LC142 - HISTORY OF ANCIENT PHILOSOPHY

The course aims to introduce students to the main problems concerning scientific knowledge in Greek thought through the analysis of two major works by Plato: the Meno and the Timaeus. Particular attention will be devoted to the doctrine of recollection, the relationship between knowledge, opinion, and learning, and the fundamental principles of Platonic cosmology.

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

understand and discuss the main philosophical arguments developed in the texts examined;
reconstruct Plato’s doctrine of recollection and explain its epistemological significance;
describe the fundamental concepts of the cosmology presented in the Timaeus;
critically analyse an ancient philosophical text, with attention to its argumentative structure and technical vocabulary;
situate the doctrines studied within the broader context of Greek philosophy;
present clearly, both orally and in writing, the main contents and problems addressed in the course.