PHIL 210.001 – Ancient Greek Philosophy

Instructor: Philip Bold. This course meets MTWRF 9:45 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. in CW 103.

This course will involve a careful study of one of the most influential texts in the history of philosophy, Plato’s Republic. Our study will serve as an introduction to Plato’s political theory, epistemology, metaphysics, and philosophy of psychology. Throughout the semester, we will ask how Plato’s views can provide insight into our lives today: the scope and nature of our own knowledge, what constitutes a good life, what is the nature of justice, what is the source and justification of our various social roles and class structures, among other topics. The course will primarily be lecture based, but with a significant discussion component as well.