Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics is a truly classical work. His discussions of happiness, virtue, (in)voluntary actions, friendship, and pleasure continue to attract the attention of scholars and philosophers alike. Yet, as observes C. Natali in a recent article (‘Rhetorical and Scientific Aspects of the Nicomachean Ethics’ Phronesis 52 [2007] 364-381), “the text and style of this Aristotelian work … have never been exhaustively studied. Indeed, there is still a lot of preparatory work to do to facilitate its interpretation.”
In this seminar we will study the philosophical issues that Aristotle raises while paying attention to the way in which he does so.
Timetable
Method of Instruction
Seminars
Course objectives
_Knowledge
_Broadening the knowledge about Aristotle acquired in the Bachelor’s programme. Awareness of the relation between philosophical content and rhetorical form.
_Skills
_The student is trained in dealing with an ancient philosophical text and handling secondary literature and to report his findings both orally and in writing.
Required reading
S. Broadie and Christopher Rowe,_ Aristotle: Nicomachean Ethics Translation, Introduction, Commentary_, Oxford University Press (Oxford) 2002.
I. Bywater, Aristotelis ethica Nicomachea, OCT, Oxford 1894 of later [students in Classics only]
Examination
Oral presentation 30%; active participation in class discussion 20%; written paper 50%.
Information
Dr. R.M. van den Berg ( r.m.van.den.berg@hum.leidenuniv.nl)
Blackboard/webpage
Blackboard will be used to supply course materials and information.
Overview
An oral presentation of a section of the text by one of the students is followed by a plenary discussion. The student next writes a paper on the basis of the oral presentation, which takes the outcome of the discussion into account. Students are supposed to prepare all sessions by studying the text to be discussed in combinatiom with prescribed secondary literature.
The seminar is open to MA and MPhil students in Classics and Philosophy. Knowledge of Greek is not required from students in Philosophy.
Entry requirements
The seminar is open to MA and MPhil students in Classics and Philosophy. Knowledge of Greek is not required from students in Philosophy. Please use U-twist to enroll.