Curriculum Vitae et Studiorum
Luca
Castagnoli
Lecturer in Ancient
Philosophy
Department of
Classics and Ancient History
Place of birth:
Date
of Birth:
POSTAL Department
of Classics and Ancient History
ADDRESS: 38
North Bailey
Durham DH1 3EU
UK
Telephone:
(mobile): +44
(0)796 4241753
(office): +44 (0)191 3341669
email: [email protected]
Education
Scholarships,
Awards and Positions Teaching Invited Presentations and Papers Publications Interests
4Higher Education
§
July 1994 ─ Diploma di Maturità Classica (General Certificate of Education
in Classics), Liceo Classico ‘V.
Monti’ (Cesena, Italy), with the mark
of 60/60 (First Class).
§
October 1994 - March 2000 ─ Undergraduate student at the Philosophy Department of the University of Bologna.
Passed 17 exams at the University of
Bologna with the average mark of 30/30 cum laude.
§
August 1998 - May 1999 ─ Full Time
Exchange Student at the University
of California, Berkeley (Fall and Spring Semesters). Passed 8 exams at
UC Berkeley with the average mark of A.
§
March 2000 ─ Laurea in Filosofia (B.A. in Philosophy), Philosophy Department of the University of Bologna, with the mark of ‘110/110 cum laude e dignità di pubblicazione’ (summa cum laude).
-
Tesi di Laurea (degree thesis): Parentesi
pirroniane: Sesto Empirico e l’argomento della perigraphē (XI,
196 pp.; supervisor: Prof. Walter Cavini, University of Bologna; cosupervisor:
Prof. Anthony Long, UC Berkeley).
Read the Italian version (1420k) Ø Read the
English version (1390k) Ø
§
October 2001 - December 2004 ─ Ph.D. student at
the Faculty of Classics of the University of Cambridge (St.
John’s College; Magdalene College from October 2004).
§
May 2005 ─ Ph.D. Degree in
Classics, University of Cambridge.
-
Ph.D. thesis: The Logic of
Ancient Self-Refutation: From Democritus to Augustine (supervisor: Mr. Nicholas Denyer,
Trinity College, Cambridge). Submitted on 7 January 2005; viva voce examination
on 28 March 2005 (examiners: Prof. David Sedley, Christ’s College, Cambridge,
and Prof.
Myles Burnyeat, All Souls College, Oxford); officially approved in May 2005;
degree conferred on 13 May 2006. Read an abstract (21k)Ø Contact me
for a copy
§
September 2007 - September 2008 ─
Post-graduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education,
4Scholarships, Awards and Positions
§
Awarded
Bursary by Banca Popolare dell’Emilia Romagna for outstanding high school final exam marks
(academic year 1994/95); awarded Bursaries by ENAM (National Board for Magistral Assistance)
for outstanding university exams marks (academic years 1995/96, 1996/97,
1997/98); awarded EAP
(Education Abroad Program) Studentship by the University of California, Berkeley, for the academic year
1998/99.
§
Employed at the ‘Ufficio
Didattico’ of the ‘Facoltà di
Lettere e Filosofia’ (Faculty of Literature and Philosophy)
of the University of Bologna (September 2000-July 2001). This involved advising students on their choice of courses and
exams and secretarial work for the Faculty.
§
Awarded Research Funds ‘Ex-60%’ for the research
project ‘Language and thought: formal structures and cognitive processes’ (in collaboration
with Prof. Eva Picardi, Prof. Walter Cavini, Prof. Maurizio Ferriani, et
alii) at the University of Bologna
for the academic years 2000/01 and 2001/02.
§
Awarded
the status of an Honorary Cambridge European Trust Scholar in September 2001. Awarded ‘Book Prize’ by the
Cambridge European Trust for the academic year 2001/02.
§
Elected Scholar of St.
John’s College, Cambridge, in
October 2001. Awarded Benefactors’ Scholarship by St. John’s College for the academic years 2001/02, 2002/03, 2003/04.
§
External adviser of the research project
‘Self-refutation and semantic paradoxes in ancient logic’ (led by Prof.
Walter Leszl and Prof. Walter Cavini) funded by the Italian Ministry of
Education, University and Scientific Research (MIUR) and the University
of Bologna (academic years 2002/03 and 2003/04).
§
Admitted
to the status of Fellow of the Cambridge European Society in June 2004.
§
October 2004 – August 2007 ─ Stipendiary H. Lumley Research Fellow at Magdalene
College, Cambridge.
§
Awarded (jointly) the Hare
Prize 2006 for the best 2005 Ph.D. dissertation in Classics at the
Cambridge University.
§
Awarded the London Hellenic Foundation Prize for
the best 2005 UK dissertation on a Greek subject (singly in the
ancient philosophy category).
§
Academic Year
2006-2007 (Michaelmas and Lent Term) ─ Director of Studies
in Philosophy for Magdalene
College, Cambridge.
§
From September 2007
─
Non-fixed term Lecturer in Ancient
Philosophy at the Department of Classics
and Ancient History, University of Durham.
§
Tutored undergraduate students at the Philosophy Department
of the
§
Run undergraduate seminar at the Philosophy Department
of the
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Run undergraduate seminar at the Philosophy Department
of the
§
Member of the examination board of the 1999/2000 course Introduction
to Philosophy, for students of the ‘Collegio d’Eccellenza’ of
the University of Bologna (teaching professor: Prof. Walter Cavini).
§
Supervised Paper 4 - ‘Set texts: Plato’s Meno’,
Part IA (first year) of the Philosophy Tripos, University of
Cambridge, for Selwyn College, New Hall, Hughes Hall, Girton College,
Christ’s College, Churchill College, Robinson College, Fitzwilliam College and
Trinity Hall.
§
Supervised Paper 4 - ‘Set texts: Hume’s Dialogues
Concerning Natural Religion’,
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Supervised classes of ‘Introduction to
Ancient Philosophy’, for
§
Supervised ‘Greek Literature’ (Plato’s Ion),
§
Supervised Paper 6 -
‘Classical Questions: Ancient Philosophy’ (especially Heraclitus, Socrates,
Plato’s Apology and Meno, and Hellenistic ethics),
Part IA (first year) of the Classical Tripos, University of Cambridge,
for Magdalene College, Lucy Cavendish College and St. Edmunds College.
§
Supervised Paper 8 - ‘Greek and Roman Philosophy’ (especially
Plato’s Republic, Hellenistic Philosophy), Part IB (second year)
of the Classical Tripos, University of Cambridge, for
§
Supervised Paper B1 - ‘Plato’ (especially Theaetetus,
Sophist and Parmenides), Part II (third year) of the Classical
Tripos, University of Cambridge, for Trinity Hall and Christ’s
College.
§
Interviewed applicants for admission to the Classical Tripos,
§
Interviewed applicants for admission to the Philosophy Tripos,
§
Lectured course on ‘Hellenistic and Roman
Philosophy: Knowledge and Fate’ (eight lectures), Part IB (second year) of
the Classical Tripos, University of Cambridge (Lent Term 2005).
My lectures dealt with Hellenistic physics, psychology and epistemology
(including Pyrrhonism) and the debate on determinism, fate and moral
responsibility.
§
Co-lectured (with Prof. Malcolm Schofield) course on ‘Hellenistic
and Roman Philosophy: Knowledge and Fate’ (four lectures), Part IB (second
year) of the Classical Tripos,
§
Lectured course on Plato’s Meno (eight
lectures),
KING’S COLLEGE
§
Lectured course on ‘Hellenistic Metaphysics
and Epistemology’ (ten lectures), King’s College London, second and
third year (Autumn Semester 2006).
2007/8
§
Taught module on ‘Ancient Philosophers on
Memory and Recollection’ (level 1, 30 hours).
§
Taught module on ‘Knowledge and Doubt in Hellenistic
Philosophy’ (level 3, 40 hours).
§
Co-taught (with Dr. Andrej Petrovic) Higher Greek module (22
hours, on Plato’s Meno).
§
Taught MA seminar on ‘Ancient Philosophers on
Necessity, Fate and Free Will’ (16 hours).
§
Supervised five undergraduate dissertations (8,000 words) on ancient
philosophy.
§
First marker of all the formative and summative work
related to the teaching above.
§
Undergraduate Dissertation Coordinator.
2008/9
§
Teaching module on ‘Plato on Knowledge,
Truth and Falsehood’ (level 2, 30 hours).
§
Teaching module on ‘Knowledge and Doubt in
Hellenistic Philosophy’ (level 3, 40 hours).
§
Co-teaching (with Dr. Boys-Stones) Higher Greek module (22
hours, on Plato’s Meno).
§
Teaching MA seminar on ‘Ancient Philosophers on
Necessity, Fate and Free Will’ (16 hours).
§
Supervising two undergraduate dissertations (8,000 words) on ancient
philosophy.
§
Undergraduate Dissertation Coordinator.
§
Member of the undergraduate admissions team.
Research students
supervision
§
Supervised one research MA thesis (50,000 words) on Aristotle’s
On memory and recollection.
§
Currently supervising two taught MA theses (15,000 words) on Philodemus’
aesthetics and Rights in Aristotle’s politics.
§
First supervisor of three Ph.D. theses (100,000 words), on Plato’s
Charmides, Plato’s late dialectics, and the sophist Protagoras.
4Papers AND PRESENTATIONS
§
Gave a paper at the International
Colloquium ‘Fra Logica e storia. Logica
moderna e storia della logica antica’ (‘Between Logic and History. Modern Logic and History of Ancient Logic’) organised by the University
of Salerno (Fisciano (SA), Italy, 18-20 October 2000). Title of paper: ‘The
Chrysippean conditional and its modern interpretations’.
§
Gave a paper at the Colloquium ‘La logica nel pensiero antico’ (‘Logic
in Ancient Thought’) organised by the ‘Centro di Studio del Pensiero Antico’ of
the C.N.R. (Rome, 28-29 November 2000). Title of paper: ‘Chrysippean synartēsis,
Aristotle’s thesis and consequentia
mirabilis’.
§
Gave a paper at the Philosophy
Department of the University of Bologna for the ‘Seminari Mondolfo’
series (1 March 2002). Title of the paper: ‘Everything is true, everything
is false: self-refutation arguments from Democritus to Mackie’.
§
Gave a paper at the Cambridge-Lille
Ancient Philosophy Annual Meeting, University of Lille III, France (4 May
2002). Title of the paper: ‘Liberal Doctrines and Recollection in
Augustine’s Confessions X (ix 16-xii 19)’.
§
Gave a paper at the Colloquium ‘Processi
mentali e funzioni sensoriali fino al De Anima e Parva Naturalia’
(‘Mental processes and sense functions until Aristotle’s De Anima and Parva
Naturalia’), Scuola di Alta Formazione Filosofica ‘Bertrando Spaventa’,
Bomba (CH), Italy (16 May 2002). Title of the paper: ‘Aristotelian
memory, Augustinian memory’.
§
Gave a paper at
the international Conference ‘Dialectic on Trial’ (Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences,
and Humanities (CRASSH), Cambridge, 2-3 December 2005). Title of the paper: ‘How
Dialectical was Stoic Dialectic?’
§
Gave a paper at
the ‘Giornata di Storia e Filosofia della Logica’ organised by the ‘Gruppo di
Ricerca in Logica e Filosofia della Logica’, Department of Philosophy, University
of Padova (19 December 2005). Title of the paper: ‘Dialectic, logic and consequentia
mirabilis in ancient philosophy’.
§
Gave a presentation (with Valentina Di Lascio) at
the 12th Conference of the European Society for Ancient Philosophy on Aristotle,
Topics I, 8-9 (Athens, 5-8 April 2006).
§
Presented a session at the 2007 Cambridge
Ancient Philosophy Mayweek Seminar on Diogenes Laertius IX 74-78 and
102-108.
§
Gave a paper at the Conference ‘Dialogue and Dialectic: The Development of
Dialectic from Plato to Aristotle’ (Copenhagen, 13-15 July 2007). Title of the paper: ‘Self-refutation
and Dialectic in Plato and Aristotle’.
§
Gave a paper at ‘Models of Mind. A Symposium in Honor of
Tony Long’ (Berkeley, 7-9
September 2007). Title of the paper: ‘How dialectical was Stoic dialectic?’.
§
Gave a paper at the Ancient Philosophy B-Club (Cambridge,
10 March 2008). Title of the paper: ‘Self-refutation and Dialectic in Plato and
Aristotle’.
§
Gave a paper at the
§
Will give a paper at the ‘Symposium on Aristotle’s Sophistical
Refutations’ (Humboldt Universität,
§
Will give a paper at the Colloque International
‘Logique et Dialectique’ (Paris IV Sorbonne, December 2009). Title of the
paper: ‘Begging the Question between Dialectic and Logic’.
(A) Work published or forthcoming (accepted
for publication):
Books:
1.
The Logic of Ancient
Self-Refutation: From Democritus to Augustine,
Abstract. In the Introduction I explain what we should
intend by ‘self-refutation’, trying to distinguish this fuzzy notion from a
cluster of different, albeit related, phenomena which will not be the object of
my inquiry (e.g. self-contradiction, semantic or pragmatic inconsistency,
semantic paradoxes).
In the first chapter
first I critically discuss Mackie’s influential account of ‘absolute’
self-refutation and then I show that a careful analysis of the ancient self-refutation
charges against theses such as ‘Everything is false’ and ‘Everything is true’
requires accepting, but also extending and strengthening, Burnyeat’s insight
that the dialectical debate was the basic framework for ancient
self-refutation. With only one notable but late exception, the ancient
arguments were not (and could not be) logical proofs by consequentia
mirabilis.
In the second chapter I
analyse a quite heterogeneous group of arguments which have been classified as
early instances of ‘pragmatic’ or ‘operational’ self-refutation. I argue that
Mackie’s standard notion of pragmatic self-refutation hides a dangerous
ambiguity and should not be uncritically applied for our purposes. What is
required in dialectical contexts to advance and defend a thesis successfully
(e.g. arguing in its favour) or what can be inferred from the act of proposing
it (e.g. certain presuppositions, motivations, and purposes) conflict with the
thesis itself, committing its supporter to conceding its contradictory and thus
admitting defeat. The propositional content of the thesis is not thereby proved
to be false.
In the third chapter I
consider some anti-sceptical self-refutation charges and the Sceptics’ replies,
and in particular some strands of the fascinating ancient debate about the
reflexivity of one’s scepticism. I distinguish self-refutation arguments
following the pattern of reversal (peritropē) from others in which
self-reference is crucial (‘self-elimination’ or ‘self-bracketing’), with
special focus on Sextus Empiricus’ defence against the charges of hidden
dogmatism and self-refutation and on its possible historical and logical
antecedents.
In the Conclusion I
summarise the main result of my inquiry: the elucidation of the crucial
differences between various kinds of ancient self-refutation strategies and
between the ancient and modern approach to self-refutation. Until the dusk of
antiquity, when I identify an important turn with Augustine, self-refutation
remained, typically, an intrinsically dialectical manoeuvre, and not a logical
proof aimed at establishing the truth-value of propositions as too often
understood today.
While providing the first comprehensive account of
the distinctive nature of the ancient approach to self-refutation, my book aims
at improving our understanding of specific and much debated arguments from
philosophers like Democritus, Plato, Aristotle, Epicurus, the Stoics, the
Academic sceptics, Sextus Empiricus, and Augustine.
Articles:
2.
‘Self-bracketing Pyrrhonism’, Oxford Studies in Ancient Philosophy,
XVIII (2000), 263-328. Contact me for a copy
3. ‘L’elenchos di Agatone: Una rilettura di Platone, Simposio,
199c3-201c9’ [‘Agathon’s elenchos: A new interpretation of
Plato, Symposium, 199c3-201c9’], Dianoia,
VI (2001), 39-84. Read an English abstract (6k) Ø Contact me for a copy
4.
‘Protagoras Refuted: How Clever is Socrates’ “Most Clever” Argument at Theaetetus
171a-c?’, Topoi, XXIII 1 (2004), 3-32. Contact me for a copy
5.
‘Il condizionale crisippeo e
le sue interpretazioni moderne’ [‘The
Chrysippean conditional and its modern interpretations’], Elenchos, XXV 2 (2004), 353-395. Contact me for a copy
6. ‘Memoria aristotelica, memoria agostiniana’ [‘Aristotelian memory, Augustinian memory’], in G. A. Lucchetta, U. La Palombara (eds.), Mente,
anima e corpo nel mondo antico. Immagini e funzioni, Opera Editrice, Pescara, 2006, 141-160.
7. ‘Liberal Arts and
Recollection in Augustine’s Confessions X (ix 16-xii 19)’, Philosophie Antique,
VI (2006) [De Platon aux platoniciens], 107-135. Contact me
for a copy
8. ‘Everything is
true, Everything is False: Self-Refutation Arguments from Democritus to
Augustine’, Antiquorum Philosophia, I (2007), 11-74. Contact me for a copy
1. ‘Synartēsis crisippea e tesi di
Aristotele’ [‘Chrysippean synartēsis
and Aristotle’s thesis’], in M. Alessandrelli, M. Nasti De Vincentis (eds.), La
logica nel pensiero antico (Atti del I Colloquio, Roma 28-29 Novembre
2000), Bibliopolis, Napoli, 105-163, forthcoming in 2009.
2. ‘How Dialectical
Was Stoic Dialectic?’, in A. Nightingale, D. Sedley (eds.), Ancient Models of Mind: Studies in Human and Divine Rationality, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, forthcoming in
2009/10.
Reviews and Critical Reviews:
3.
‘Critical Review of R. Bett, Pyrrho,
his Antecedents, and his Legacy (New York: Oxford University Press, 2000)’, Ancient
Philosophy, XXII 2 (2002), 443-457.
4.
‘Review of L. Floridi, Sextus
Empiricus: The Transmission and Recovery of Pyrrhonism (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002)’, Ancient Philosophy, XXIV 1 (2004), 232-235.
5.
‘Critical Review of M. Nasti De Vincentis, Logiche della connessività (Bern: Haupt, 2002)’, Elenchos, XXV 1 (2004), 179-192. [in Italian]
6.
‘Plato’s Republic Revis(it)ed:
Review of D. Roochnik, Beautiful City: The Dialectical Character of Plato’s
Republic (Ithaca and London: Cornell
University Press, 2003)’, Classical Review, LV 1 (2005), 55-57.
7. ‘Review of M. Bonazzi, Accademici
e Platonici: Il dibattito antico sullo scetticismo di Platone (Milano: LED, 2004)’, Journal of Hellenic
Studies, CXXVI (2006), 214-215.
8. ‘Sextus Empiricus’
Dialectical Moves: Review of R. La Sala, Die
Züge des Skeptikers: Die dialektische Charakter von Sextus Empiricus’ Werk (Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2005)’, Classical Review, LVII 2
(2007), 370-372.
9. ‘Critical review of M.-K.
Lee, Epistemology after Protagoras: Responses to
Relativism in Plato, Aristotle, and Democritus (
10. ‘Critical review of
H. Tarrant, Recollecting Plato’s Meno (
11. ‘Review of R.
Sorabji, Self: Ancient and Modern Insights about Individuality, Life, and
Death (
12. ‘Critical review of
R. Salles, The Stoics on Determinism and Compatibilism (
Translations:
13.
Italian translation of H. Weidemann, ‘Aristotle on modal propositions (De
int. 12 and 13)’, Dianoia, X (2005), 27-41.
(B) Work in progress and planned (books,
articles, reviews, conference papers):
1.
‘Self-refutation and Dialectic in Plato and Aristotle’, in J. L. Fink
(ed.), Dialogue and
Dialectic: The Development of Dialectic from Plato to Aristotle. Proocedings of the Conference held in Copenhagen, 13-15 July 2007, possibly forthcoming with Cambridge
University Press in 2009/10.
2.
‘Early Pyrrhonism’, for F. Sheffield, J. Warren
(eds.), Routledge Companion to Ancient Philosophy (under contract,
expected publication in 2011).
3.
Entry ‘Skepticism’, for M. Gagarin (ed.), Encyclopedia
of Ancient Greece and Rome, Oxford University Press, 2009/10 (under
contract).
4.
Entry ‘Sextus Empiricus’, for M. Gagarin (ed.), Encyclopedia
of Ancient Greece and Rome, Oxford University Press, 2009/10 (under
contract).
5.
‘Aristotle on
Begging the Question’, for the ‘Symposium on Aristotle’s Sophistical
Refutations’ (Humboldt Universität,
6.
‘Begging the question between dialectic and logic’, for the Colloque
International ‘Logique et Dialectique’ (Paris IV Sorbonne, December 2009)
7.
Storia della Logica Antica [History of
Ancient Logic], handbook on ancient logic, to be written with
Dr Paolo Fait and Dr Fabio Acerbi, under contract with the editor Laterza,
Bari-Milano. (under preparation, forthcoming in 2010?)
8.
‘Review of J. Barnes, Truth, etc.: Six Lectures on
Ancient Logic (
9.
‘Review of D. Scott (ed.), Maieusis (
10.
‘Review of E. Bermon, La signification et
l’enseignement (
11.
‘Review of D. Bloch, Aristotle on Memory and
Recollection (
12.
‘Review of P. Stern, Knowledge and Politics in
Plato’s Theaetetus (
13.
Sesto Empirico.
Schizzi pirroniani [Sextus Empiricus: Outlines
of Pyrrhonism], introduction, Italian translation, and notes,
informal agreement with the editor Bompiani, Milano. (first draft of the
translation completed)
§
As mirrored in the range of
my work, past and current: Ancient dialectic and logic (from the
analysis of the various patterns of ancient philosophical argumentation to the
most formal aspects of ancient logic); Plato;
epistemology (especially Hellenistic) and philosophical
scepticism (especially Pyrrhonism); the determinism-fate-free will
debate; conceptions of memory.
4Extra-curricular Interests
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Cinema
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Mystery and courtroom novels
§
Sports (basketball in
particular)
Last updated: 26/04/2009