Philosophy 25A

Summer 2013 Session A

Number Title Instructor Days/time Room
25A Ancient Philosophy McLeod MTuWTh 12-2 170 Barrows

This course will provide an introduction to the history of philosophy and to philosophical thinking in general. Students new to the subject will acquire a crucial foundation for further study in philosophy or related subjects, while students with more experience will develop a sense of different approaches to familiar problems. We will examine the beginnings of philosophy in ancient Greece and trace some of its developments over the course of antiquity. At the same time, we will try to understand what ancient Greeks took to be philosophical problems in areas ranging from the nature of what exists and the knowledge of it to questions of how each person should live and how people should live together. We will also explore how those problems resonate with concerns of modern philosophers. The course will begin with early Greek philosophy, then focus primarily on Plato and Aristotle, and conclude with a brief treatment of the philosophical schools that grew up after Aristotle.