Introduction to the History of Philosophy

elementary

FP1_W06

FP1_U10

FP1_K04

Course Level: Basic

Course objectives: the students acquire basic knowledge of philosophical culture of ancient Greece and Rome as well as the ability to identify key issues and themes of philosophy living in this period.

I The history of ancient philosophy:

Course objectives: the students acquire basic knowledge of philosophical culture of ancient Greece and Rome as well as the ability to identify key issues and themes of philosophy living in this period.

Course contents:

Lectures on the history of ancient philosophy are designed to show the most important philosophical ideas developed by the Greek philosophers, as well as how these ideas were born, and what they meant in the life of the philosophers themselves and in ancient culture in general.

Issues to be covered:

Birth and the general nature of Greek philosophy.

Orphic inspiration in Greek philosophy.

Naturalistic trend of Greek philosophy.

Pythagoreism (Orphic ideas in pythagoreism, Pythagorean astronomy and metaphysics, discovery of the mathematical nature of reality, the struggle and the harmony of the opposites, Pythagorean morality).

Democritus of Abdera (atomism, ethics).

Greek sophists - the general characteristics of Greek sophistry.

Socrates - the uniqueness and the educational mission of Socrates, ethical intellectualism and Socratic maieutics. Smaller Socratics : Antisthenes and cynicism (cynic message of liberation); Aristippus of Cyrene, and Cyrenaics (hedonism of Cyrenaics).

Plato: an existential aspect of Plato's philosophy, Orphic legacy in the philosophy of Plato, Platonic mysticism, Plato's theory of the idea, Platonic idealism, Platonic inspirations in the Christian philosophy and spirituality.

Aristotle: logics, metaphysics, cosmology and psychology, epistemology, ethics, political philosophy.

Hellenistic philosophy - civilization, cultural and moral transformation in Greece,

Hellenistic philosophical schools and their role in the cultural and moral transformation; common features of Hellenistic philosophy; philosophy as a moral and intellectual formation.

Other aspects of the spiritual culture of the Hellenistic era (renaissance of Greek mysteries, the influx of eastern mysteries).

Pyrrho of Elida and skepticism: Pyrrho's guiding features of skepticism; skepticism of the Platonic Academy.

Zeno of Kition and stoicism; ethical and practical dimension of the philosophy of stoicism, stoic philosophy of the Logos and natural law; stoic ethics and the most important stoic moral ideals.

Epicurus and his philosophical mission, Epicurean atomism as the prospect of seeing and solving all physical, ontological and moral problems.

Philosophical schools in the period of the Roman Empire: Cynicism, Stoicism, Pythagoreism, middle Platonism, Gnosticism, Hermeticism, "Chaldean Oracles", Neo-Platonism, the common features of the philosophy of this period.

II The history of medieval philosophy:

The second part of the lectures is Christian philosophy, its formation and functioning in the framework of the medieval Christian culture. The last part of the lectures is Arab and Jewish philosophy, and Italian Renaissance.

Issues of classes: the Jewish and early Christian philosophy: Philo of Alexandria; Clement of Alexandria and the discussion on the Greek philosophical tradition; the idea of the Logos in the early Christian philosophy; patristic philosophy. St. Augustine: Augustinian conception of philosophy; man and cognition; God, the nature and the existence of God; the Divine state and the earthly state; Augustinian idealism. Medieval philosophy: change of the nature of philosophy, the mentality of the medieval, classical sources of medieval philosophy; universities and scholasticism; reception of Greco-Arabic teaching; reception of Aristotle's thought; the impact of Arab and Jewish philosophers. The main problems of medieval philosophy: a new concept of philosophy (philosophy and liberal arts, philosophy and theology); dispute about universals. The problem of the existence and nature of God in medieval philosophy. The question of nature in medieval philosophy: the figurative and symbolic meaning of the cosmos, the idea of dual revelation; the school of Chartres and the ennoblement of nature; the discovery of natural works of Aristotle. Anthropology and moral philosophy in the Middle Ages: John Scot Eriugena, the question of original sin and the fall of man, the question of soul and body, and the issue of human freedom; anthropology St. Thomas Aquinas. State and society in medieval philosophy: medieval conceptions of a theocratic state and the secular state. Arabic philosophy: Al-Kindi, Al-Farabi, Avicenna, Awerroes.Philosophy of Renaissance: the spirit of the Renaissance, Renaissance humanism, renaissance of ancient philosophy.

Literatura podstawowa:

G. Reale, Historia filozofii starożytnej, Lublin 1993 – 2002.

E. Gilson, Historia filozofii chrześcijańskiej w wiekach średnich, 1987.

R. Heinzmann, Filozofia średniowieczna, Kęty 1999.

Literatura dodatkowa:

Kirk, Raven, Schofield, Filozofia przedsokratejska, Warszawa Poznań 1999.

K. Albert, O platońskim pojęciu filozofii, Warszawa 1991.

G. Colli, Narodziny filozofii, Warszawa-Kraków 1991.

J. Gajda, Sofiści, Warszawa 1998.

P. Hadot, Filozofia jako ćwiczenie duchowe, Warszawa1992.

P. Hadot, Czym jest filozofia starożytna, Warszawa 2000.

P. Hadot, Plotyn albo prostota spojrzenia, Kęty 2002.

W. Jaeger, Paidea, Warszaw 2001.

W. Jaeger, Wczesne chrześcijaństwo i grecka paideia, Bydgoszcz 2002.

L. Joachimowicz, Sceptycyzm grecki, Warszawa 1972.

H. Jonas, Religia gnozy, Kraków 1994.

A. Krokiewicz, Sokrates, Warszawa 1983.

A. Krokiewicz, Sceptycyzm grecki, Warszawa 1964.

A. Krokiewicz, Arystoteles, Pirron, Plotyn, Warszawa 1974.

A. Krokiewicz, Hedonizm Epikura, Warszawa 1961.

A. Krokiewicz, Zarys filozofii greckiej. Od Talesa do Platona, Warszawa 1971.

I. Krońska, Sokrates, Warszawa 1958.

K. Leśniak, Arystoteles, Warszawa 1975.

K. Leśniak, Platon, Warszawa 1968.

K. Leśniak, Materialiści greccy w epoce przed-sokratejskiej, Warszawa 1972.

C.S. Lewis, Odrzucony obraz, Warszawa 1986.

J. Pieper, Scholastyka, Warszawa 2000.

G. Quispel, Gnoza, Warszawa 1988.

T. Szlezák, Czytanie Platona, Warszawa 1997.

T. Szlezak, O nowej interpretacji platońskich dialogów, Kęty 2005.

T, Špidlik, I. Gargano, Duchowość ojców greckich i wschodnich, Kraków 1992.W. Beierwaltes, Platonizm w chrześcijaństwie, Kęty 2003.

H. Chadwick, Myśl wczesno-chrześcijańska a tradycja klasyczna, Poznań 2000.

G.R. Ewans, Filozofia i teologia w średniowieczu, Kraków 1996.

E. Garin, Powrót filozofów starożytnych, Warszawa 1987.

J. Le Goff, Inteligencja w wiekach średnich, Warszawa 1966.

W. Jaeger, Wczesne chrześcijaństwo i grecka paideia, Bydgoszcz 2002.

C.S. Lewis, Odrzucony obraz, Warszawa 1986.

J. Pieper, Scholastyka, Warszawa 2000.

Wł. Seńko, Jak rozumieć filozofię średniowieczną, Warszawa 1993.

T. Szlezák, Czytanie Platona, Warszawa 1997.

S. Šwieżawski, Święty Tomasz na nowo odczytany, Poznań 1995.

Basic aim of history of ancient and medieval philosophy in the first part is to acquire intimate knowledge from philosophical culture of ancient Greece and Rome, from beginning of philosophy to Augustin and also skills to identify the most relevant problems and philosophical motives which are still alive in philosophy of discussed period. The second part of the lectures is Christian philosophy, its formation and functioning in the framework of the medieval Christian culture. The last part of the lectures is Arab and Jewish philosophy, and Italian Renaissance.

No less important is the fact, that student, thanks to that classes, could understand the human as well as existential dimension of ancient philosophy, and first of all could see it not as the complex of ready-made solutions for all the problems, which are caused by human, or as the final set of dogmas for acceptance and master as belief, but- as the way to truth in all its dimensions (spiritual and moral), which is to find and experience by oneself. The philosophy should be treated by students as the source of inspiration for their existential self-development.