Cicero, als der unbestrittene Meister der römischen Beredsamkeit in Theorie und Praxis, hat sich in mehreren Werken mit der Theorie der Rhetorik befasst. In seinen 'Partitiones oratoriae' stellt er die Rhetorik als System dar. Der literarischen Form nach handelt es sich um einen Dialog oder einen Katechismus in Frage und Antwort: Sohn Marcus darf seinen Vater im Urlaub anhand einer griechischen Vorlage examinieren. Über die Datierung des Werks besteht keine Übereinstimmung: Einiges spricht für seine Entstehung im Jahre 56 v. Chr., (...) vieles dafür, dass es erst zehn Jahre später niedergeschrieben wurde. Das straff gegliederte Werk gibt einen ausgezeichneten Einblick in die vielfältigen Anforderungen, denen ein Redner gerecht werden musste und auch heute noch genügen muss. (shrink)

University life is colourful, filled with a plethora of memorable moments both academic and non-academic. During the COVID-19 pandemic, however, first-year university students’ academic experiences may have differed from their expectations due to being conducted fully online. The COVID-19 pandemic denied first-year students the opportunity to join in-person classes and become involved in university activities in a physical setting. All activities were moved to virtual settings, and students could only contact their classsmates and lecturers via social media platforms. This derailment (...) of expectations may dampen students’ enthusiasm and impact their levels of motivation and happiness. To explore this phenomenon, a study was conducted with 143 first-year psychology students to examine their self-reported motivational and happiness levels before and after seven weeks of online classes. This study included 113 females and 30 males with a mean age of 20.68. Data collected revealed that students’ motivation and happiness levels declined significantly after their online classes. Based on the level of agreement with one item—‘Overall, I am happy with my university life’—48 students agreed, 76 were neutral, and 19 indicated dissatisfaction. This study may assist the university and relevant authorities in understanding students’ perceptions of dealing with academic and life challenges while learning online during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, psychological strategies should be considered to enhance first-year students’ motivation and happiness levels when faced with online classes in their new first semester. (shrink)

Mary Midgley, Iris Murdoch, Gertrude Anscombe and Philippa Foot studied together in Oxford during the war, at a time when most of the men had left the university, leaving it to them for themselves. These unique circumstances where decisive for the fact that they all went on to become successful philosophers and were able to develop their own original philosophical theories, opposing the philosophical dogmas of their time, Midgley later wrote. This claim is the point of departure for this article. (...) It has three purposes: First I try to say something about the circumstances that made it possible to develop such alternatives, and second, I try to say something about what they consist in. Finally, I ask what this story can teach us about inclusion of women in philosophy today. (shrink)

This is another contribution from one of the most impressive series of recent German scholarship on German Idealism. In this volume Fichte scholars add a definitive edition of incidental papers from a transitional period in Fichte's later career. This period was complicated by the progress of the Napoleonic wars, and the need for Fichte to relocate temporarily in Königsberg. Among the longer pieces in the volume one finds: "Bericht über den Begriff der Wissenschaftslehre und die bisherigen Schicksale derselben" ; "Wissenschaftslehre (...) Königsberg" ; "Nebenbemerkungen zu 1" ; "Realbemerkungen bei Machiavelli" ; "Die Republik der Deutschen" ; and "Bei Lektüre von Pestalozzis Buch, 'Wie Getrud ihre Kinder lehrt'". In addition to extensive notes and helpful introductory remarks, the volume contains a detailed index. (shrink)