Jan Dreßler
Thesis: Perceptions of Philosophy in Classical Athens
The establishment of philosophy in fifth and fourth century Athens and the growing importance of higher education that accompanied it meant a major cultural change that was already noticed by contemporaries. Not surprisingly, texts of that era are rich with reflections on the benefits as well as the potential drawbacks of philosophical education for Athenian society. By examining this discourse, my aim is to determine the role higher education played in the public sphere of Classical Athens.
CV
Jan Dreßler studied Ancient History, Modern History and English Philology at the Humboldt-Universität and in Toulouse, France. In 2009 he graduated with a master’s thesis on impiety trials against philosophers in Ancient Athens. Currently he is working on a dissertation project within Topoi group B-I-1 that deals with contemporary perceptions of philosophers and philosophical education in fifth and fourth century Athens.
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