Module CLAS3301: MIDDLE PLATONISM

Department: CLASSICS AND ANCIENT HISTORY

CLAS3301: MIDDLE PLATONISM

Prerequisites

• At least one of: Early Greek Philosophy (CLAS1101), Classical Theories of Soul (CLAS1531), Epicureanism (CLAS2??1), Stoicism (CLAS2261), Knowledge and Reality (PHIL1021).

Corequisites

• None.

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None.

Aims

• To promote the learning and understanding of ancient philosophy.
• to introduce students to new and more challenging philosophical topics, texts and concepts, and thereby to develop the range of their knowledge, and the depth of their analytical skills.

Content

• Based on a close reading of primary texts (drawn particularly from Plutarch and Alcinous, but also from Atticus, Numenius and others as appropriate), this module will examine the revival of Platonism in the first two centuries of our era.
• It will look in particular at the way in which Platonist thinkers developed metaphysical, ethical and psychological theories on the basis of their interpretation of Plato.

Learning Outcomes

• Close familiarity with the texts needed for an understanding of Platonism in the first two centuries of our era.
• Understanding of trends in the areas of metaphysics, ethics, and psychology at this era, and of the significant debates between different Platonists.

• The ability to use knowledge of other philosophers in antiquity, especially Plato, Aristotle, and the Stoics, in developing plausible accounts of ???Middle??? Platonist philosophy.
• An ability to engage critically with the full range of textual evidence including fragments and full texts, polemical report, commentary, and allegorical exegesis in reconstructing the philosophical positions of individual Platonists.
• Confidence in handling and deploying basic philosophical concepts covering the fields of epistemology, physics, and ethics.

• Capacity for self-motivated work, and for working with other people in tackling particular analytical tasks and research projects.
• The ability to present a well-researched, well-articulated, and well-balanced account of the evidence for a particular topic, which takes the views of other commentators into account.
• The ability to read philosophical texts of a wide range of styles with confidence, and the capacity to identify and engage critically with arguments set out in them.
• The ability to reconstruct a plausible line of thought from evidence that is imperfect, biased, or indirect.
• An independence of mind which is strengthened, not compromised, by the sympathetic understanding of alternative points of view.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• Teaching for this module is by weekly two-hour classes, which will normally be structured around a lecture and one other activity: seminar, presentation, or class discussion, or revision, as appropriate.
• Lectures are used to provide factual information and to give models for interpretative procedures in the selection and interpretation of fragments. Seminars, class discussions, and revision classes are used to consolidate knowledge and practise interpretative procedures. Corresponding to this is a 50% examination component, which tests general assimilation and understanding of material across the breadth of the course. A summative coursework essay contributing 25% of the final mark gives students the opportunity of exploring a topic in greater depth, and to explore connections with previous philosophical exposure as appropriate.
• Group presentations are used to explore material which forms the basis for the coursework assignment, and to test ideas, and to ensure collaboration between members of the group. The coursework assignment involves a combined ???report??? on a particular Middle Platonist text, studied from various points of view. (It includes, for example, space for a review of literature, and discussion of the philosophical context from which the text comes.) In this way, students gain in their understanding of a particular area of Middle Platonism, as well as acquiring the skills needed to handle particular texts in depth, and with sensitivity to the style (as well as content) of exposition. Each student is responsible for and assessed on a single aspect of the report, but it is expected that the group as a whole will work together and benefit from each other???s work by doing so. This coursework contributes 25% to the final mark.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

Two essays (one each in Michaelmas and Epiphany terms).

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University