CLA1508 - Ancient World: Roman Philosophy
2018/9 Module description
| Staff | Dr Gabriele Galluzzo - Convenor |
|---|---|
| Credit Value | 15 |
| ECTS Value | 7.5 |
| NQF Level | 4 |
| Pre-requisites | None |
| Co-requisites | None |
| Duration of Module | Term 1: 11 weeks; |
Module description
This module aims to offer a chance for students from various backgrounds to explore a period of philosophy that is less often studied than Greek philosophy but which is rich in its intellectual and cultural interest. It shows how Roman Philosophy emerged against the background of later Greek (Hellenistic) Philosophy and how Roman thinkers gave a distinctive character to philosophical thought. It offers a chance to explore fundamental philosophical questions about human values and happiness, ethics and nature, mind and body, death and the gods, as these are treated by important Roman thinkers such as Lucretius, Cicero, and Marcus Aurelius.
Module aims
- This module provides an introduction into Roman Philosophy. It is concerned with Hellenistic and Roman thinking on fundamental issues about human values and happiness, mind and body, death and nature. You will learn how to use and analyse Hellenistic and Roman philosophical texts and modern scholarly discussions as sources for understanding Roman philosophy.
ILO: Module-specific skills
- 1. You should, with guidance, be able to describe and evaluate a number of key features of Roman philosophy
- 2. You should also have assimilated a basic understanding of some important texts by Lucretius, Cicero and Epictetus, together with selected readings on Hellenistic philosophy
- 3. You should also, with guidance, be able to use the sources to examine a set of key issues and debates in Roman philosophy
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
- 4. You should be able to use, analyse and evaluate Hellenistic and Roman philosophical texts as historical sources
- 5. You should also develop basic academic and library skills as well as a critical ability in assessing published literature on selected texts in Hellenistic and Roman philosophy
ILO: Personal and key skills
- 6. You should demonstrate independent and group study skills in guided research and presentation of findings
- 7. You should also be able to select and organise relevant material and to present this in connected oral and written form, and to discuss issues in a peer group
- 8. You should be able to manage their own time and meet deadlines
Syllabus plan
Whilst the content may vary from year to year, it is envisioned that it will cover some or all of the following topics:
- Introduction to Hellenistic and Roman Philosophy
- Epicureanism: Lucretius on Death, Body and Soul: Nature and Human Civilisation
- Stoicism: Cicero on Ethics and Social Commitment
- Epicureanism and Stoicism on Nature and the Gods
- Marcus Aurelius: Stoic Ethical Reflection as a basis for meeting life's challenges
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 27 | 123 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled learning and teaching | 22 | 11 x 2 hour lectures |
| Scheduled learning and teaching | 5 | 5 x 1 hour seminars |
| Guided independent study | 123 | Private study |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oral presentation | 5-10 minutes | 1-8 | Oral feedback |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 30 | 70 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | 30 | 2000 words | 1-8 | Mark and written feedback |
| Exam | 70 | 2 hours | 1-8 | Mark and written feedback |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | Essay | 1-8 | Referral/Deferral period |
| Examination | Examination | 1-8 | Referral/Deferral period |
Re-assessment notes
Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.
Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Primary reading (note that this is an indicative list only, and the reading list for the current year can be found on ELE):
- Lucretius, On the Nature of Things, trans. M. F. Smith (Hackett)
- Cicero, Selected Works (Penguin Classics), esp. On Duties 3.
- Cicero, The Nature of the Gods , trans. P. G. Walsh (World’s Classics)
- Marcus Aurelius, Meditations , trans. R. Hard, ed. C. Gill (World’s Classics)
Also, Long, A. A. and Sedley, D. N., The Hellenistic Philosophers, vol. 1: extracts, which can be found on the ELE page.
Secondary Reading (introductory):
- Morford, M. The Roman Philosophers (Routledge)
- O’Keefe, Tim, Epicureanism (Acumen)
- Sedley, D. (ed), Cambridge Companion to Greek and Roman Philosophy (Cambridge University Press)
- Sellars, J. Stoicism (Acumen Press)
Module has an active ELE page?
Yes
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
Available as distance learning?
No
Origin date
26/02/2016
Last revision date
14/11/2018
Key words search
Rome, Philosophy, Epicureanism, Stoicism, Cicero, Lucretius, Marcus Aurelius
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