HISTORY OF HELLENISTIC AND ROMAN PHILOSOPHY

The course is part of the more general domain of the history of philosophy and specifically the history of ancient philosophy. It is characterized by the particular evidence it gives to the schools of thought of the Hellenistic period and to the re-elaboration in the Roman world of Greek thought and doctrines. Within the Bachelor's degree in Philosophy program, this course aims to provide: 1) knowledge of the period in question (its main authors, works, and philosophical approaches); 2) a deep knowledge of key topics in Hellenistic philosophy and an analysis of their development in the Roman context; 3) the ability of contextualizing, analyzing and critically interpreting sources of different kinds; 4) the lexical and conceptual tools necessary to the study of the history of Hellenistic and Roman philosophy and to the acquisition of good communicative skills.

At the end of the course students are expected :
1) to know and understand:
- the main historical, philosophical, and thematic aspects of Hellenistic and Roman philosophy, together with their cultural context;
- the terminology appropriate to this field of study;
2) to apply their knowledge to the analysis of ancient texts; to discuss in a pertinent and argumentative way philosophical and exegetical questions;
3) to present the acquired contents of the course.

There are no prerequisites for the attendance of the course.

The first part of the course will consist of an introduction to Hellenistic and Roman philosophy. Subsequently, the main features of the Stoic school will be examined, both chronologically and thematically. Particular emphasis will be placed on the Roman Stoic Seneca. Finally, we will explore the “question of the soul” as developed by the philosopher from Cordoba, in constant dialogue with the positions of his Stoic teachers. Through the reading and commentary on the sources (in translation, with references to the original), we will analyze Seneca’s fundamental psychological themes: psychological terminology, the nature and structure of the soul, knowledge and action, reason and will. The passions will be the subject of a particularly detailed examination.

A - Selected sections (indicated in parentheses) from the two volumes:
1) Pierluigi Donini; Franco Ferrari, L’esercizio della ragione nel mondo classico. Profilo della filosofia antica, Torino, Einaudi, 2005 (selected sections: Capitoli Quinto "La filosofia ellenistica" e Sesto "La filosofia nel mondo romano", pp. 195-301);
2) Stefano Maso, Filosofia a Roma. Dalla riflessione sui principi all’arte della vita, Roma, Carocci Editore, 2012 (selected sections: 1.8: Lo Stoicismo, pp. 63-85 e 4: Seneca, pp. 147-185)

B - One essay/article/chapter of your choice form the following:
1) Margaret Graver, "A Science of the Mind", in Stoicism and Emotion, Chicago, The University of Chicago Press, 2007 (Cap 1: pp. 15-34)
2) Christelle Veillard, "Soul, Pneuma, and Blood: The Stoic Conception of the Soul", in Brad Inwood B; James Warren (eds), Body and Soul in Hellenistic Philosophy, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2020, pp.145-170.
3) Pierluigi Donini,"Pathos nello stoicismo romano", in "Elenchos" 16, 1995, pp. 195-216
4) Pierluigi Donini, "Seneca e Galeno sulla struttura proposizionale delle passioni in Crisippo", in "Rivista di Storia della Filosofia", 62(3), 2007, pp. 431-52.
5) Anna Maria Ioppolo, "Il monismo psicologico degli Stoici antichi", in "Elenchos", 8, 1987, pp. 449-67.
6) Anna Maria Ioppolo, "L’ὁρμὴ πλεονάζουσα nella dottrina stoica della passione", in "Elenchos", 1995, 16(1), pp. 23-55.

C - Additional materials, that are part of the examination syllabus, will be available in Moodle

The assessment method consists of an oral exam, designed to ascertain the historical-philosophical and thematic knowledge and understanding of the topics covered, the ability to analyse ancient texts, the acquisition of specialised vocabulary and logical-argumentative ability.

oral

The instructor is responsible for ensuring the authenticity and originality of all examinations and coursework. In cases of suspected academic misconduct, an additional on-site assessment may be required during the exams, which may differ from the standard format.

A. Scores in the range of 18-22 will be assigned for:
Sufficient knowledge and understanding of the textbooks and related topics, limited ability of analysis and criticism, sufficient exposition skills.

B. Scores in the range of 23-26 will be assigned for:
Fair knowledge of the textbooks and related topics, fair ability of analysis and criticism, fair exposition skills.

C. Scores in the range of 27-30 will be assigned for:
Good or very good knowledge of the textbooks and related topics, good or very good ability of analysis and criticism, good or very good exposition skills.

D. The “laude” (la "lode") will be awarded to students with excellent knowledge and understanding of the textbooks and related topics, together with excellent analytical and critical skills and excellent exposition skills.

Lectures and analysis of texts