THE MIDWEST SEMINAR IN ANCIENT AND MEDIEVAL PHILOSOPHY
 
 

Marquette University Faculty Participants: Owen Goldin (Ancient), Susanne Foster (Ancient, Ethics), John Jones (Medieval Social Thought, Neoplatonism), James South (Late Medieval & Renaissance), Andrew Tallon (NeoThomism, phenomenology), Richard C. Taylor (Medieval Latin & Arabic), Roland Teske, S.J., (Medieval, Augustine, Philosophy of Religion), David Twetten (Medieval, Aquinas) and others from Marquette and other regional universities.


Recent visiting participants in the seminar have included Suzanne Stern-Gillet (Bolton Institute), Alfred Ivry (New York University), Thomas Williams (University of Iowa), Eugene Garver (Saint John's University), Patricia Curd (Purdue University), Cristina D'Ancona (Università di Padova), John Sisko (College of William and Mary), Jeffrey E. Brower (Purdue University), Mary J. Sirridge (Lousiana State University), Richard Tierney (University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee), Kenneth Seeskin (Northwestern University), Ruth Glassner (Hebrew University, Mt. Scopus, Jerusalem), Steven Harvey (Bar Ilan University), Ray Weiss (University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee), Hye-Kyung Kim (University of Wisconsin at Green Bay), Lorraine Pangle (University of Texas at Austin), Josep Puig Montada (Universidad Complutense de Madrid), Roslyn Weiss (Lehigh University), Helen Lang (Villanova University), Andrew Payne, Universityof St. Joseph, Daniel Frank, Purdue University, Andreas Speer, Thomas Institut, Cologne, Carlos Fraenkel, McGill University, Sarah Pessin, University of Denver, and others.


DIRECTIONS AND MAPS:

- For directions to the Marquette Campus, see http://www.marquette.edu/contact/directions/

- For information on the Raynor Library and nearby parking see

http://www.marquette.edu/contact/finder/raynor.shtml.

- For information on the Alumni Memorial Union (AMU) and its location, see

http://www.marquette.edu/contact/finder/union.shtml

- For information on Cudahy Hall and its location, see

http://www.marquette.edu/contact/finder/cudahy.shtml

- For a map of the Marquette University campus, see http://www.marquette.edu/contact/CampusMap.pdf

- For a map of downtown Milwaukee, see

http://www.wisconline.com/counties/milwaukee/map-downtown.html


Send requests for information to:

Richard C. Taylor, Department of Philosophy, Marquette University

Email: mistertea@mac.com or Richard.Taylor@Marquette.edu.

Telephone: (414)-288-5649, Fax: (414)288-3010


SOME VALUABLE LINKS


Aquinas and the Arabs: A Project in Medieval Philosophy:

http://web.mac.com/mistertea/iWeb/Aquinas%20&%20the%20Arabs/Aquinas%20&%20the%20Arabs.html


Marquette University Philosophy Department: http://www.marquette.edu/phil/

 

Marquette University

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

St Joan of Arc Chapel

The Marquette University

Midwest Seminar in Ancient and Medieval Philosophy

is pleased to host

Dr Gregory Sadler

Milwaukee, Wisconsin






presenting

"Prohairesis In Epictetus’ Stoic Moral Theory"

3:30-5:00 pm Monday 10 October 2016

Location: Raynor Library 330b, third floor


Presentation Abstract


  Prohairesis In Epictetus’ Stoic Moral Theory


Abstract: Early on Stoics stressed “living in accordance with nature” as a central goal of their moral theory.  This theory also included a stress upon cultivating and actively living the virtues, upon happiness conceived of as apatheia and as freedom, and upon distinguishing between what are genuinely good, bad, and indifferent.


In the late Stoic Epictetus’ thought, “living in accordance with nature” is qualified and clarified as having or maintaining one’s “prohairesis in accordance with nature”.  This term prohairesis had already played a significant role in ancient moral theory and practice, for example in that of Aristotle, but Epictetus expands its scope considerably beyond that of earlier thinkers, so that it seems almost like a full conception of the faculty of will as found in later moral theories.


The main goal of the seminar is to examine selected passages from Epicetus’ Discourses bearing upon prohairesis.  We will focus upon four topics.  1) What the prohairesis is and how far it extends in Epictetus’ moral theory; 2) What it means to have one’s prohairesis in accordance with nature; 3) The relationship between prohairesis, the “rational faculty”, and the “ruling faculty”; 4) The reflexivity of the proharesis, and the means by which it determines or reshapes itself, particularly (re-)habituation.




For information on Dr Sadler’s work, click HERE.


Also see his CV HERE and his Facebook page HERE.