Orientation
People often speak of "specialists" in ancient philosophy. But the
term can be misleading. Nearly everyone who teaches ancient
philosophy in an American university or college is a generalist,
whether in Philosophy or in Classics; and nearly everyone teaches
several other subjects outside their "field of specialization."
Moreover, much of the most important research in ancient philosophy
has been done by scholars with a solid background in core areas
either of traditional and modern philosophy or of classical studies.
And much of the most exciting teaching and research in the field is
comparative, exploring relations or interactions between ancient and
modern philosophy, or between ancient philosophy and other areas of
ancient culture, ranging from poetry and oratory to history and
science. It is to your advantage, then, to include a wide range of
philosophical topics in your program of graduate study, and generally
to avoid taking more than one seminar in ancient philosophy in a
semester. During your three years of coursework in particular, you
would do well to achieve the following goals:
|
Ancient |
Modern |
|
Logic |
logic, epistemology, philosophy of science |
|
Physics |
metaphysics, philosophy of mind, theology |
|
Ethics |
ethics, political theory, aesthetics |
Most of these points merely reinforce or supplement requirements
set by the Department for all students. Some are best satisfied by
TA-ing for undergraduate courses rather than taking seminars; for
example, TA-ing for Philosophy 329L ("Early Modern Philosophy") is an
excellent way to fulfill (c).
Integrating Philosophy and Classics
Greek language
Ancient Greek is a top priority. If you have had at least three
semesters of Greek, the best sequel is Greek 390, an intensive
reading course in Plato that focuses on grammar and translation
(offered every Fall). If you have not taken any Greek before, plan to
take Intensive Greek in the summer: this course covers the equivalent
of about three semesters, and it is a far more efficient introduction
than starting Greek during the year, either in Fall (Greek 506-7) or
in Spring (accelerated Greek 606). See Courses.
Balancing requirements
It is usually best for entering students to take only graduate
seminars in philosophy during the first semester here. This is not a
good time for doing Supporting Work, since it is important to get to
know the Philosophy faculty, and vice versa -- not least because this
often affects TA assignments. One major exception is Greek 390
(Plato), especially if you have just taken Intensive Greek during the
Summer.
Supporting Work in Greek and Classics
Courses counted to fulfill the Foreign Language requirement in
Philosophy do not also count toward the Supporting Work requirement.
Only courses beyond the fourth-semester level of Greek count toward
the latter; if you skip the fourth semester, Greek 390 fulfills only
the foreign language requirement.
Some cross-listed courses may be counted as Supporting Work when you
advance to doctoral candidacy. But it is usually to your advantage if
you minimum nine hours in Supporting Work include coursework outside
ancient philosophy. Especially valuable are upper-division or
graduate courses on Greek literature or history. See Courses.
Classics offers a one-hour Proseminar (GK/LAT 180K) every Fall for
its new graduate students. The course consists of brief introductions
to the several fields in classical studies, each delivered by a
specialist on the faculty; the first two sessions usually provide
orientation to Library resources and computer resources in the
Classics Department and elsewhere. Philosophy students are welcome to
audit or enroll, and many in the Joint Program have.
Other Foreign Languages
Scholars specializing in ancient philosophy need reading proficiency
in the two classical languages, Greek and Latin, and in two or more
modern European languages (German, Italian, French, Spanish). At
international conferences, some discussion is often in German,
French, or Italian, even when English is the principal language. It
is therefore best to develop some oral skills, and to enroll in
classes that cover all facets of the language (listening, speaking,
and writing, as well as reading). Most people find that the other
skills greatly enhance their reading fluency; so it is generally less
useful to take courses designed exclusively for reading skill.
If learning more than one foreign language seems daunting, keep this
in mind: in learning your first foreign language, a major hurdle is
simply learning how to learn a foreign language. Learning other
languages usually becomes easier the more languages you learn. When
the languages are closely related (as most European languages are),
learning another can be quite easy. Some non-European languages are
also valuable: some ancient philosophical works survive only in
Arabic, Hebrew, or Armenian.
Which foreign languages are most important depends on your interests
and plans. Latin is most important in some areas, but German or
Italian in others. For example, if you plan to focus on Plato, then
German is essential; but if you plan to work on Epicureanism, Latin
and Italian are more important.
Summers are the best time for learning new languages. Few graduate
courses are offered then, and funding is sometimes available for
intensive Summer programs.
Reading List
Teaching and research in any area of ancient philosophy require
familiarity with certain core texts and problems. The Reading
List, which reflects these needs, comprises major texts from the
Presocratics and Plato to Aristotle and Sextus Empiricus. It should
be a major focus of your study during your three years of coursework.
Some of this work will be covered in seminars and other courses, but
much of it you must study independently. The Reading List is also the
basis for a translation examination which members of the Joint
Program must pass before advancing to candidacy.
Back to Joint
Program Homepage