CLAS3871: Happiness in Ancient Philosophy

• One module on or related to ancient philosophy (CLAS1101, CLAS1761, CLAS2761, CLAS2931)

• None

• None

• To be able to reconstruct and formulate sound philosophical arguments.
• To gain knowledge of key debates in antiquity and in recent scholarship about happiness.
• To learn how to respond and formulate objections and challenges to authors ideas in clear and well-structured ways.
• To develop an understanding of the history of happiness in antiquity and its reception in contemporary philosophical debates.
• To gain knowledge of problems and methods in ancient philosophy.

• Almost all ancient and modern philosophers said something about happiness. Even today, philosophers are often expected to express their opinions on how to live good human lives. In some ways, the questions of what happiness is and how to achieve it seem intertwined with the figure and tasks of the philosopher. Yet, ancient philosophers conceive of happiness in different ways from how we understand happiness. The module offers an exploration of the ancient idea of happiness from Herodotus to Thomas Aquinas. Readings may include selections from Herodotus, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Epicurus, Seneca, Plotinus, Augustine, Al-Farabi, and Thomas Aquinas. The module includes also a brief exploration of happiness and theories of well-being in modern and contemporary philosophy. Students will be able to engage with a range of problems, methods, and arguments in ancient philosophy that aim to strengthen their undergraduate preparation in ancient philosophy.

Subject-specific Knowledge:

• A detailed understanding of the development of the history of happiness through a different range of texts in ancient Greek and Roman philosophy, and in Medieval philosophy.
• An awareness of how ancient views on happiness enrich debates on human flourishing and well-being.
• Knowledge of representative texts in philosophy and their influence in ancient and modern debates.

Subject-specific Skills:

• An ability to understand and engage critically with philosophical arguments.
• Subject specific skills in the close reading and analysis of secondary source material.
• Ability to respond to philosophical arguments formulated in different contexts and distant time.

Key Skills:

• An ability to construct a well-organised argument in written form and to develop a personal perspective on it through the formulation objections and challenges.
• The capacity for critical thinking and independent judgement with a view on how to develop ones own capacity of doing research on a given topic.
• The ability to engage with problems and methods in ancient philosophy.

• Each class will include a lecture and a discussion component. The lecture will introduce texts, methods, and problems in the analysis of a range of works on happiness.
• The discussion period offers the chance, through small group and/or general discussion (depending on class size), to ask questions and debate various issues presented in the lectures and the assigned readings.
• Seminars will offer an opportunity for engaging with philosophical arguments and learning how to develop objections and challenges.
• Assessment will take place through an essay and a portfolio.

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