FILOSOFIA E FORMAZIONE DELL’UOMO NELL’ANTICHITÀ

Title of the course: Self-knowledge, virtue and human formation:Socrates and Plato's Charmides.

Expected learning outcomes

By the end of the course, through the study of Plato’s Charmides and Alessandro Stavru’s A colloquio con Socrate. La cura di sé nel dialogo socratico, students will have achieved the following learning outcomes, organised according to the five Dublin Descriptors.

1. Knowledge and understanding

Understand the principal philosophical problems concerning self-knowledge, care of the soul and the formation of the individual in Socratic and Platonic thought. Reconstruct the themes and arguments of the Charmides, with particular reference to the inquiry into sophrosyne, the relationship between soul and body, and the connections between knowledge and virtue. Understand the significance of refutation and not-knowing in Socratic dialogue, recognising the diversity of ancient accounts and situating them within their respective historical and philosophical contexts.

2. Applying knowledge and understanding

Apply the knowledge acquired to the reading and analysis of ancient philosophical texts in Italian translation, identifying their fundamental concepts, argumentative structure and unresolved problems. Relate the Charmides to the Socratic literature examined during the course, recognising similarities and differences. Use the tools of historical and philosophical analysis to explore the relationship between dialogue, self-knowledge and human formation, establishing well-founded connections with educational questions addressed in their degree programme.

3. Making judgements

Develop independent, well-reasoned interpretations of the problems studied, distinguishing the content of ancient sources from the reconstructions and interpretations proposed in scholarly literature. Through the comparison of texts and interpretations, assess the philosophical and formative significance of Socratic inquiry, considering the tensions between knowledge, virtue and political action. Recognise the historical specificity of ancient conceptions and critically discuss the relevance of comparisons with contemporary categories and problems.

4. Communication skills

Present the course contents clearly and coherently, using appropriate philosophical terminology concerning the soul, virtue, knowledge and formation. Present and discuss the interpretation of a passage, explaining the textual evidence and reasoning supporting their conclusions. Through textual commentary and discussion, develop the ability to engage with different interpretations and to make the problems examined accessible to non-specialist audiences.

5. Learning skills

Develop an independent approach to study that integrates the reading of primary sources, their historical contextualisation and engagement with scholarly literature. Apply the skills acquired through the guided analysis of the Charmides to further texts and problems in ancient philosophy. Identify relevant and reliable sources and research tools, developing independent lines of inquiry into the relationships between philosophical thought and human formation in antiquity.

Course contents

Self-Knowledge, Virtue and Human formation: Socrates and Plato’s Charmides

The course explores the relationship between philosophy and education in antiquity, understood in the Greek sense of paideia. Through the reading of Plato’s Charmides and the study of Alessandro Stavru’s A colloquio con Socrate. La cura di sé nel dialogo socratico, it examines the connections between the soul, self-knowledge, virtue and dialogical practice. The analysis of primary sources will be accompanied by engagement with scholarly interpretations, with due attention to the historical and conceptual specificity of ancient thought.

1. Socrates and the problem of the sources
Reference: Introduction to Stavru’s volume.

The historical and cultural context of Socrates’ activity. Socrates’ decision not to write, orality and writing: the practice of dialogue and its literary reworking. The problem of the sources and the reconstruction of the historical Socrates. The diversity of ancient representations and modern interpretations of Socrates.

2. The soul and its care
Reference: Chapter I.

The mythical and religious background of the concept of psyche and its elaboration in early Greek natural philosophy. The meaning of the soul in the accounts of Socrates. The relationship between the soul, human identity and self-knowledge. Care of the soul and its implications for individual conduct.

3. The new Socratic paideia
Reference: Chapter II.

The contrast between traditional education and new educational models in fifth-century BCE Athens. The evidence provided by Aristophanes’ Clouds and representations of paideia in Socratic literature. The centrality of the soul, moral education and the relationship between knowledge and one’s way of life.

4. Refutation, not-knowing and care of the self
Reference: Chapter III.

Questioning, examination and refutation in dialogical practice. Challenging claims to knowledge and recognising one’s limitations. The role of shame and emotions in the transformation of the interlocutor.

5. Protreptic, the daimonion and happiness
Reference: Chapter IV.

The significance of association with Socrates (synousia) and exhortation to philosophy. The relationship between improving oneself and improving others. The role of the daimonion in ancient accounts and the interpretation of the connections between the divine dimension, dialogical activity and eudaimonia.

6. Reading and commentary on the Charmides

The reading of the dialogue will accompany the exploration of the course’s thematic areas. Topics will include its narrative and political setting, its characters, the relationship between care of the soul and care of the body, the inquiry into sophrosyne, and the definitions subjected to refutation. Particular attention will be paid to self-knowledge, the relationship between knowledge and virtue, the aporetic outcome of the inquiry, and the tensions between philosophical education and political action.

Alessandro Stavru, A colloquio con Socrate. La cura di sé nel dialogo socratico, Marinotti editore, Milan 2023.

Abstract: There is a fundamental connection between the interpersonal dimension of Socrates’ protreptic activity and its self-reflective significance, in which one can discern the original features of Greek eudaimonia: namely, being a “good daemon” (eu daimon), on whose presence all individual and collective well-being depends. The volume explores this connection, which finds concrete expression in the Socratic daimonion, whose defining feature is precisely that of directing Socrates towards the good of his interlocutors. The elenchos is intended to make those whom Socrates exhorts, admonishes and refutes better people, as evidenced by the fact that every synousia between Socrates and his interlocutors takes place through the intervention (or non-intervention) of the daimonion. From this perspective, Socrates’ happiness thus appears as eu-daimonia in the etymological sense of the term: the presence of a “good daemon” that accompanies him throughout his life, up to the moment of death, bestowing benefits on him and, through his dialogues, on his interlocutors as well.

Plato, Carmide. Sulla temperanza, edited by Giovanni Reale, Bompiani, Milan 2015.

Abstract: The Charmides is one of Plato’s richest and most compelling early dialogues, containing passages of remarkable depth and contemporary relevance. It highlights the limitations of the ancient Greek medical view that one cannot treat a “part” of the body without treating the “whole” body, and demonstrates that the human body itself is only a “part”, since the whole human being comprises both body and soul. The dialogue’s central message remains particularly relevant today: to free ourselves from our ills, we must first care for our soul so that it governs the body. In other words, we must attain an appropriate degree of self-mastery—temperance—since only in this way can we achieve true health.

The examination will be conducted orally during the scheduled examination sessions. Whether any in-course assessments will be held, and their format, will be determined after the course has begun.

Students with disabilities or certified specific learning disorders (SLDs) may access dedicated support services and reasonable adjustments to teaching and assessment. To this end, students must contact CINAP (Centre for Active and Participatory Integration) at the University of Catania in advance and agree with the lecturer and the Centre on the most appropriate, individually tailored arrangements for study activities and examinations.

Criteria for awarding the final grade:

18–21 (Pass): The student possesses basic knowledge of the essential course content, demonstrates a limited ability to apply theoretical and methodological skills, and has an elementary command of discipline-specific terminology.

22–25 (Satisfactory): The student demonstrates sound knowledge of the course content, a good ability to understand and independently interpret the topics covered, and appropriate use of specialist terminology and project-related references.

26–29 (Good / Very Good): The student possesses a thorough and integrated understanding of the course topics and can critically connect theories with practical and operational contexts, demonstrating excellent presentation and argumentation skills.

30 and 30 cum laude (Excellent / Outstanding with Honours): The student demonstrates excellent, comprehensive and critical knowledge of all course content, together with a marked ability to develop independent interpretations, conduct critical analysis and apply knowledge at an advanced level in educational and project design contexts, supported by an excellent command of specialist terminology.