Seminar on philosophical texts by authors from the past [ LFILO1315 ]

The lectures of this semester will deal with the work of the famlous  Greek historian Thucydides. His book, The Peloponesian war, is a great classic of history and ancient litterature in general but it has also a very important philosophical background. Thucydides knew the doctrines of the sophists very well and the vicissitudes of the war fed in him deep reflections upon democracy, human nature, government, military strategy, event, tragedy, which  have undeniable philosophical interest. We shall show that  famous  philosophical texts as  Plato's  Republic and  Aristotle's  Politcs cannot   quite be understood without the background of Thucydides' work, altough Plato and Aristote didn't ever quote him. A survey of his intellectual posterity will also be sought for.

Pre-requisites: Basic familiarity with the history of Greek philosophy Assessment: an oral exam based on an essay prepared by the student. Supporting material: texts or class notes.