The first meeting of the 2025-26 Duke-UNC Works-in-Progress Series in ancient Greek philosophy will take place on Wednesday, October 8, 1:30–3:00 pm, in Bynum 111, UNC–Chapel Hill. All are welcome.
Speaker: Patricia Marechal (UCSD)
Title: “Born to Philosophize: The Philosophical Nature in Plato’s Republic”
Abstract: Interpreters of the Republic argue that, for Plato, the natural traits that make someone suited to philosophy are motivations and dispositions fully grounded in the rational part of the soul. In this talk, I argue that being naturally disposed to philosophical inquiry requires two distinct sets of natural dispositions. On my reading, the philosophical nature is constituted both by intellectual motivations and traits and by a love of the hard intellectual work inquiry involves. The latter, I argue, is at least partly rooted in the spirited part of the soul. This interpretation helps us make progress on a perennial question: how can it be that, as Plato claims, the nature of philosophers and rulers is the same?
Please direct questions to Wenjin Liu (wenjin.liu@duke.edu) or Michael Vazquez (michael.vazquez@unc.edu).
https://sites.duke.edu/centerforcomparativephilosophy/wp-admin/post-new.php
https://philosophy.duke.edu/events/dukeunc-ancient-greek-philosophy-workshop
