Before Philosophy: Wisdom, Authority, and Instruction in the Ancient Mediterranean World

(4 Credits)

What constituted 'wisdom' for the societies of the ancient Mediterranean world? On what authority was its cultural status based? Long before the ancients formalized wisdom into what we now call "philosophy," they cast it in various literary forms, including parable, proverb, precept, and a range of poetic models. How did this wisdom (or "instruction") literature address questions about mortality, divinity, the natural world, structures of power, erotic relations, and more? Focusing on ancient Mesopotamia (the ancient designation of modern Iraq, Kuwait, Iran, Syria, Turkey) as well as on Egypt, Israel, and Greece, we will examine the forms, themes, and cultural construction of wisdom in these ancient societies. Among the questions we will pose and explore: What were and are the cultural limits of wisdom? How did the wisdom traditions of the Near East and Greece interact? What is the relation of 'wisdom' to ideology?