F703 - HISTORY OF ANCIENT PHILOSOPHY

courses
ID:
F703
Duration (hours):
63
CFU:
9
SSD:
Storia della filosofia antica
Located in:
CHIETI
Url:
PHILOLOGY, LINGUISTICS AND LITERARY TRADITIONS/CORSO GENERICO Year: 1
Year:
2026
Course Catalogue:
https://unich.coursecatalogue.cineca.it/af/2026?co...

Overview

Date/time interval

Primo Semestre (01/10/2026 - 31/01/2027)

Syllabus

Course Objectives


The course aims to provide students with an in-depth understanding of the concepts of being and substance in Plato and Aristotle through a close reading and analysis of Plato’s Sophist and Books Zeta, Eta, and Theta of Aristotle’s Metaphysics.
By the end of the course, students will be able to:

understand the principal ontological problems addressed in Plato’s Sophist, with particular reference to the definitions of being, non-being, identity, and difference;
reconstruct Aristotle’s account of substance in Books Zeta, Eta, and Theta of the Metaphysics;
understand the Aristotelian concepts of matter, form, composite substance, essence, potentiality, and actuality;
identify continuities and differences between Platonic and Aristotelian ontology;
place the texts, concepts, and arguments examined within their historical and philosophical contexts;
critically analyse complex philosophical texts and reconstruct their argumentative structure;
compare different translations and interpretations of ancient philosophical texts;
use the fundamental terminology of ancient ontology and metaphysics appropriately;
present the knowledge acquired clearly and rigorously, developing coherent and well-supported arguments.

Course Prerequisites


None

Teaching Methods


lectures

Assessment Methods


Oral examination, which may be partially replaced by a one-hour seminar presentation on a selected portion of the texts covered in the course.

Texts


Plato, The Sophist, edited by B. Centrone, Einaudi, Turin, numerous reprints.
(Students may also profitably consult the annotated translation by F. Fronterotta, published by BUR, Milan, with numerous reprints. In class, the text will be read in Centrone’s translation, but frequent comparisons will also be made with Fronterotta’s version.)
Aristotle, Metaphysics, edited by G. Reale, Bompiani, Milan, numerous reprints.
(Students may also consult the translation by E. Berti, published by Laterza, Rome–Bari. Students who read Ancient Greek are advised to use this second translation, which is more literal and facilitates comparison with Aristotle’s original text.)

Contents


Being and Substance in Plato and Aristotle. A Reading of Plato's Sophist and Aristotle's Metaphysics Zeta Eta Theta.

Course Language


Italian

Degrees

Degrees

PHILOLOGY, LINGUISTICS AND LITERARY TRADITIONS 
Master’s Degree
2 years
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