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PHIL 210
Term Paper Topics
Lesher
INSTRUCTIONS: At some point this semester (see the course syllabus for the exact
date) you will need to produce a paper, roughly 10 pages in length, on some topic relating
to ancient Greek philosophy. Below you will find a dozen possible topics and suggested
readings. I offer these to you as suggestions only; I do not require that you choose any of
them, or that you make use of any of the readings suggested. But if one of these topics
does interest you, you should proceed at once to begin work on it, using either the
readings suggested or any other materials you may find helpful (including on-line
resources). Any and all use of the words and ideas of others must be fully acknowledged
in your paper.
If none of these topics interests you, you will need to come up with a topic of your
own choosing and discuss it with me before proceeding to work on it.
I would be happy to meet with you as you begin work on your paper (on any
topic) to help you clarify your understanding of your task and identify additional research
materials. Just email me (at jlesher@email.unc,edu) so we can find a time to talk.
Paper Topics on the Presocratics
1. THE POETICS OF EARLY GREEK PHILOSOPHY. Some Greek philosophers
elected to express and present their philosophical and scientific teachings in verse.
How might it have mattered that these philosophers were also poets?
Some relevant readings:
G. Most, ‘The poetics of early Greek philosophy’ in A.A. Long, ed., The Cambridge
Companion to Early Greek Philosophy (Cambridge, 1999), 332-62.
M.R. Wright, ‘Philosopher Poets: Parmenides and Empedocles’ in C. Atherton, ed., Form
and Content in Didactic Poetry (Bari, 1998), 1-21.
Murray, Penelope, ‘Poetic Inspiration in Early Greece’, Journal of Hellenic Studies, Vol.
101 (1981), 87-100.
C. J. Classen, ‘Xenophanes and the Tradition of Epic Poetry’ in Ionian Philosophy, ed.
Bourdouris (Athens, 1989).
J. H. Lesher, ‘Archaic Knowledge’ in William Wians, ed. Logos and Mythos (SUNY
Press, 2007).
M. Detienne, The Masters of Truth in Archaic Greece (New York, 1996) trans. Janet
Lloyd from Les Maîtres de vérité dans la grèce archaïque (Paris, 1965).
2. PARMENIDES’ PROEM. How has the proemium presented in Parmenides’
fragment 1 been variously interpreted, and how do you think it is best understood?
(Some knowledge of ancient Greek will be required to work on this topic.)
Some relevant readings:
C.M. Bowra, ‘The Proem of Parmenides,’ Classical Philology, Vol. 32 (1937), 97-112.
A. H. Coxon, The Fragments of Parmenides (Assen/Maastricht, 1986)
A. P. D. Mourelatos, The Route of Parmenides (Yale, 1970).
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H. Fränkel, ‘Studies in Parmenides’ in R. E. Allen and D. Furley, eds. Studies in
Presocratic Philosophy (Humanities Press, 1975), 1-47.
E. F. Dolin, Jr. “Parmenides and Hesiod.” Harvard Studies in Classical Philology 66
(1962), 93-98.
W. K. C. Guthrie, A History of Greek Philosophy Vol. II. (Cambridge U.P. Press, 1965).
Eric Havelock, “Parmenides and Odysseus.” Harvard Studies in Classical Philology 63
(1958), 133-143.
M. E. Pellikaan-Engel, Hesiod and Parmenides: A New View on Their Cosmologies and
on Parmenides’ Proem. Amsterdam: Adolf M. Hakkert Press, 1974.
3. HERACLITEAN ETHICS? Heraclitus appears to have developed a
comprehensive view of the cosmos and everything in it. But what are we to make of
the few surviving Heraclitean remarks concerning the soul and the nature of human
excellence? Is there, in other words, an identifiable Heraclitean ethical theory?
Some relevant readings:
Charles Kahn, The Art and Thought of Heraclitus (Cambridge U. P., 1979)
T. M. Robinson, Heraclitus: Fragments (Toronto U. P., 1987).
W. K. C. Guthrie, A History of Greek Philosophy, Vol,. 1 (Cambridge U. P., 1962)
G. S. Kirk, ‘Heraclitus and death in battle,’ American Journal of Philology 1949:
384-393.
G. S. Kirk, ‘Men and opposites in Heraclitus,’ Museum Helveticum, Vol. 14 (1957), 155163.
B. Helm, ‘Social roots in the Heraclitean metaphysics,’ Journal of the History of Ideas,
Vol. 25 (1964), 565-571
Kessidis T. - The socio-political views of Heraclitus of Ephesus’ Philosophia,
Vols. 13-14 (1983-1984), 92-108.
R. Bolton, ‘Nature and human good in Heraclitus’, Ionian philosophy, ed. Boudouris
(Athens, 1989), 49-57.
4. XENOPHANES’ ‘MONOTHEISM’. Was Xenophanes a monotheist? What
considerations might point in that direction? What considerations might count
against identifying Xenophanes as a monotheist? How do you think we should
understand Xenophanes’ conception of the divine?
Some relevant readings:
Van Baarern. T. P. 2006. “Monotheism” in The Encyclopedia Britannica Online
(http://www.search.eb.com/eb/article-38207).
J. H. Lesher, Xenophanes of Colophon: Fragments (Toronto, 1992).
J. H. Lesher, ‘Xenophanes Philosophy of Religion’ in the Encyclopedia of the Philosophy
of Religion (2008).
Stokes, M. 1971. One and Many in Presocratic Philosophy. Center for Hellenic Studies.
Washington, D. C./University Press of America. Lanham, Maryland.
W. Jaeger, The Theology of the Early Greek Philosophers (Oxford, 1947).
5. XENOPHANES AND GREEK POPULAR RELIGION. What was the reasoning
behind Xenophanes’ critique of anthropomorphism in religion? What was his
objective—ridicule, refutation, or understanding? How does Xenophanes’ critique
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compare with the accounts of religion launched in the modern period by thinkers
such as Feuerbach and Freud?
Some relevant readings:
J. H. Lesher, Xenophanes of Colophon: Fragments (Toronto, 1992).
W. Jaeger, The Theology of the Early Greek Philosophers (Oxford, 1947).
J. H. Lesher, 'Genetic Explanations of Religious Belief,' Philosophical Studies, Vol. 25
(l975), 3l7-328.
E. Schoen, ‘Anthropomorphic Concepts of God.’ Religious Studies Vol. 26 (1990), 123139.
L. Feuerbach, The Essence of Christianity
Sigmund Freud, The Future of an Illusion
Some Paper Topics on Socrates
6. THE SOCRATIC QUESTION. What are our contemporary sources of
information concerning the life, character, and teachings of the historical person
Socrates? How might the differing personal perspectives and goals of each of the
authors of these accounts have influenced, perhaps even distorted, the portrait of
Socrates they created? If each of these accounts contains some possibility of bias,
what if anything can be said with any confidence about the teachings of the
historical Socrates?
Some relevant readings:
Aristophanes, Clouds
Xenophon, Memorabilia, Symposium
Plato, Apology, Crito, Phaedo
Lacey A. R. - 'Our knowledge of Socrates' in The philosophy of Socrates. A collection of
critical essays / ed. by Vlastos G. ,Garden City, N.Y. : Doubleday Anchor, 1969
1971.,pp. 22-49.
Nussbaum M. - Aristophanes and Socrates on learning practical wisdom. Yale Classical
Studies, Vol. 26 (1980) 43-97.
7. THE APOLOGY-CRITO INCONSISTENCY. How do Plato's Crito and Apology
appear to present sharply contrasting answers to the question: ‘Is it ever morally
permissible for a citizen to disobey civic authority?’ What attempts have been made
to reconcile the views presented in these two dialogues? What is your own view of
how the two portraits might be reconciled?
Some relevant readings:
Gregory Vlastos, ‘Socrates on Obedience,’ The Yale Review (1974), pp. 530-31.)
A. D. Woozley, “Socrates on Disobeying the Law” in G. Vlastos, ed., The Philosophy of
Socrates (1971, 1980).
George Grote, Plato and the Other Companions of Sokrates, Volume I, pp. 301-02.
Roslyn Weiss, Socrates Dissatisfied: An Analysis of Plato’s Crito (New York, 1998)
James Kostman, ‘Socrares’ Self-betrayal and the Contradiction between the Apology and
Crito,’ in New Essays on Socrates, ed. E. Kelly (Univ. Press of America,), 107-130. I
Charles A. Hobbs, ‘The Significance of the Inconsistency between the Apology and the
Crito,’ Dialogue, Vol. 46 (2004): 67-79
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David Gallop, ‘Socrates, Injustice, and the Law: A Response to Plato's Crito
Ancient-Philosophy. Vol. 18 (1998), 251-265.
Some Paper Topics on Plato
8. PLATO’S THEORY OF LOVE. What understanding of the nature of erôs or
‘passionate desire’ is it reasonable to attribute to Plato on the basis of the speech
given by Socrates/Diotima in the Symposium? Why have some scholars concluded
that Plato’s account, understood as a theory of our love of persons, is a failure? Is
there any defense of Plato to be made in response to these criticisms?
Some relevant readings:
G. Vlastos, ‘The Individual as an Object of Love in Plato,’ Platonic Studies (Princeton)
Donald Levy, ‘The Definition of Love in Plato’s Symposium,’ Journal of the History of
Ideas, Vol. 40 (1979), 285-91.
I. Singer, The Nature of Love: Plato to Luther (New York, 1966), esp. 66-90.
9. A FALLCY IN PLATO’S REPUBLIC? Explain David Sachs’s criticism of the
defense of justice Socrates offers in Plato’s Republic. Is Sachs’s charge of ‘fallacy’ a
credible one? Did Plato ever attempt to link ‘vulgar justice’ and ‘Platonic justice’,
and if so, how? Do you think Plato succeeded in defending justice against the cynical
view presented by Glaucon and Adeimantus, or do you suspect that justice may not
be nearly so profitable as Socrates claimed it is?
Some relevant readings:
Plato, Republic, Book IV.
David Sachs, 'A Fallacy in Plato's Republic', Philosophical Review, Vol. 72, 1963, pp.
141-58:
R. Singpurwalla, 'Plato's Defense of Justice in the Republic' in G. Santas, ed. Blackwell's
Companion to Plato's Republic
Norman O. Dahl, Plato's Defense of Justice in Philosophy and Phenomenological
Research, Vol. 51, No. 4 (Dec., 1991), pp. 809-834
Richard Kraut, The defense of Justice in Plato's Republic in r. Kraut, ed. The Cambridge
Companion to Plato
Gregory Vlastos, "Justice and Happiness in the Republic" in G. Vlastos, Platonic Studies.
Hall R. W., ‘Plato's theory of justice in the Republic,’ Bucknell Review, Vol. 15 (1967),
59-69.
10. THE THEORY OF FORMS. What was Plato's Theory of Forms? Why did he
think that there must be such things as Forms or Ideas? How does Plato make use
of the theory of Forms in his proposals for political reform and proper scientific
method, as well as in his accounts of knowledge, meaning, beauty, and love?
Some relevant readings:
Plato, Phaedo and Republic Books VI and VII.
H. Cherniss, ‘The Philosophical Economy of the Theory of Ideas’ in G. Vlastos, ed.,
Plato, Vol. I: Metaphysics and Epistemology (New York, 1971), pp. 16-27.
N. White, ‘Plato’s Metaphysical Epistemology’ in Kraut, A Companion to Plato’s
Republic, 277-310.
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Richard Ketchum, ‘Plato on the Unknowability of the Sensible World’, History of
Philosophy Quarterly (July, 1987), pp. 291-305.
11. PLATO’S ATTITUDE TOWARD WOMEN. Why have some hailed Plato as an
early advocate on behalf of improved education and political opportunities for
women? Why have some denied that Plato deserves to be regarded as in any sense a
feminist, or seriously concerned with the quality of lives women lead? What is your
own view of the relevant criteria to be used in answering this question, and how
does Plato fare on what you regard as the relevant criteria?
Some relevant readings:
Julia Annas, An Introduction to Plato’s Republic (New York, 1981).
Marilin B. Arthur, ‘Early Greece: the origins of the Western attitude toward women,’
Arethusa, Vol. 6 (1973), pp. 7-58.
Adriana Cavarero, In Spite of Plato: A Feminist Rewriting of Ancient Philosophy (New
York, 1995).
Donald Richter, ‘The Position of Women in Classical Athens,’ Classical Journal, Vol. 67
(1971), pp. 1-8.
Dorothea Wender, ‘Plato: Misogynist, Paedophile, and Feminist,’ Arethusa, Vol. 6
(1973), pp. 75-90.
Gregory Vlastos, ‘Was Plato a Feminist?’ in Nancy Tuana, ed., Feminist Interpretations
of Plato (University Park, Pa., 1994).
12. PLATO’S AND FREUD’S TRIPARTITE PSYCHOLOGY. Both Plato and
Freud considered it plausible to think of the soul as containing distinct parts or
distinctive psychic functions. How were their approaches similar? How did their
approaches differ?
Some relevant readings:
Colin Strang, ‘Tripartite Soul: Ancient and Modern, Apeiron Vol. 16 (1982), 1-11.
G. Santas, Plato and Freud: Two Theories of Love (Blackwell, 1988).
G. B. Nussbaum, ‘The tripartite psyche. Plato, Freud, and transactional analysis,’
Liverpool Classical Monthly, Vol. 4 (1979), 3-8.