Ancient Philosophy: Philosophy 3301
University of Minnesota Duluth
Course Syllabus
Instructor: Dr. Eve A. Browning
307 A.B. Anderson Hall
Course description: About 2500 years ago, what we now call philosophy began to emerge from the myths and folktales of the peoples who inhabited the Mediterranean coasts. Within a few centuries, the main outlines of our philosophical tradition had been established: questions of knowledge, reality, human happiness, political ideals, the foundations of science, aesthetics, and psychology were all pursued in ways that we still find important and compelling today. In this course, we trace the emergence of the discipline which will influence subsequent intellectual history more than any other: ancient philosophy remains foundational for human self-understanding today. This course covers the emergence and foundational period of philosophy, and is important for anyone who wishes to follow the advice of the Delphic oracle: “Know Thyself”.
Professor Browning's Course Policies
Texts:
The First Philosophers: The Presocratics and the Sophists. Robin Waterfield.
Plato: Complete Works. ed. John Cooper.
Aristotle: Basic Works. ed. Richard McKeon
Online readings:
Odyssey Book I Homer
Theogony Book 1 Hesiod
Oresteia Trilogy, Aeschylus: 1. Agamemnon -- 2. Libation Bearers -- 3. Eumenides
History of the Peloponnesian War (excerpts), Thucydides: Pericles' Funeral Oration -- Athens versus tiny Melos
The Clouds, a play by Aristophanes
Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy: various articles of relevance http://www.utm.edu/research/iep/
Course Requirements:
- Consistent attendance, preparedness, and participation are expected of all students and constitute 25% of the course grade. Preparation will be demonstrated (and evaluated) through in–class essays, an occasional quiz, and class discussions.
- Tests will be given in the 4th, 8th, 12th, and 15th weeks of the semester. Cumulative take-home final exam will be distributed at final class meeting and due on the final exam scheduled date. Lowest exam grade will be dropped. Exams will be averaged together to constitute 50% of course grade.
- A video project on some topic of importance to ancient philosophers will constitute the final 25% of course grade. Student will work as teams on videos which will be posted at least briefly on YouTube or other video hosting site. More information will be made available in the third week of the semester.
Topic and Reading Schedule:
Week 1:
Philosophy emerging from myth. Homer, Hesiod,
and the other poets. How does
poetry give birth to
science?
Read:
In-class Friday essay: write a mytho-poetic
essay explaining some recent unusual experience
you have had.
Week 2:
The earliest Greek philosophers. Read in First Philosophers: pp.3-68
Recommended: Internet Encyclopedia
articles on individual philosophers. http://www.utm.edu/research/iep/
Friday in-class essay: explain and defend one early Greek
philosopher’s world-view.
Week 3:
Early Greek philosophy matures a dialectical
tradition.
Read in First Philosophers: pp.68-163
Friday essay: How does a scientific explanation differ
from other types of explanation?
Week 4:
Sophists and scholars. Introducing Socrates.
Read: In Plato text, Apology
of Socrates, Crito, Aristophanes' Comic Portrait of Socrates
Test #1
Week 5:
Plato on the Soul.
Read:In Plato text, Phaedo.
Friday essay: Is
the soul immortal? What indications
count for and against the possibility
of psychic survival after bodily death?
Week 6:
Plato on Erotic Love.
Read: Plato, Symposium.
Friday essay: What
does erotic love have to do with intellectual enlightenment?
Week 7:
Plato on the Perfect Polis
Read: Plato, Republic
Friday essay: What does the Perfect Polis exemplify, in the way of political values?
Week 8:
Greek Tragedy as philosophical statement.
Week 9:
Introducing Aristotle.
Read: Aristotle, Parts of Animals, book I chapter 5;
Metaphysics, Metaphysics 1
Friday Essay: What does Aristotle take the job of philosophy to be?
Week 10:
Aristotle’s philosophy of nature.
Read: Aristotle, Physics,
Friday essay: Give
a paradigm case of something “natural” and explain its possession of this quality.
Week 11:
Aristotle on Morality.
Read: Aristotle, Nichomachean
Ethics
Friday essay: Is
friendship a virtue? Why/why
not?
Week 12:
Aristotle's Political theory
Read: Aristotle, Politics book I.
Week 14: Take-home final distributed
Hellenistic and Roman philosophy.
No assigned reading; video viewing and critique.
Week 15:
Beyond ancient philosophy: bird’s-eye view of
philosophy’s medieval future…Test #4
Final exams due on date of scheduled final exam.
