Ancient Greek Philosophy

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

This course introduces students to major figures and topics in ancient Greek philosophy. Ancient Greek philosophy began with pre-Socratic thinkers such as Parmenides, Heraclitus, and Anaxagoras, who sought security in a world of constant change and tried to identify a stable, underlying metaphysical principle. Inheriting this project, Plato and Aristotle first clearly brought out its ethical implications and set the parameters for later philosophical developments, including skepticism, Epicureanism, and Stoicism. The course will cover a selection of figures and topics from within this tradition and will be writing- and reading-intensive.