Learning objectives
The course will provide students with tools for critical, informed and independent judgment, and will reinforce their skills for communication
and continued learning. In particular, through this course students will develop the following abilities of acquiring knowledge and understanding
(Dublin Descriptor I): they will be acquainted with the philosophical, theological, and scientific thought in the Antiquity and in the Middle Ages;
they will be able to read and understand the classical texts of ancient and medieval philosophy, know their specific terminology and the different
philosophical methods required for the discussion of topics and the interpretation of texts; they will be acquainted with the historiography of
ancient and medieval philosophy. Through this course students also will develop the following abilities to apply the acquired knowledge and
understanding (Dublin Descriptor II): they will be educated to elaborate clear, documented and argument-based papers; they will be able to apply
argumentative and conceptual tools, borrowed from ancient and medieval philosophy, in interdisciplinary fields, to solve philosophical as well as non-philosophical problems; they will be able to reconstruct the genesis and development of a concept, a doctrine and/or a philosophical debate; they will be able to reconstruct the cultural contexts, with particular attention to the interplay of the different positions that are involved; they will be able to identify the connection of ideas between the history of philosophy and other areas of science and philosophy, in particular early-modern philosophy and theology. Finally, through this course students will reinforce their communication and learning skills and abilities of making independent judgments (Dublin Descriptors III - IV - V). Specifically, they will be able to analyze in an independent way a philosophical text, both from a historical and a philosophical point of view; they will be able to assess, historically as well as philosophically, the arguments used in a philosophical debate in order to decide a sentence, resolve a problem and/or defend a thesis; they will be able to criticize a philosophical position and/or a topic; they will be able to examine concepts as to their evolution and their relations, also with respect to other disciplinary areas; they will be able to follow, historically as well as philosophically, the genesis of a concept, a problem and/or a philosophical debate; they will be able to communicate the acquired knowledge and abilities of analysis and judgment in a clear, documented, complete and logically consequential and well-organized way, both orally and through written papers; they will be able to evaluate and reconstruct their learning process and the skills, abilities and knowledge they have acquired.
Prerequisites
No specific prerequisites. The course is intended for those who lack specific skills and knowledge in the fields of ancient and medieval philosophy. Only a general acquaintance with the history of philosophy and a basic knowledge of the philosophical vocabulary is recommended. During the first few lectures of the course, however, all knowledge useful and necessary for learning the matter of the course will be given.
Course unit content
Title of the course: "What is Philosophy? Some Ancient and Medieval Answers".
The course proposes to offer a general introduction to the main authors, topics and philosophical and theological debates of the Antiquity, Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages. In particular, the course will reconstruct the principal answers to the question on what is philosophy, through examining issues of ancient and medieval metaphysics, theories of knowledge, and questions of philosophical anthropology developed by the major authors. The course will also show the propagation and influence of Ancient Philosophy on the Medieval Philosophy.
Full programme
The course is an introduction to the most important thinkers and topics of the Antiquity, Late Antiquity and Middle Ages. Lessons will follow the
historical development of the ancient, late-antique and medieval philosophy, from the pre-Socratic philosophers to William of Ockham, through discussing the most significant issues of ancient and medieval philosophy. Historical reconstruction and textual analysis will be alternated with the discussion of ancient and medieval philosophical and theological topics. Among the many topics addressed by ancient and medieval authors, the course will focus especially on problems concerning some fundamental areas of philosophy as metaphysics and ontology, epistemology and philosophy of language, philosophical anthropology, and philosophical theology. More specifically, the course proposes to illustrate the most important answers given in the Antiquity and the Middle Ages to the question on what is philosophy. The course will reconstruct, finally, the
influence exerted by the ancient and late-antique philosophies (especially Platonic, Aristotelian and Neo-Platonic) on medieval philosophy.
Bibliography
BIBLIOGRAPHY
It is required the knowledge of a handbook of the history
of ancient and medieval philosophy. Recommended handbook:
• C. Esposito - P. Porro, "Filosofia antica e medievale", Laterza, Roma-Bari 2009.
It is also recommended the reading of the following texts:
• P. Hadot, "Che cos'è la filosofia antica?", Einaudi, Torino 1998.
• A. de Libera, "La filosofia medievale", Il Mulino, Bologna 1999.
To participate to the final examination, students are moreover requested to write a paper (at least 5 pages), to be sent to fabrizio.amerini@unipr.it some days before the date chosen for the examination, on the following text:
• Plato, "Timeo", ed. G. Reale, Bompiani, Milano 2000.
Indications on how to proceed with writing up the paper will be given during the first lessons of the course.
READINGS FOR DEEPENING
Students who want to extend or deepen their knowledge can read the following two handbooks, in addition or in substitution of the recommended handbook:
1) G. Cambiano, "Storia della filosofia antica", Laterza, Roma-Bari 2004.
2) A. Kenny, "Nuova storia della filosofia occidentale. Filosofia medievale", Einaudi, Torino 2012.
Students who cannot attend regularly the lessons or want to deepen further their knowledge can read also the following two anthologies:
- M. Bonazzi, R. L. Cardullo, G. Casertano, E. Spinelli, F. Trabattoni (a cura di), "Filosofia antica", Raffaello Cortina, Milano 2005.
- M. Bettetini, L. Bianchi, C. Marmo, P. Porro (a cura di), "Filosofia medievale", Raffaello Cortina, Milano 2004.
Any other didactic material examined or distributed during the lessons will be made available on the ELLY platform.
Teaching methods
Oral lessons. During the classes the topics that will be discussed are those of the general contents of the course; they can be implemented by other didactic materials, in addition to those indicated in bibliography, materials that will be however made available on the ELLY platform. Oral lessons can be complemented with seminars reserved to the reading of texts and/or discussion of ancient and medieval texts and topics, also in collaboration with external colleagues.
Lessons will be in presence but will be also video-recorded. The links for the videos will be uploaded on the ELLY platform.
Assessment methods and criteria
Students' knowledge and understanding and learning skills, and their abilities to apply them, will be verified in two ways:
1) in itinere: a written paper, in which students must measure themselves with the philosophical and historical analysis of the classical text that is indicated in bibliography. The written paper is intended to verify students' historical and philosophical knowledge, their ability to apply the acquired knowledge and understanding skills, and to write a paper in a clear and documented way, logically rigorous and philosophically argument-based. It will be evaluated according to four criteria: 1) historical, philosophical, and historiographic knowledge reached by the students; 2) clearness of the paper; 3) logical accuracy and critical thinking; 4) ability to employ and assess philosophical arguments.
The written paper is a practice exercise and does not impact on the final vote; it is however necessary for being admitted to the final examination.
2) Final examination: oral examination based upon the texts of the bibliography and with the reading and the analysis of a philosophical text. The final examination aims to verify the degree of preparation, knowledge and understanding skills reached by the students. Average duration of
the exam is about 30 min. In particular, the oral examination aims to verify: 1) students' degree of historical, philosophical and historiographic
knowledge; 2) students' ability to follow the development of a concept or a doctrine in the same field and/or in related and interdisciplinary fields, and to reconstruct a cultural context, with particular attention to the interplay of the different positions therein involved; 3) students' acquaintance with the philosophical vocabulary and, specifically, with the terminology and concepts proper to the ancient and medieval philosophy; 4) students' ability to contextualize and analyze a philosophical text.
The final score (on scale 0-30) is the result of the final examination and will be determinated by five criteria: 1) speech clarity and accuracy; 2)
argumentative skills; 3) ability to explain a concept or a doctrine, historically and philosophically, and to make historical and philosophical
connections; 4) ability to read, understand and analyze a philosophical text; 5) extent and degree of the historical and philosophical preparation,
reached on the basis of the texts indicated in bibliography.
The examination is passed if the minimum grade of 18/30 is reached. The final score will be attributed according to the following scale:
30 cum laude: outstanding; extremely solid preparation and extensive knowledge of ancient and medieval philosophy, excellent expressive
skills, complete and exhaustive ability of comprehension and analysis of concepts, topics and/or arguments of ancient and medieval philosophy;
30: excellent; complete and adequate knowledge, excellent analysis skills, correct and well articulated expression;
27-29: very good; more than satisfactory knowledge, adequate analysis skills and essentially correct and articulate expression;
24-26: good; good but not complete knowledge, satisfactory analysis skills and not always correct expression;
21-23: discrete; discrete albeit superficial knowledge, occasionally unsatisfactory analysis skills and inappropriate expression;
18-20: sufficient; acceptable but very superficial knowledge, unsatisfactory analysis skills, often inappropriate expression;
0-17: insufficient; the preparation has important gaps in terms of content, lack of clarity in exposition, inability to understand and analyze concepts,
topics and/or arguments of ancient and medieval philosophy.
Other information
Two or three examinations per session are scheduled, in accordance to the official calendar.
It is also scheduled a pre-exam session during the mid-semester suspension of lessons, to give to the students interested the opportunity of giving the exam on the part of the course on ancient philosophy. The date of the pre-exam will be established during the first lessons of the course.
