2023
Greek and Medieval Horizons of European Rationality
Name: Greek and Medieval Horizons of European Rationality
Code: FIL12721L
6 ECTS
Duration: 15 weeks/156 hours
Scientific Area:
Philosophy
Teaching languages: Portuguese
Languages of tutoring support: Portuguese
Regime de Frequência: Presencial
Sustainable Development Goals
Learning Goals
1. To assimilate the capital early sources of western tradition through direct reading, acquiring the ability to foil
them critically against contemporaneity, while grasping the intrinsic relationship between abstract forms of
thinking and historical existence;
2. to acknowledge fundamental questions about the organization of human communities premised by Greek and
Medieval philosophical threads;
3. to identify signs featuring the continuity, rupture and/or reshaping of the cultural problems raised while
inhabiting a common space.
them critically against contemporaneity, while grasping the intrinsic relationship between abstract forms of
thinking and historical existence;
2. to acknowledge fundamental questions about the organization of human communities premised by Greek and
Medieval philosophical threads;
3. to identify signs featuring the continuity, rupture and/or reshaping of the cultural problems raised while
inhabiting a common space.
Contents
I Dialectics of myth and reason: the Greek miracle revised the Frankfurt School
The philosopher in the Ancient city:
II.1. the political destiny of the Socratic method
II.2. Platonic idealism as an enemy of the open society (Popper)
The city-building philosophical rationalities
III.1 Platos city as a perfective colective souled body
III.1.1 the present-day resonance of the participation problem
III.2 the doubling of the city in Augustine of Hippo
III.2.1 the present-day resonance of the problem of men and womens convivality and of the intolerance between
Christians and Pagans
III.3 Aristoteles city as a viable cultural place in a given locality of the empire
III.3.1 the present-day resonance of the common good problem when adressed by an urbanites logic
III.4 the theocratic city of Thomas Aquinas
III.4.1 the present-day resonance of the problem of the sociopolitical expression of the human being
The philosopher in the Ancient city:
II.1. the political destiny of the Socratic method
II.2. Platonic idealism as an enemy of the open society (Popper)
The city-building philosophical rationalities
III.1 Platos city as a perfective colective souled body
III.1.1 the present-day resonance of the participation problem
III.2 the doubling of the city in Augustine of Hippo
III.2.1 the present-day resonance of the problem of men and womens convivality and of the intolerance between
Christians and Pagans
III.3 Aristoteles city as a viable cultural place in a given locality of the empire
III.3.1 the present-day resonance of the common good problem when adressed by an urbanites logic
III.4 the theocratic city of Thomas Aquinas
III.4.1 the present-day resonance of the problem of the sociopolitical expression of the human being
Teaching Methods
TP classes (assessed through written test 70% of the final grade): theoretical presentation and debate about
selected texts.
TC classes (the object of individual reports of 3/6 pages 30 % of the final grade): organization in the public
space, by the teacher in colaboration with the students, of conferences-debates problematizing the core themes
of the course.
Continuous assessment is privileged, encouraging the participatory involvment of the students in research, but
the reglementary regimen of sitting a single final written and/or oral exam (100%) is also offered as an alternative.
selected texts.
TC classes (the object of individual reports of 3/6 pages 30 % of the final grade): organization in the public
space, by the teacher in colaboration with the students, of conferences-debates problematizing the core themes
of the course.
Continuous assessment is privileged, encouraging the participatory involvment of the students in research, but
the reglementary regimen of sitting a single final written and/or oral exam (100%) is also offered as an alternative.
Teaching Staff
- Olivier Martin Louis Albert René Feron [responsible]
