| Unit name | Ancient Philosophy |
|---|---|
| Unit code | PHIL20040 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Dr. Pearson |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | Department of Philosophy |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
In this unit we will be looking at some texts by two of the most important ancient philosophers, Plato and Aristotle.
With Plato, we shall look at certain key parts of the Republic, one of the most famous and influential philosophical texts of all time. In particular, we shall examine Thrasymachus’ challenge to justice in book I, the tripartite analysis of the soul in book IV, the discussion of knowledge and opinion in book V, the divided line and cave analogies in books VI-VII, and the rational/non-rational division in book X.
With Aristotle, we shall consider some parts of his theoretical philosophy. In particular, we shall look at his famous account of four types of ‘cause’ (or ‘because’), his ‘hylomorphic’ (form in matter) account of the soul, his attempt to escape fatalism, his notion of animals as self-movers, and the question of whether Aristotle can sensibly be characterised as an early functionalist in the philosophy of mind.
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Upon successful completion of this unit students will be able to demonstrate:
11 x 2-hour lectures plus 11 x 1 hour seminar.
Formative: two 2000 word essays designed to test the intended learning outcomes (ILOs 1-3).
Summative: one 3-hour unseen exam designed to test the intended learning outcomes (ILOs 1-3).
Course Texts:
The editions/translations that will be used are [please only get these translations!]:
Grube, G. M. A. [revised by C. D. C. Reeve], Plato: Republic, Hackett, 1992
M. Burnyeat, The Theaetetus of Plato, Hackett, 1990
A couple of books on these texts:
Annas, J. An Introduction to Plato’s Republic, 1981
Sedley, D. The Midwife of Platonism, 2004 [on the Theaetetus]
