Fall 2019 Schedule
All dates given below are subject to change.
Important Dates
31 October | Commentary 1 Posted |
28 November | Commentary 1 Due |
5 December | Commentary 2 Posted |
2 January | Commentary 2/Final Paper Due |
Schedule of Topics & Readings
LS = Long and Sedley (eds.), The Hellenistic Philosophers,
Ac. = Brittain (ed.), Cicero: On Academic Scepticism,
* = may be selected for presentation.
Unit 0 | Introduction | |
17 Sept. | 0.1 | Syllabus and Course Basics |
24–26 Sept. | 0.2 | The “Problem of the Criterion” |
Chisholm, “The Problem of the Criterion”* | ||
Striker, “The Problem of the Criterion”* | ||
Unit 1 | Hellenistic Epistemology in Context | |
1–3 Oct. | 1.1 | Democritus, Protagoras, et al.: Proto-Skeptics? |
Protagoras, Fragments from On Truth | ||
Democritus, Selected Fragments | ||
Lee, “Antecedents in early Greek Philosophy”* | ||
8–10 Oct. | 1.2 | Early Challenges: Pyrrho & the Cyreniacs |
Early Pyrrhonism (LS 1) | ||
Brunschwig, “The Beginnings of Hellenistic Epistemology”* | ||
15, 22 Oct. | 1.3 | Epicurean Epistemology |
Epicurus on the Criterion (LS 16–17) | ||
Everson, “Epicurus on the Truth of the Senses”* | ||
Unit 2 | The Stoa & the Academy | |
24, 31 Oct. | 2.1 | Introducing the Dispute: Stoic Epistemology |
The Criterion in Stoic Psychology (LS 53, 39–40) | ||
Frede, “Stoic Epistemology”* | ||
5–7 Nov. | 2.2 | Introducing the Dispute: the Epistemology of the “New Academy” |
Cicero, Ac. 2.1–10 | ||
Vogt, “Ancient Skepticism”, sect. 3 | ||
Schofield, “Academic Epistemology”* | ||
12–14 Nov. | 2.3 | Stoicism in the New Academy? |
Cicero, Ac. 2.11–62 | ||
Striker, “Academics Fighting Academics”* | ||
19–21 Nov. | 2.4 | The Academic Case for Skepticism: Cicero’s Reply |
Cicero, Ac. 2.63–98 | ||
Striker, “Sceptical Strategies”* | ||
26–28 Nov. | 2.5 | Cicero in Defense of the Academic Criterion |
Cicero, Ac. 2.98–148 | ||
Görler, “Cicero’s Philosophical Stance in the Lucullus"* | ||
Unit 3 | Rethinking the Measure Doctrine | |
3–5 Dec. | 3.1 | The Measure Doctrine in Plato |
Plato, Selections from Theaetetus | ||
Zilioli, “Protagoras Through Plato and Aristotle”* | ||
10–12 Dec. | 3.2 | Aristotle’s Reception of Protagoras |
Aristotle, Selections from Metaphysics Γ, Ι | ||
McCready-Flora, “Protagoras and Plato in Aristotle”* | ||
17–19 Dec. | 3.3 | The Measure Doctrine in Aristotle |
Aristotle, Selections from De Anima | ||
Aristotle, Selections from Nicomachean Ethics | ||
Howton, “Aristotle on Why the Senses Discriminate”* |