Faculty of Arts & Humanities Department of Philosophy 6AANA014 Hellenistic Philosophy Syllabus Academic year 2016/7 Basic information Credits: 15 Module Tutor: Dr Shaul Tor, shaul.tor@kcl.ac.uk Office: B12 North Wing Consultation time: Tuesday and Thursday 13:00-14:00 Semester: 1 Lecture time and venue: Monday 14:00-16:00, Philosophy Building, room 405 Module description (plus aims and objectives) The Hellenistic period of philosophy begins with the founding of the Stoic, Epicurean and Sceptical schools around the time of Aristotle, and extends to the late antique period. These three schools developed some of the most interesting ideas to be found in ancient philosophy, for instance the determinism of the Stoics, the atomism and hedonism of the Epicureans, and the sceptical approach initiated by Pyrrho, which culminated in the work of Sextus Empiricus. Hellenistic philosophy reacts to earlier Greek thought the Presocratics, Plato and Aristotle but is in many ways a new beginning for ancient philosophy. This module will introduce some of the principal themes of the Stoics, Epicureans and Sceptics, considering each philosophical school in its own right, as well as some ways they influenced and criticised one another. Assessment methods and deadlines Formative assessment: 1 essay of 2,500 words length o Deadline: Monday 7 November 2016, 16:00 Summative assessment: 2 essays, each of 2,500 words length o Deadline: Wednesday 18 January 2017, 16:00 1
Outline of lecture topics (plus suggested readings) The main sourcebook for the course is A.A. Long and D.N. Sedley, The Hellenistic Philosophers, Vol.1 (Cambridge, 1987), referred to below as LS followed by chapter number(s). Week One: Stoic physics: Matter, god and fate primary (p): LS 44-46, 54-55, 62 secondary (s): R. Sharples, Stoics, Epicureans and Sceptics (Routledge, 1996), p. 43-55, 74-77; D. Frede, Stoic Determinism, in B. Inwood (ed.), The Cambridge Companion to the Stoics (Cambridge 2003) further (f): R. Salles, The Stoics on Determinism and Compatibilism; S. Bobzien, Determinism and Freedom in Stoic Philosophy Week Two: Stoic ethics: Value and virtue (p): LS 57-61 (s): M. Schofield, Stoic ethics, in The Cambridge Companion to the Stoics (f): T. Brennan, The Stoic Life (Oxford 2005), ch.8; G. Striker, The Role of oikeiôsis in Stoic Ethics in her Essays on Hellenistic Epistemology and Ethics (Cambridge 1996). Week Three: Stoic ethics: Happiness and the good life (p): LS 63-64 (s): T. Brennan, The Stoic Life, ch.9 (f): R. Barney, A Puzzle in Stoic Ethics, Oxford Studies in Ancient Philosophy 24 (2003), p.303-40; G. Striker, Following nature: A Study in Stoic Ethics, in her Essays on Hellenistic Epistemology and Ethics. Week Four: Stoics ethics: The emotions (p): LS 65 (s): T. Brennan, The Stoic Life, ch.7 (f): M. Nussbaum, The Therapy of Desire (Cambridge 1994), Ch.10; J. Cooper, The Emotional Life of the Wise, Southern Journal of Philosophy 43 (2005), p.176-218. Week Five: Epicurean physics: Atoms, void and freedom (p): LS 5-14, 20 (s): R. Sharples, Stoics, Epicureans and Sceptics p. 34-43, 59-66; T. O Keefe, Action and Responsibility, in J. Warren (ed.), The Cambridge Companion to Epicureanism (Cambridge 2009). (f): D. Sedley, Epicurus' Refutation of Determinism, in SUZHTHSIS: Studi sull'epicureismo greco e romano offerti a Marcello Gigante (Naples 1983); S. Bobzien, Did Epicurus Discover the Free Will Problem?, Oxford Studies in Ancient Philosophy (2000), p. 287-337. Week Six: Epicurean ethics: Pleasure and the good life Reading (p): LS 21 (s): R. Woolf, Pleasure and Desire, The Cambridge Companion to Epicureanism (f). G. Striker, Epicurean Hedonism in her Essays on Hellenistic Epistemology and Ethics; J. Purinton, Epicurus on the Telos, Phronesis 38 (1993), p.281-320; J. Cooper, Pleasure and Desire in Epicurus, in his Reason and Emotion. Page 2
Week Seven: Epicurean ethics: Justice, Society and Friendship (p): LS 22 (s): E. Brown, Politics and Society, in the Cambridge Companion to Epicureanism (f): M. Evans, Can Epicureans be Friends?, Ancient Philosophy 24 (2004), p.407-424; J. Armstrong, Epicurean justice, Phronesis 42 (1997), p.324-334. Week Eight: Epicurean ethics: God and death (p): LS 23-24 (s): J. Warren, Removing fear, in the Cambridge Companion to Epicureanism (f): P. Mitsis, Happiness and Death in Epicurean Ethics, Apeiron, 35 (2002), p.41 55; J. Warren, Facing Death: Epicurus and his Critics (Oxford, 2004) Week Nine: Hellenistic epistemology: Stoics v. Sceptics (p): LS 39-42 (s): M, Frede, Stoic epistemology, M. Schofield, Academic epistemology, both in K. Algra (ed.), the Cambridge History of Hellenistic Philosophy (f): G. Striker, Sceptical strategies, in her Essays on Hellenistic Epistemology and Ethics Week Ten: Pyrrhonism: Scepticism as a way of life (p): LS 71-72 (s): C. Perin, Scepticism and belief, in R. Bett (ed.), The Cambridge Companion to Ancient Scepticism; G. Striker, The ten Tropes of Aenesidemus, in M.F. Burnyeat (ed.), The Skeptical Tradition (Berkeley, 1983), p. 95-115 (f): J. Annas and J. Barnes (eds. and trans.), Sextus Empiricus: Outlines of Scepticism (Cambridge, 2000), Book 1; M. Burnyeat, Can the Sceptic Live his Scepticism? ; M. Frede, The Skeptic s Beliefs, J. Barnes, The Beliefs of a Pyrrhonist, all in M. Burnyeat and M. Frede (eds.), The Original Sceptics (Indianapolis 1998) Page 3
Suggested essay questions Suggested FORMATIVE essay titles: Do the Stoics succeed in reconciling fate with moral responsibility? Do the Stoics succeed in showing that virtue is the only good? The Stoic moral agent is concerned only with his own virtue. Discuss. Do the Stoics offer a satisfactory account of the emotions? Do the Epicureans succeed in showing that pleasure is the highest good? Does Epicurus offer a satisfactory account of the role of virtue in the good life? Does Epicurus offer a satisfactory account of the role of friendship in the good life? Who had the better of the debate between the Stoics and the Academic sceptics over the possibility of knowledge? Can a Pyrrhonian sceptic live his scepticism? Suggested SUMMATIVE essay titles: If, according to the Stoics, providence is universal and everything happens in accordance with god s intention, is it still coherent for them to say that there is evil and vicious behaviour in the world? EITHER What does living in accordance with nature mean for the Stoics? What role does this idea play in Stoic thought? OR Why do the Stoics need the notion of preferred indifferents? Is this notion ultimately coherent? What is at stake in the debate between Chrysippus and Posidonius about the nature of the emotions? Who has the better of it? How, if at all, does the Epicurean swerve provide a basis for free action? Why does Epicurus think that the absence of pain is the greatest pleasure? How plausible is this claim? Do the Epicureans argue convincingly that we have no good reason to fear death? EITHER In the end, how subversive is Epicureanism? OR In the end, how subversive is Stoicism? How, and how well, did the Academic sceptics respond to the inactivity charge? Expound and assess critically Sextus Empiricus fourfold criterion of action. Page 4
Suggested additional readings In addition to what is listed in the weekly readings, there are a large number of volumes dealing with the main philosophical theories of the Hellenistic schools. The following is a selection: Algra, K., Barnes, J., Mansfeld, J. and Schofield, M. (eds) The Cambridge History of Hellenistic Philosophy Annas, J., The Morality of Happiness Annas, J. Hellenistic Philosophy of Mind Barnes, J., Burnyeat, M. and Schofield, M. (eds) Doubt and Dogmatism Barnes, J., Burnyeat, M., Brunschwig, J. and Schofield, M. (eds) Science and Speculation Barnes, J., and Mignucci, M. (eds)matter and Metaphysics Bett, R. (ed.), The Cambridge Companion to Ancient Scepticism Brunschwig, J. Papers in Hellenistic Philosophy Furley, D. Two studies in the Greek Atomists Hankinson, R.J. The Sceptics Ierodiakonou, K. (ed.) Topics in Stoic Philosophy Inwood, B. (ed.), The Cambridge Companion to the Stoics Long, A.A. Problems in Stoicism Long. A.A. Stoic Studies Mitsis, P. Epicurus Ethical Theory Sedley, D. (ed.) The Cambridge Companion to Greek and Roman Philosophy Sedley, D. Lucretius and the transformation of Greek wisdom Sellars, J. Stoicism Sharples, R. Stoics, Epicureans, Sceptics Warren, J. (ed.), The Cambridge Companion to Epicureanism Page 5