Greek 111 Greek Philosophers Honors Seminar Greek Philosophy and Religion Grace Ledbetter

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1 1 Greek 111 Greek Philosophers Honors Seminar Greek Philosophy and Religion Grace Ledbetter It has been said that, with the rise of Greek philosophy, change and revolution were finally seen to irrupt into the static structures of Greek religion. What exactly is the relationship between Greek philosophy and religion? Do the philosophers attempt to destroy traditional religion, or should we view them instead as transforming it? This seminar will study how thought about the divine develops in the Presocratics, Socrates, and Plato and how the philosophers views more generally might be considered religious. Topics will include: theology, cosmology, the ideal of godliness, eschatology, morality and the good life. Course Objectives Increased facility in Greek prose; increased clarity in oral and written expression; skills of summary, selection, logical argumentation, imaginative interpretation, and close reading; develop tools to formulate a view about how selected Presocratic philosophers, Socrates and Plato contribute to Greek religious thought. Books (available at bookstore) Hesiod, Theogony, Works and Days, Shield. Transl. A. Athanassakis Zaidman and Pantel. Religion in the Ancient Greek City Henry W. Johnstone, ed, Heraclitus' Peri Phuseos (Bryn Mawr Commentary) Sider and Johnstone, Parmenides: Fragments (Bryn Mawr Commentary) John Hare, Plato Euthyphro (Bryn Mawr Commentary) C. J. Rowe, ed., Plato Phaedo John Cooper, ed., Plato Complete Works Additional reading material will be available on blackboard, on the honors reserve shelf or handed out in class

2 2 Required work Weekly reading assignments in Greek and English Active engagement in seminar discussion Weekly or bi-weekly oral presentations Two formal (not seminar) papers Papers due: October 28 and December 17 Religious background Syllabus September 6: The nature of Greek Religion read all of Zaidman and Pantel for background. Use Burkert, Greek Religion (in seminar room) now and throughout the course as a reference to begin to pursue specific topics in more detail. 13: Traditional vs. mystical religion Greek: Hesiod, Theogony (xerox of Bryn Mawr commentary) English: the rest of the Theogony; Norman O. Brown, introduction to the Theogony F. M. Cornford, Nature, God, and Soul from his From Religion to Philosophy Burkert, GR ( mysteries and ascetisicm ) Presocratics 20: Xenophanes. Greek: B fragments of Xenophanes (xerox from Diels-Kranz), with Lesher s commentary (on reserve); English: Jaeger, The Theology of the Early Greek philosophers, 1-54 (focus on

3 3 Xenophanes) Barnes, the divine philosophy of Xenophanes 27: Heraclitus Greek: B fragments of Heraclitus with Johnstone s commentary (textbook) and Kahn, The Art and Thought of Heraclitus (honors reserve) English: Adomenas, Heraclitus on Religion Hussey, Heraclitus in The Cambridge Companion to Early Greek Philosophy (honors reserve) Jaeger, Heraclitus October 4: Parmenides Greek: fragments of Parmenides, with Sider and Johnstone Bryn Mawr Commentary (textbook) and Gallop commentary (honors reserve; see Gallop s helpful introduction) English: Jaeger, Parmenides mystery of being Most, The poetics of early Greek philosophy in The Cambridge Companion to Early Greek Philosophy (honors reserve) Burkert, GR pp (begin to read, this will be relevant throughout). Socrates October 11: Greek: Euthyphro beginning-9e (with BMC Hare commentary, textbook) English: Cooper s introduction (Plato Complete Works) Humphreys, Dynamics of the Greek Breakthrough : the dialogue between philosophy and religion Burkert, GR , again ( The crisis: sophists and atheists) McPherran, Justice and Pollution in the Euthyphro FALL BREAK 25: Greek: Euthyphro 9e-end. English: Plato, Apology (in Cooper, Plato Complete Works)

4 4 Vlastos, Socratic piety R. Parker, The Trial of Socrates: And a Religious Crisis? ***paper due October 28***. Plato November 1: Greek: Phaedo beginning-69e5 (with Rowe s commentary (textbook) and Gallop, Plato Phaedo (honors reserve). English: James Warren Socratic suicide Morgan, Plato and Greek Religion Plato, Symposium (focus on the central speech of Diotima and Socrates) 8: Greek: Phaedo 69e6-78b3 (with Rowe and Gallop) English: Scott, Platonic recollection Plato, Republic 2, 3; 5 15: Greek: Phaedo 78b4-88b8 (with Rowe and Gallop) English: Republic 6, 7, 10 +Phaedrus 244a-257c A. Nightingale, The fable of philosophy in Plato s Republic 22: Greek: Phaedo 88c1-99d2 (with Rowe and Gallop) English: Plato, Timaeus G. Carone, Cosmic god and human reason in the Timaeus 29: Greek: Phaedo 99d3-102a (with Rowe and Gallop) K. Morgan, Myth and philosophy from the Presocratics to Plato pp December 6: Greek: Phaedo 102a-110a. 13: Greek: Phaedo 110-end.

5 20 : presentation of papers and commentary 5