Inaugural Conference: “Athens in Ancient Philosophy” [5-6 October 2023]

The Inaugural Conference of The Athens MA in Ancient Philosophy on the topic “Athens in Ancient Philosophy” will take place on October 5-6 2023 at University of Athens (Central Building, 30 Panepistimiou Str.) under the patronage of H.E. the President of the Hellenic Republic Ms. Katerina Sakellaropoulou.

The ceremony will take place on Thursday, 5th of October 2023 at 10.00 a.m. at the Main Hall of University of Athens (Central Building, 30 Panepistimiou Str). The conference will be continued at the Amphitheater “Alkis Argyriadis” (Central Building, 30 Panepistimiou Str).

Ancient philosophy was not born in Athens. It did not end in Athens either. Yet, it kept returning to Athens. While other prominent centres of intellectual activity, such as Ionia, Alexandria, or Rome, dominate specific periods and/or fields of ancient philosophy, Athens covers its entire span. Taking into account the relative conventionality of any modern classification, to what extent is a unitary account of ancient philosophy in Athens legitimate? Do Athenian thinkers, from An axagoras to Damascius, inaugurate novel ways of thinking about reality that, in different periods, could be thought of as distinctively Athenian? How do their views relate to philosophical devel opments outside Athens? To what degree does the Athenian perspective on the history of philos ophy shape the way we read ancient philosophy today? Investigating these and other similar questions, we intend to shed new light on some aspects of Athens’ place in ancient philosophical networks from the classical period to the end of Antiquity.

More info about Athens MA in Ancient Philosophy bellow:

The Athens MA in Ancient Philosophy is a new intensive postgraduate program starting in October 2023. The Athens MA promotes the study of Ancient Greek Philosophy in its entire historical and thematic range. It is the only Program in Greece (and among a few worldwide) that focuses solely on Ancient Philosophy as a subject of systematic study and research. The Athens MA is the result of a collaboration between four major Greek universities:

• National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
• Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
• University of Patras
• University of Crete

Courses are taught in Athens. Upon completion of the program, students will be able to conducta independent and collaborative research and will be well prepared to undertake doctoral studies. The program admits up to 20 students per academic year.