RFLA 100H 03 - Philosophy at the Gym (CRN 10757)

Philosophy was born in the gyms of Athens. In this class, we will return a body of abstract thought to its original context, in an attempt to understand how training for the body sparked training for the mind. We will use archaeology to reconstruct the reality of ancient athletics and literary texts to critique philosophers’ idealized versions of this reality. We will explore a cluster of questions about the nature of happiness / the best life for a human being (eudaimonia), the role of virtue / excellence (arete ) in this life and what forms of education / training may help up secure both. Along the way, we will attempt to define individual virtues (courage, moderation, justice), think about the nature of physical beauty & erotic love, and evaluate concepts of mental “health” and strategies for spiritual “exercise”. We will end on a practical note, competing in our own Greek Olympic Games and using ancient materials to think about the role of gym culture and forms of well-being in our own time.  Satisfies ECMP.