Ancient Philosophy

(2.5,3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

This class in ancient philosophy explores the writings of Plotinus, who contributed greatly to Neo-Platonism and inspired and informed early Christian philosophers and writers. IC PI 2113 description: This module focuses on core themes in ancient philosophy through the study of an individual text (for example, Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics) or a survey of one theme in a range of philosophical movements in the ancient world. In this class, we will be examining a core idea in Ancient Thought (friendship) through the philosophies of Socrates, Plato, Aristotle and Plotinus. Although the ideas we are presenting are ancient, they have interesting contemporary relevance not least for the way in which friendship is a central feature in successful living and something that today we push to the periphery or, feel that we don't have enough of. As we move through the semester, we'll engage critically with the accounts of friendship presented by these thinkers and discuss where they might matter for our own lives.