Duration
30h Th
Number of credits
Lecturer
Language(s) of instruction
French language
Organisation and examination
Teaching in the second semester
Schedule
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
How does philosophy differ from spiritual practice as exemplified by self-help theories? The question seems meaningless, as the answer seems obvious. Philosophy is an intellectual process characterised by a reflection on the concept. In contrast, spiritual practices rely on conditioning techniques intended to produce a transformation of the self. Hadot's work on ancient philosophy as a way of life and Foucault's theory of philosophy as caring for the self have shown that the contrast was not so marked. The ancients did not consider philosophy only as a theoretical object. They viewed it as a way of inhabiting the world following a doctrine, which went through practice to constitute oneself as a subject. This conclusion invites us to take up the question anew at a time when ancient philosophies are coming back into fashion because they appear to be THE solution for getting better.
This course will examine the contemporary resurgence of ancient philosophies, particularly Stoicism, in the form of neo-Stoicism. It will question its philosophical nature or, at least, the form of philosophy that it shapes or claims. What part does it leave to analyse and reflect on concepts when it presents itself as an approach to gaining efficiency and letting go? The hypothesis will be the following. What distinguishes a philosophical practice from a self-help approach is precisely the presence of an articulation between the exercises and the theoretical framework that underlies them. To take up ancient exercises designed to make oneself impassive or to resist the vagaries of fate - without considering the definitions of nature or providence that feed them - is to fall into the counter-sense of a blind practice, ignorant, so to speak, of its intentions.
The question is the possibility of a philosophical use of the history of philosophy based on a less theoretical approach. If ancient philosophy, in general, probably has things to say about some contemporary issues, under what conditions can it do so?
A second question will be that of the authority that is established in the transmission and revival of ancient philosophy: 1) readers/listeners follow 2) influencers and, more broadly, popularisers, who base themselves on 3) popularisation texts written by 4) interpreters, most often university specialists 5) of the authors they present to the general public. But how is this chain of authority, which we will call epistemic, constructed? How does it legitimise certain discourses that are more or less distant from their ancient sources? And what is the point of using such mediation to produce a discourse that is, after all, conventional?
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
None
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
The class will take the form of a seminar. From week to week, students will be invited to read (ancient) texts and articles that will serve as a basis for discussion.
Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)
Face-to-face course
Course materials and recommended or required readings
Platform(s) used for course materials:
- eCampus
- MyULiège
Further information:
Here are some reading suggestions.
Studies on Ancient philosophy as a practice
- Foucault, Michel, Histoire de la sexualité, t. 3, Le Souci de soi, Paris, Gallimard, 1984.
- - L'Herméneutique de soi. Cours au Collègue de France. 1981-1982, Paris, EHESS - Gallimard - Seuil, 2001.
- - Le Gouvernement de soi et des autres. Cours au Collège de France. 1982-1983, Paris, EHESS - Gallimard - Seuil, 2008.
- Hadot, Pierre, Exercices spirituels et philosophie antique, Paris, Études augustiniennes, 1981 (2002).
- - Qu'est-ce que la philosophie antique ?, Paris, Gallimard, 1995.
- Nussbaum, Martha, The Therapy of Desire. Theory and Practice in Hellenistic Ethics, Princeton, Princeton University Press, 1994.
- De Funès, Julia. Développement (im)personnel. Le succès d'une imposture, Paris, Éditions de l'Observatoire, 2019.
- de Sutter, Laurent, Pour en finir avec soi-même (Propositions, I), Paris, Presses Universitaires de France, 2021.
- Devillairs, Laurence, Guérir la vie par la philosophie, Paris, Presses Universitaires de France, 2017.
- Illouz, Eva, « Introduction. Les emodities ou la fabrication des marchandises émotionnelles », in E. Illouz (dir.), Les marchandises émotionnelles. L'authenticité au temps du capitalisme, Paris, Premier Parallèle, 2019, p. 13-56.
- Jobard, Thierry, Contre le développement personnel, Paris, Rue de l'échiquier, 2021.
- Marquis, Nicolas, Du bien-être au marché du malaise. La société du développement personnel, Paris, Presses Universitaires de France, 2014.
- Gaspari, Ilaria, Leçons de bonheur. Exercices philosophiques pour bien conduire sa vie, Paris, Les Belles Lettres, 2021 (2019 pour la version italienne).
- Pavie, Xavier, Exercices spirituels, leçons de la philosophie antique, Paris, Les Belles Lettres, 2012.
- Pigliucci, Massimo, How to Be a Stoic. Ancient Wisdom for Modern Living, London - Sidney, Rider, 2017.
- Sellars, John, Lessons in Stoicism. What Ancient Philosophers Teach Us about How to Live, New York, Penguin Books, 2019.
Written work / report
Continuous assessment
Additional information:
Students will be asked to give at least one talk on a topic closely related to a particular lesson. Topics will be discussed and distributed during the first few lessons.
Students will also write an essay that they will hand in at the time of the June session. It will consist of linking an ancient ethical question with its contemporary reception. The precise modalities will be discussed during the course.
Work placement(s)
Organisational remarks and main changes to the course
2nd term, Tuesday 3-5pm, room Philo I.
It is taught alternately by the two professors in charge: in 2024-2025 by Marc-Antoine Gavray, in 2025-2026 by Florence Caeymaex.
Contacts
Marc-Antoine Gavray (Université de Liège, Département de philosophie, 7 Place du 20-août, 4000 Liège).
marc-antoine.gavray@uliege.be
+32 4 366 92 00