Phil 3151: History of Ancient Philosophy

University of Minnesota, Morris
Fall 2010
Professor Collier
M & W 5:30-7:10
Imholte 217

Raphael: The School of Athens (1509-1510)

Course Description: This course serves as a broad survey of Ancient Philosophy. Topics include: love, truth, virtue, happiness, fatalism, relativism, skepticism, politics, emotions, and the arts.

Course Requirements: Four exams (15% each), one 8-10 page final paper (20%), attendance and participation (20%).

Primary Texts:

Plato: Symposium, Phaedrus, Parmenides, Theaetetus, and Gorgias
Aristotle: Selections
Cicero: On Academic Skepticism and On Moral Ends
Inwood and Gerson: Hellenistic Philosophy

SYLLABUS

1. THE NATURE OF REALITY

August 30: Plato's Philosophy of Love

Symposium 174a-185c, 195a-212c

September 1: Plato's Philosophy of Love II

Phaedrus 243e-272b

September 6: No Class (Labor Day)

September 8: Plato's Metaphysics

Parmenides, 126a-132b

September 13: Plato's Metaphysics II

Parmenides, 132c-135d

September 15: Aristotle's Metaphysics

De Interpretatione, 1-4, 7, 9
Stoics on Fate (IG 179-190)

September 20: Aristotle's Metaphysics II

Metaphysics, Book Four, 3-6

September 22: First Exam

2. HUMAN KNOWLEDGE

September 27: Plato's Epistemology

Theaetetus, 142a-168c

September 29: No Class (Midwest Philosophy Colloquium)

October 4: Plato's Epistemology II

Theaetetus, 168d-186e

October 6: Plato's Epistemology III

Theaetetus, 187a-191b; 200d-210a

October 11: Pyrrhonian Skepticism

Background to Pyrrhonian Skepticism (IG 285-302)
Sextus Empiricus: Outlines of Skepticism (IG 302-24)
Annas and Barnes: "Customs and Persuasions" (e-reserve)

October 13: Academic Skepticism

Background to Stoic Epistemology (IG 111-114)
Academica, Book Two, Lucullus's Speech (8-37)

October 18: No Class (Fall Break)

October 20: Academic Skepticism II

Background to Academic Skepticism (IG 261-266)
Academica, Book Two, Cicero's Speech (38-85)

October 25: Second Exam

3. HOW SHOULD WE LIVE?

October 27: Plato's Ethics

Gorgias, 482c-499b

November 1: Plato's Ethics II

Gorgias, 499c-527e

November 3: Aristotle's Ethics

Nichomachean Ethics, Book I.13 and II.1-7; Book III. 6-12 (*)
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: "Objections to Virtue Ethics"

November 8: Aristotle's Ethics II

Nichomachean Ethics, Book VII.1-3; VII.7 (par. 8) - VII.8 (*); Book VII. 11-14 (*)

November 10: Epicurean Ethics

"Letter to Menoeceus" (IG 28-31)
Principal Doctrines (IG 32-36)
On Moral Ends, Book One

November 15: Epicurean Ethics II

On Moral Ends, Book Two

November 17: Third Exam

4. ART, EMOTION, AND THE GOOD LIFE

Student Paper Presentations

December 1: Plato's Philosophy of Art

Republic Book X, Selections (*)

December 6: Aristotle on Tragedy

Poetics 4, 6-11, 13-15
Rhetoric, II. 1, 2, 5, 8 (Selections) (*)

December 8: Medea by Euripedes

Medea
Selections from Epictetus and Galen (*)

Final Exams Week: Final Paper due Monday Dec 13 & Fourth Exam (Take Home) due Thursday Dec 16