Why Study This Course?
The Ancient Greek philosophers investigated questions that remain important today. Revisiting their ideas gives us a platform from which we can develop our own ideas about the world and our place within it. The course will introduce a range of key issues and debates. How can we be confident of the knowledge we have of ourselves and the world around us? How does knowledge come about? Can we gain access to knowledge of the world through observation? Is reality purely physical or must it be something mental or spiritual? Is reason our defining characteristic or are we really creatures of instinct and habit? Is it possible to lead a good life? Are there any good, rational reasons why we should obey the laws of the State? What makes political authority legitimate, and when is it illegitimate and open to resistance? What is the proper relationship between the power of the State and the Freedom of the Individual?
By the end of the course, you will be able to:
•Describe the distinctive nature of philosophical problems and give examples of these.
•Explain and evaluate some of the key ideas and debates in Ancient Greek Philosophy (e.g., the presocratic explanation of change, the tension between unity and diversity in presocratic thought, Plato's distinction between the world of ideas and the physical world, Aristotle's theory of the 'Golden mean' as a basis for acting morally)
•Develop your knowledge of the history of philosophy and the ideas, debates concepts which have been developed there.
•You will be able develop methods for examining key questions critically using problem solving techniques.
The classes will be discussion-based, allowing participants to explore, debate, and (inevitably) disagree. Please note that in a philosophy class, disagreement is not only acceptable, but is actively encouraged. Be prepared to have your preconceptions challenged. Your tutors will assess your progress through your class participation, in conjunction with your own self-assessment of your progress.
Arguments and controversies: Lessons from Greek Philosophy.
outline:
Week:
1.Introduction to course and introduce each other.
Discuss: what is philosophy? Discuss some of the major themes that will be coming up in the course. Introduce the pre-Socratics, geographically, their world and their place in history.
2.The first Pre-Socratics: Thales, Anaximander, and Anaximenes. The Question: must there be permanence amid change?
3.Heraclitus and Parmenides. What is the relationship between the whole of the cosmos and its parts? Heraclitus thinks in contradictions. While Heraclitus argues all is change, Parmenides explains only the One is and that change is an illusion.
4.Zeno of Elea: the proof that Being is One, and motion is impossible. The Atomists -Leucippus and Democritus. Introducing Socrates and the turn to the self from cosmology.
5.Plato and Socrates
-Historical and biographical background
-Dialectical or Socratic questioning and The Apology
-From the particular to the universal.
-The Meno- “the slave boy” - how do we learn?
-Knowledge is not relative.
6.Plato
-The Divided Line
-The Cave
-Introducing The Forms
7.Plato
-The Forms
-The soul ascends to the contemplation of Beauty.
-The divided line again, the state and the Philosopher King
8.Aristotle
-The subject/substance distinction
-The for and matter distinction
-Actuality and potentiality
-The Four Causes
9.Aristotle
-What is meant by happiness?
-How does one achieve happiness?
-The golden mean
10. Aristotle contrasted to Plato
- Epistemology
- Metaphysics
- Ethics
No entry requirement.
The initial assessment will be made on the first day by each individual student against the learning objectives for the course. This becomes part of their PLP. Throughout the course I will then use formative assessments (including performance during group work, quizzes, Q and A, or set homework) to capture progress. I will record student development in the Class Profile form which allows me to reflect on each individual and prompts me explore progress with students 1 to 1. I will then give a final or summative assessment and celebrate each student’s achievement.
You will need a notebook, a pen, and an open mind. Your tutors may also recommend further reading, but the course does not require the purchase of any more materials. We will also make course materials and other resources available to you.
