 1986.

• Mario Montuori, Socrate: Fisiologia di un mito, with an introduction by Giovanni Reale. Milan: Vita e Pensiero, 1998.

• Maria Michela Sassi, Indagine su Socrate: Persona, filosofo, cittadino. Turin: Einaudi, 2015.

• Gregory Vlastos, Socrates: Ironist and Moral Philosopher (1991), Italian trans. by Andrea Blasina. Florence: La Nuova Italia, 1998.

(C) The Apology (choose one)

• Myles Burnyeat, "The Impiety of Socrates," Ancient Philosophy 17 (1997), pp. 1–12.

• Guido Calogero, Le ragioni di Socrate, edited by Aldo Brancacci. Milan: Mimesis, 2019.

• Luciano Canfora, "Socrate ovvero l'infallibilità della maggioranza," in Un mestiere pericoloso: La vita quotidiana dei filosofi greci. Palermo: Sellerio, 2000, pp. 11–34.

• Carlotta Capuccino, "Socrate e il testimone divino: A Rhetorical Reading of Plato's Apology," in Silvia Gullino and Manuela Valle (eds.), Socrate: otto ritratti filosofici. Padua: CLEUP, 2024, pp. 27–98.

• I. F. Stone, The Trial of Socrates (1988), Italian trans. by Francesca Olivieri. Milan: Rizzoli, 1990.

 

* Attending students who wish to do so may replace the reading listed under section (C) with a research paper on one of the topics discussed during the course. During the semester, detailed guidelines will be provided together with a bibliography of additional secondary literature to support the preparation of the paper.

Teaching methods

LECTURES COURSE (15 lectures)

Adopted methods:

• Slow reading of the sources in the original language and through a comparison of translations.
• Linguistic analysis and semantic fields.
• Argumentative analysis and short essays (pensum).

PHILOSOPHICAL WRITING SEMINAR (an additional 3-hour lecture)

• Editing guidelines.
• Reading essay of an ancient work: form and contents.

Assessment methods

EXAM SYLLABUS

The exam syllabus for both attending and non-attending students is detailed under the section Required Texts / Bibliography and includes:

(1) The study of the primary sources analysed during the course.

(2) The study of the background knowledge related to the history of ancient philosophy from its origins to the classical period.

(3) An introduction to the thought of the author(s) addressed in the course.

(4) A critical essay on one of the works or themes covered in the course.

* As an alternative to point (4), attending students who wish to do so may submit a written paper.

 

EXAM ASSESSMENT

The exam will be considered overall sufficient only if each of its components is individually sufficient. The final grade will be the average of the marks obtained in the individual parts, based on the following criteria: knowledge of historical and philosophical content, depth of analysis, and critical thinking.

 

Grading scale:

• 18–20: sufficient level

• 21–24: average level

• 25–27: good level

• 28–30: very good/excellent level

• 30 with honors (30L): outstanding level

 

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

• Students with SLD or temporary or permanent disabilities. It is necessary to contact the relevant University office with ample time in advance: the office will propose some adjustments, which must in any case be submitted 15 days in advance to the lecturer, who will assess the appropriateness of these in relation to the teaching objectives.

• Artificial intelligence (AI) can be a useful tool to support independent study by providing additional explanations, summaries, and opportunities for self-assessment. With regard to the assessment of learning: (1) During in-person examinations, the use of AI is strictly prohibited. Any use of AI will be considered a violation of academic integrity. (2) The use of AI is also prohibited in take-home assessments (papers). Such work will be validated through the review of the required preparatory materials submitted by students and, where appropriate, by means of an oral discussion.

Teaching tools

• Handout with excerpts from ancient works.
• Partition diagrams and concept maps.
• Handbooks.
• Web pages.
• Databases and bibliographical repertoires.

* All materials will be shared in class and made available to students on Virtuale.

Office hours

See the website of Carlotta Capuccino