24.200 | Fall 2004 | Undergraduate

Ancient Philosophy

Readings

Required Readings

Cohen, S. Marc, Patricia Curd, and C. D. C. Reeve., eds. Readings in Ancient Greek Philosophy from Thales to Aristotle. Indianapolis, IN: Hackett, 1995. ISBN: 0872203131. [RAGP]

Carus, Titus Lucretius. On the Nature of the Universe. Translated by Ronald Latham. New York, NY: Penguin Books, 1951. [ONU]

Shields, Christopher., ed. The Blackwell Guide to Ancient Philosophy. Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishing, 2003. ISBN: 0631222146.

The Lucretius is available on the web. If you’d prefer to have a hard copy, you may order them yourself on the web or by contacting the instructor. Additional texts will be handed out in class or available on the server, as needed. The course will be focused on primary sources. Secondary sources will be assigned in class when appropriate.

In many cases, complete versions of the texts can be found through Project Gutenberg, although these translations may differ from those used in the course.

LEC # TOPICS READINGS
1 Introduction  
2 Socrates and the Sophists Introduction to RAGP

Apology

3 Socrates and the Law Crito
4 Socratic Method Euthyphro
5 Knowledge and Learning Meno
6 Prudential Paradox Meno
7 Immortality and the Soul Phaedo
8 Introduction of the Forms Phaedo

Symposium (201d-212c)

9 Why Be Moral? Republic I-IV, especially II, III: 412c-417b
10 Justice in the City Republic IV: 427d-445e
11 Justice in the Soul Republic V-VII, especially V: 449a-468, 471c-480a
12 Theory of Forms Republic VI: 502d-511

Republic VII: 514a-525

13 Happiness, Liberty, and Social Engineering Republic X
14 Aristotle on Plato RAGP, pp. 473-482

Categories 1-5

15 Matter and Form Physics I: 7-9, II

Parts of Animals I: 1, 5

16 Essence, God Metaphysics VII: 1-4; VIII: 1-2; XII: 6-9
17 On the Soul De Anima II: 1-3
18 Perception, Understanding De Anima II: 5, 12; III: 4-5

Posterior Analytics I-III

19 Happiness Nichomachean Ethics I-II
20 Virtue Nichomachean Ethics III
21 Weakness of Will Nichomachean Ethics VII
22 Friendship Nichomachean Ethics VIII
23 Contemplation Nichomachean Ethics X
24 Epicurean Atomism Selections from Epicurus TBA

Lucretius, ONU, Chapter 1-2

25 Epicurean Morality Selections from Epicurus TBA

Lucretius, ONU, Chapter 3 (pp. 96-121)

26 Death Lucretius, ONU, Chapter 3 (pp. 121-29)

Course Info

As Taught In
Fall 2004
Learning Resource Types
Lecture Notes
Written Assignments