Program Structure and Content
The two weeks of the institute will be divided into 5 study blocks, each lasting two days. Within each block there will be four 90-minute sessions, with two 90-minute sessions each day allowing participants ample time to prepare carefully for each session.
The sessions will be held in the afternoons, with the aim of leaving the mornings free for study of assigned readings and informal discussions between participants. This is also the time at which the co-directors will schedule optional reading groups in Greek for those interested in close study of relevant parts of Aristotle’s psychological writings in the original language.
The five study blocks are (click on each block title to learn more):
This block will introduce participants to state-of-the-art thinking on the metaphysics of Aristotelian hylomorphism, which is the philosophical underpinning of Aristotle’s philosophy in general. Readings for this block will be drawn from the central books of Aristotle's Metaphysics, complemented by contemporary readings in neo-Aristotelian metaphysics, as well as by the important 2nd century AD Aristotelian scholar Alexander of Aphrodisias.
This block will be focused on two main themes. The first is exploring how the hylomorphic approach to the psuchê/soul developed in the first part of De Anima Book II intersects with contemporary approaches in the philosophy of mind, including philosophical functionalism and different forms of physicalism. The second is considering Aristotle’s discussion of the parts of the psuchê/soul in the context of discussions in contemporary cognitive science of modules and modular explanation.
This block will have participants examine the relation between Aristotle’s account of perception and contemporary versions of naïve realism, particularly those associated with what is often termed disjunctivism (the view that there are no fundamental states in common between veridical and non-veridical perception, because veridical perception should be understood as the perceived environment becoming perceptually manifest to the perceiver). Participants will read selections from the Parva Naturalia, including De Sensu, De memoria, and De insomniis (On Dreams).
This block is focused on Aristotle’s discussion of consciousness and thought. There are multiple points of contact between Aristotle’s intriguing (but often cryptic) discussions in the De Anima (and elsewhere) and contemporary theorizing about cross-modal perception and binding, the role of concepts in perception, and the nature of reflexive consciousness. As with Block 3, this is an area where a close study of the Parva Naturalia will be especially important, particularly the De Sensu and the De Memoria.
In De Anima III.9-11, Aristotle develops a strikingly original account of the springs of action, applicable (in very different ways) to both human and non-human animals. The former strand connects to the discussion of weakness of will in Book VII of the Nicomachean Ethics, while the latter bridges out to the second half of the De Motu Animalium. This block will explore the connections with contemporary discussions in the philosophy and psychology of self-control, on the one hand, and with theories of nonconceptual content and animal cognition, on the other.
In addition to the formal study program, there will be plenty of opportunities for participants to deepen their engagement with the readings, ideas, and arguments discussed in each block. The director and co-director will hold regular “office hours” in which participants can, singly or in groups, pursue topics of interest.
For those with reading knowledge of ancient Greek, there will be regular study sessions wherein participants will read portions of the relevant texts in the original language and discuss them.
Additionally, there will be social events organized in the evenings and weekends to promote an informal exchange of ideas that we hope will lead to lasting collaborations.