printer friendly pagePHIL 207: Early Plato (PHIL 107)
We shall focus on Plato¿s early or Socratic dialogues (e.g. the Crito, the Gorgias, and the Protagoras). In these dialogues, Plato focuses on ethics and ethical psychology without explicitly drawing on epistemological and metaphysical claims. We¿ll try to determine whether the Socrates of these dialogues is a purely destructive critic or whether he has a positive ethical view that he advances.
Last offered: Winter 2014
| Repeatable
2 times
(up to 8 units total)
PHIL 207A: The Greeks on Irrationality (PHIL 107A)
In this course, we shall examine the views of some central Greek philosophers (Plato, Aristotle, the Epicureans, and the Stoics) on the irrational and non-rational aspects of human life. What makes something irrational and what roles (negative and perhaps positive as well) does the irrational play in our lives? We shall examine their views on anger, fear, madness, love, pleasure and pain, sexual desire and so on. We shall also consider more briefly some depictions of these psychic items in ancient Greek literature.
Last offered: Autumn 2012
PHIL 207B: Plato's Metaphysics and Epistemology (PHIL 107B)
We will read the Theaetetus and the Parmenides, and consider various definitions of knowledge, and metaphysical problems about the objects of knowledge, and a proposed method for examining and resolving such problems. Prerequisite: Philosophy 80 or consent of instructor.
Last offered: Spring 2014
PHIL 207C: Plato's Timaeus (PHIL 107C)
Last offered: Spring 2015
PHIL 208: Aristotle's Metaphysics Book Alpha (PHIL 108)
An introduction both to Aristotle's own metaphysics and to his treatment of his predecessors on causality, included the early Ionian cosmologists, atomism, Pythagoreans, Heraclitus, Parmenides, Empedocles, Anaxagoras and Plato. Prerequisite: one course in ancient Greek philosophy.
Last offered: Autumn 2013
| Repeatable
for credit
PHIL 208A: Aristotelian Logic (PHIL 108A)
A careful examination of Aristotle's syllogistic, with special emphasis on the interpretation of his modal syllogistic. This course will serve both as an introduction to ancient term logic and to the difference between sentential modal operators and modal modifiers to the copula. Topics will include the analysis of syllogisms into figures and moods, the reduction of 2nd and 3rd figure syllogisms to the first, the consistency of the modal syllogistic, models for the syllogistic, and de re versus de dicto modalities. For students with at least some introductory background in logic.
Last offered: Winter 2014
PHIL 208B: Aristotle's Physics Book One (PHIL 108B)
A chapter by chapter analysis of Aristotle's introductory discussions of physical theory. Topics to be considered include Aristotle's treatment of Eleatic monism, the role of opposites in pre-Socratic physics, the role of matter in physics, and an analysis of the elements of changing objects into form, privation and a subject.
Last offered: Spring 2014
PHIL 209: Topics in Ancient Philosophy: Plato and Aristotle on Art and Rhetoric (PHIL 109)
Plato's and Aristotle's views on the nature of art and rhetoric and their connections with the emotions, reason and the good life. Readings include Plato's Gorgias, Ion and parts of the Republic and the Laws and Aristotle's Poetics and Rhetoric.
Last offered: Autumn 2011
| Repeatable
3 times
(up to 12 units total)
PHIL 209A: Special Topics in Ancient Philosophy: Aristotle's Metaphysics Zeta (PHIL 109A)
Terms: Aut
| Units: 4
| Repeatable
3 times
(up to 12 units total)
Instructors:
Code, A. (PI)
PHIL 209B: Greek philosophers read their ancestors: Intro to the ancient reception of Presocratic philosophy (PHIL 109B)
The first Greek philosophers are known to us only through fragments of their original works, generally few in number and transmitted by later authors, as well as through a set of testimonies covering a thousand years and more. Thus it is crucial, in order to understand archaic thought, to get a sense of how they were read by those to whom we owe their transmission. What was their aim, their method, their presuppositions or prejudices?nn The course will employ this perspective to examine authors such as Plato, Aristotle, Theophrastus, Diogenes Laertius, Simplicius ¿ among others. We shall also reflect, on the basis of the paradigmatic case of the Presocratics, on some of the more general problems raised by literary and philosophical approaches to the notion of reception.
Last offered: Spring 2014
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