Emotions that Foster Learning: Wonder and Shock in Proclus

Anxiety; Autonomy; Emotion; Fear; Fright; Learning; Mysteries; Neoplatonism; Passion; Philosophy; Proclus; Reason; Reversion; Surprise; Teaching; Thauma; Wonder; History; Classics; Religious Studies

Abstract :

[en] In his Commentaries, Proclus (Neoplatonic philosopher, 5th century A.D.) describes the ways in which a teacher can awaken the desire for knowledge and philosophy in a given soul, and help this soul to make cognitive and moral progress. He considers such an intervention to be a case of providence, analogous to both the action of divine Pronoia and the care of one’s personal daemon. As the soul being thus educated is still unaware of the merits of rational thought, the teacher needs to use the emotions of his student to stimulate him; he might even want to generate desirable emotions in his soul. I focus here on two emotions: wonder and shock. The first serves to stimulate in-terest while preserving autonomy. The second allows deeper commitment at the price of reduced autonomy of the pupil. Both are complementary aspects of philosophical perplexity.

Disciplines :

Philosophy & ethics
Education & instruction
Classical & oriental studies

Author, co-author :

Tresnie, Corentin ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de philosophie > Philosophie de l'éducation ; Université Libre de Bruxelles, (Faculty of Philosophy and Social Sciences, Centre PHI), Belgium ; KU Leuven (Institute of Philosophy, De Wulf Mansion Center), Belgium

Language :

English

Title :

Emotions that Foster Learning: Wonder and Shock in Proclus

Alternative titles :

[pl] Emocje, które sprzyjają uczeniu się: zdumienie i szok u Proklusa
[fr] Des émotions pour susciter l'apprentissage : Étonnement et stupéfaction chez Proclus

Publication date :

2022

Journal title :

Vox Patrum

ISSN :

0860-9411

eISSN :

2719-3586

Publisher :

John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin

Special issue title :

The Passions in the Platonic Tradition, Patristics and Late Antiquity

Volume :

Pages :

237 - 262

Peer reviewed :

Peer reviewed

Additional URL :

https://czasopisma.kul.pl/index.php/vp/article/download/12969/12423

Funders :

F.R.S.-FNRS - Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique

Available on ORBi :

since 10 September 2023

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