Postgraduate "Work In Progress" Seminar
Postgraduate Work-In-Progress SeminarA weekly seminar for Philosophy postgraduates to present their in-progress work, followed by a well-spirited trip to the pub. OverviewThe WIP provides a risk-free and supportive space for postgraduates to present their work and receive feedback from other graduates and faculty.
Attendance optional but highly recommended. All postgraduates are welcome to present or attend -- whether MA, MPhil, PhD, Visitors, etc. Useful InfoThe WIP is a unique opportunity for graduates to develop their presenting and writing skills, take risks, test out ideas, and receive constructive feedback from peers.
Presentations need not be watertight or polished pieces at all. You are encouraged to present work at all stages of the writing process. Should you present?Are you a postgraduate? Then yes, you should present. |
NEXT TALKBen Long (PhD) Scepticism Thursday 04/06/2026 5pm - 6:15pm S1.50 ORGANISERS |
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Philosophy Department Colloquium - Joachim Aufderheide (KCL)
Abstract
All of Aristotle鈥檚 ethical writings allocate a central place to theoretical philosophical thinking (迟丑别艒谤颈补). Noting the differences both in detail and in spirit, scholars have speculated about the treatises鈥� relative composition and Aristotle鈥檚 philosophical development more generally. However, any kind of judgement about the relationship between these texts requires an account of the place and role of 迟丑别艒谤颈补 in each text taken on its own.
Setting aside the well-known account of the Nicomachean Ethics, I provide such an account for the Protrepticus, the Eudemian Ethics, and the Magna Moralia by considering two questions: 1) What is 迟丑别艒谤颈补? And 2) What role does 迟丑别艒谤颈补 play in the ethical theory of each of these treatises? I argue that the treatises agree broadly on what 迟丑别艒谤颈补 is. It belongs to theoretical philosophy and has to do with knowledge of causes, nature, and truth. The EE and the MM do not say much about the nature of 迟丑别艒谤颈补; the Protrepticus proves to be more informative because it aims at putting the contemplative way of life on the map — in contrast to a more practical approach, associated with Isocrates.
Of the three texts, the Protrepticus has most to say about the nature of 迟丑别艒谤颈补. It presents 迟丑别艒谤颈补 as the contemplation of nature and truth, understood as knowledge of causes. I shall argue that this knowledge is purely theoretical, despite the argument in ch. 10 that 迟丑别艒谤颈补 provides the greatest benefit for human beings. The other two treatises, operating with a similar conception of 迟丑别艒谤颈补, also maintain a firm distinction between practical and theoretical knowledge. However, both argue, in different ways, that we cannot fully understand practical virtue without considering 迟丑别艒谤颈补 because the former is for the sake of the latter. In the course of explaining how each of the treatises subordinates practical to theoretical wisdom, I shall argue that the EE widens the remit of theoretical thinking to include some aspects of politics, whereas the MM operates with a less developed account that does not stress the importance of knowledge of causes.