Ancient philosophy as the therapy for the soul and spiritual exercises 3501-FATD-S-OG

Socrates and Plato demostrate that the Presocratic paradigm of philosophical activity, constrained to the contemplating the nature of the world, is highly insufficient. As a result, philosophy gains its new, therapeutic value. The new approach consisting on the care for the „soul” (epimeleia, therapeia psyches) appears along with the inquiring into nature (historie). According to Cicero's famous claim, Socrates formed a watershed in the Greek way of philosophizing. Philosophy is called „down from the sky” by Socrates, and alongside the shift in the subject-matter, a new attitude in philosophical activity emerges as well. That picture is simplified and seems to be adequate only partially because the whole cultural context of the intellectual life at the time is not taken into consideration, including the Sophistic movement, the birth of the Hippocratic medicine or the fluctuation of the Athenian politics. The heritage of the Socratic 'care for the soul' paradigm is continued by most of the ancient philosophical schools. First and foremost, in Plato, it takes shape of a new way of life (bios), eventually leading to the emerging of „spiritual exercises”, i.e. certain techniques, which form thinking, emotion, and attitudes, and give way to a new habitus. During the seminar we will discuss the possible origins of the Socratic breakthrough and its reinterpretation by ancient thinkers. We will examine mutual relation between philosophy and Greek medicine, as well as the nature of the therapeutic paradigm in the ancient philosophy. We will also analyze some contemporary interpretations, which focus on the practical dimension of ancient philosophy (P. Hadot, M. Nussbaum). We will attempt to show their upsides as well as limitations.

Type of course

elective seminars
general courses

Mode

Classroom

Learning outcomes

knowledge
- acquiring an advanced comprehension of ancient philosophy

abilities
- following and articulating arguments used by ancient and philosophers
- critical reflection on ideas and evaluating arguments
- the ability of close reading and analyzing ancient source texts

social skills
- the ability to think independently
- sharing knowledge with others in discussions

Assessment criteria

-attendance
-active class participation
-a brief presentation or an essay

Bibliography

Primary texts:
Filozofia przedsokratejska, G.S.Kirk, J.E.Raven, M.Schofield, przeł. J.Lang, Warszawa 1999.
Korpus hipokratejski
Tukidydes, Wojna peloponeska (wybór)
Platon, Charmides, Gorgiasz, Państwo
Epikur, Listy
Stoicorum veterum fragmenta
Muzoniusz Rufus, Diatryby
Epiktet, Diatryby, Encheiridion (wybór)
Marek Aureliusz, Rozmyślania (do siebie samego)
Seneka, Listy (wybór), Zagadnienia przyrodnicze
Plutarch, O wygnaniu
Plotyn, Enneady (wybór)

Secondary texts:
*Claus David B., Toward the Soul. An Inquiry into the Meaning of Psyche, Yale UP 1981.
*Domański J., 'Scholastyczne' i 'humanistyczne' pojęcie filozofii, Kęty 2005
*Furley D.J., The early history of the concept of soul, „Bulletin of the Institute of Classical Studies”, 3, 1965, 1-18.
*Hadot I., The Spiritual Guide; [w:] Classical Mediterranean Spirituality, red. A.H. Armstrong, Crossroad-New York 1986
*Hadot P., Filozofia jako ćwiczenie duchowe, przeł. P. Domański, Warszawa 2003.
*Hadot P., Twierdza wewnętrzna. Wprowadzenie do 'Rozmyślań' Marka Aureliusza, przeł. P. Domański, Kęty 2004.
*Lain Entralgo P., The Therapy of the Word in Classical Antiquity, Yale UP 1970.
*Nehamas A., The Art of Living. Socratic Reflections from Plato to Foucault, University of California Press 1998.
*Nussbaum M.C., The Therapy of Desire. Theory and Practice in Hellenistic Ethics, Princeton UP 1996.
* Snell B., Odkrycie ducha. Studia o greckich korzeniach europejskiego myślenia, przeł. A. Onysymow, Warszawa 2009.
*Stephens, W.O., Epictetus on How the Stoic Sage Loves, 'Oxford Studies in Ancient Philosophy' 14, 1996, 193-210.
*Sullivan, Sh. D., Psychological and ethical ideas: what early Greeks say, New York, Leiden 1945.

Additional information

Information on level of this course, year of study and semester when the course unit is delivered, types and amount of class hours - can be found in course structure diagrams of apropriate study programmes. This course is related to the following study programmes:

Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system:

Description of 3501-FATD-S-OG in USOSweb