Course Description
This class will be a lecture and discussion-based survey of ancient philosophy from the Presocratics through Aristotle. We will begin by considering the nature of philosophy in the ancient world, focusing on the paradigmatic figure of Socrates, as represented by Plato. We will then back up to consider the emergence of philosophy as a distinct practice in the sixth century BC, reading selections from the extant fragments of various Presocractic philosophers: Thales, Anaximander, Heraclitus, Parmenides, Zeno of Elea, Empedocles and Anaxagoras. Finally, we will examine in detail the two greatest philosophers of the ancient period: Plato and Aristotle. We will read three more Platonic dialogues and selections from several of Aristotle’s works. Throughout the course we will focus on the various attempts of these philosophers to explain the nature of the cosmos and the soul, and we will also examine their views on the proper method of philosophical inquiry.
Objectives
- Become familiar with key philosophers and texts from ancient philosophy.
- Learn the general terminology and methods employed by these philosophers, as an aid to subsequent study of this period.
- Develop general philosophical skills: analyzing philosophical texts and defending positions in discussion and in writing.
Class Format
This class will involve a mix of lecturing and discussion. I will generally begin each session with a short lecture, but I strongly believe that students learn more when they are actively engaging with the material. To that end I will encourage discussion for a significant portion of each class.
Required Texts
- Cohen, Curd, and Reeve (eds.), Readings in Ancient Greek Philosophy from Thales to Aristotle (Hackett, 2005)
Evaluation
- 25 % First Paper (4-5 pages, due date to be announced)
- 60 % Second Paper (8-10 pages, due last day of class)
- 15 % Participation
There will be no final exam. The participation grade will be based on your involvement in class discussion, along with written comments. Students will submit these comments to me prior to each class. They should consist of a brief paragraph of your general thoughts on the reading for that class: what you find most significant or problematic, along with any questions you might have about what is going on in the text. These comments need not be well-polished pieces of writing, and I will not be grading them (although failure to submit comments will affect your participation grade). I’ll use your comments to keep track of how we are doing with the readings and to ensure that you are reading them. They should also prove useful for you in preparing to discuss these topics in class.
Class Schedule
The schedule below generally moves chronologically through the period, although occasionally we will jump forward or backward in time. This will allow us to organize our discussion of philosophers along thematic lines.
Unit 1. The Historical Context of Ancient Philosophy
- The political, cultural, and linguistic background [week 1]
- The survival of ancient texts [week 1]
Unit 2. Socrates
- The Socratic Method
- Plato, Apology [week 2]
- Plato, Euthyphro [week 3]
Unit 3. The Presocratics
- The Milesian physicists [week 4]
- Thales
- Anaximander
- Heraclitus [week 5]
- The Eleatic Challenge to Conventional Belief
- Parmenides [week 6]
- Zeno of Elea [week 7]
- Later Presocratics [week 8]
- Empedocles
- Anaxagoras
Unit 4. Plato
- Knowledge and virtue [week 9]
- Plato, Meno
- The forms and the soul [weeks 10 & 11]
- Plato, Phaedo
- Plato, Republic (brief excerpts)
Unit 5. Aristotle
- Change, nature, and causes
- Aristotle, Physics (excerpts) [week 12]
- Aristotle, On Generation and Corruption (excerpts) [week 13]
- The soul
- Aristotle, On the Soul (excerpts) [week 14]