Ph.D. in Ancient Philosophy
Dublin, Ireland
DURATION
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LANGUAGES
English
PACE
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APPLICATION DEADLINE
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EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2024
STUDY FORMAT
Distance Learning
Key Summary
About: The Ph.D. in Ancient Philosophy focuses on the study of philosophical thought from ancient societies, providing in-depth analysis and critical insights into key philosophical works. The program emphasizes primary texts and contextual understanding, encouraging research that contributes to the field.
Career Outcomes: Graduates can pursue careers in academia as university professors, researchers in philosophical and historical fields, or writers specializing in philosophy. Other potential paths include roles in education, publishing, or cultural institutions.
Introduction
The study of ancient philosophy has more than mere academic interest, for the ancient thinkers set themselves the task of securing for their students ‘the good life’, that is, the capacity to live and one may in ways that are appropriate for rational and conscientious beings. Therefore, the student on this program is encouraged to appreciate in a significant sense what it means to be a philosopher (a ‘lover of wisdom’) and how living the ‘philosophic life’ contributes to one’s well-being and the development of one’s humanity.
This program has several related aims:
- to introduce candidates to how the key ancient thinkers addressed how human beings should secure the ‘good life’ and how to live well’.
- To develop an understanding of important concepts required for this endeavour, including ‘good’, ‘pleasure’, ‘happiness’, ‘desire’, and ‘virtue’.
- To introduce to the candidate important texts written by the great thinkers of the period, namely: Plato, Aristotle, Epicurus and Epictetus.
- To develop the necessary reasoning and analytical skills for accomplishing this.