Sun, Chien-Ya;
(2021)
A modern malaise and Greek philosophical traditions: Platonism, Epicurianism and Stoicism.
Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).
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Abstract
This thesis starts by considering modern understandings of well-being, particularly those that emphasise choice and personal fulfilment. Desire and its satisfaction, in the sense that these terms are used in these modern models, is taken to be an indicator of well-being and in general something to be maximised. The focus on personal satisfaction increases tensions not only between the individual and others, but also within the individual herself, while ‘discovering the self’ becomes of paramount ethical importance. Inspired by Martha Nussbaum’s work on desire and therapy in ancient Greek philosophical traditions, this thesis investigates the thinking of three ancient Greek philosophical schools (the writings of Plato, Epicureanism and Stoicism) on issues related to desire, particularly passionate desire such as love (erōs). In all three schools, desires are considered to be potentially problematic and to require careful examination and transformation. In the light of their respective concepts of happiness (eudaimonia), each school provides methods for differentiating desires and for transforming problematic ones. These traditions afford critical insight into modern therapeutic practices because of the ways they contrast with or diverge from them. This thesis also suggests that there are some virtues in these traditions that tend to be overlooked today, in an intellectual atmosphere where the virtues of independence, autonomy and rationality are so strongly emphasised. These virtues include kindness, compassion, toleration and a kind of other-regarding love. The aim of this thesis is to explore the significance of these ancient Greek philosophies for today's world. With the recurrence of interest in the ancient medical (or therapeutic) model of philosophy, it attempts to shed light on the tradition of philosophy as a way of life.
| Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Qualification: | Ph.D |
| Title: | A modern malaise and Greek philosophical traditions: Platonism, Epicurianism and Stoicism |
| Event: | UCL |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Copyright © The Author 2021. Original content in this thesis is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/). Any third-party copyright material present remains the property of its respective owner(s) and is licensed under its existing terms. Access may initially be restricted at the author’s request. |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education > IOE - Education, Practice and Society |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10133607 |
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