Philosophy 25A

This course is designed as an introduction to philosophical thinking generally, and to ancient philosophy in particular. Those new to philosophy will learn the landscape by reading and writing about knowledge (epistemology), the nature of reality (metaphysics), psychology, philosophy of mind, politics, and ethics as the ancients saw it. Those with experience in philosophy will get acquainted both with the striking differences between ancient and modern thinkers and the very elements that make the Greeks foundational to Western philosophy. The ancient perspective is an excellent starting point for its accessibility to the newcomer and inextricable relation to ongoing philosophical debates. The course will focus on Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, with smaller selections from the presocratics and the Hellenistic era.