28017 - History of Ancient Philosophy (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student has acquired (1) the in-depth knowledge of a philosophical topic or problem typical of Greek and Roman antiquity and (2) three types of skills: (a) philological – he/she knows how to analyze an ancient text using the advanced philological tools needed for the study of Greek and Roman philosophy; (b) dialectical – he/she is trained to discuss a philosophical problem in a synchronic and diachronic way, through the comparison between ancient and modern philosophers; (c) rhetorical – he/she is capable of arguing exegetical and philosophical theses in oral and written form.

Course contents

From the beginning of his troubled career, Nietzsche's confrontation with the Greek world constituted the decisive moment for coming to terms with his time. Because we cannot understand who we are if we do not know where we come from. And it is precisely there that the decisive problem lies, for Nietzsche: a completely erroneous idea of Greece, and thus a misunderstanding of our tradition. By reconstructing some decisive moments in Nietzsche's relationship with the ancient world (the problem of tragedy and the categories of the Apollonian and Dionysian; the polemic with Socrates and Plato), the role and importance of the Greeks in the construction of European identity can thus be clarified – a problem that continues to occupy a place of decisive importance in our debates.

Readings/Bibliography

F. Nietzsche, La nascita della tragedia, Torino, Einaudi

F. Nietzsche, Antologia di passi

Two of the following chapters/papers:

J. Berry, Nietzsche and the Greeks, in J. Richardson – K. Gemes (eds.), the Oxford Handbook of Nietzsche, Oxford, Oxford University Press 2013, pp. 83-107.

G. Cambiano, Filosofia greca e identità dell’Occidente. Le avventure di una tradizione, Bologna, Il Mulino 2022, pp. 679-727.

A. Nehamas, The Art of Living. Socratic Reflections from Plato to Foucault, Berkley: University of California Press, 1998, pp. 128-156

Raymond, C. 2019. Nietzsche’s Revaluation of Socrates, in The Brill’s Companion to the Reception of Socrates, Leiden, Brill 2019, pp. 837-880.

G. Ugolini 2013c, Nietzsche e la polemica sul tragico, in D. Lanza e G. Ugolini (a cura di), Storia della filologia classica, Roma, Carocci 2013, pp. 191-220

Teaching methods

lectures

Assessment methods

Oral examination

Criteria

30 cum laude - Excellent as to knowledge, philosophical lexicon and critical expression.

30 – Excellent: knowledge is complete, well argued and correctly expressed, with some slight faults.

27-29 – Good: thorough and satisfactory knowledge; essentially correct expression.

24-26 - Fairly good: knowledge broadly acquired, and not always correctly expressed.

21-23 – Sufficient: superficial and partial knowledge; exposure and articulation are incomplete and often not sufficiently appropriate

18-20 - Almost sufficient: superficial and decontextualized knowledge. The exposure of the contents shows important gaps.

Exam failed - Students are requested to show up at a subsequent exam session if basic skills and knowledge are not sufficiently acquired and not placed in the historical-philosophical context.

Students with disabilities and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students with disabilities or Specific Learning Disorders are entitled to special adjustments according to their condition, subject to assessment by the University Service for Students with Disabilities and SLD. Please do not contact teachers or Department staff, but make an appointment with the Service. The Service will then determine what adjustments are specifically appropriate, and get in touch with the teacher. For more information, please visit the page:
https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students

Teaching tools

Some texts of bibliography and eventual slides shown during the course will be available on Virtuale.

Office hours

See the website of Mauro Bonazzi