PHIL 210: Ancient Philosophy: Fall 2008
Instructor: J. H. Lesher
Office: Caldwell 112B Office Hours: TTh 10-11 a.m. and by appointment
E-mail address: jlesher@email.unc.edu
Course Description: In this course we will explore the development of Greek philosophical thought from its
beginnings in the 6th century BCE down to the end of the classical period. The major figures studied will be the
Presocratic philosophers, Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. The goal of the course is to become acquainted with the
main features of ancient Greek thought and the ways in which it helped to shape the philosophy, science, art,
and literature of later centuries.
Required Text: Cohen, Curd, and Reeve, Readings in Ancient Greek Philosophy, 3rd edition. (Earlier editions
have different contents and should not be purchased.)
Schedule of Readings and Examinations (Note: In order to achieve a satisfactory understanding of the
assigned readings you will need to read through them several times. It will help if you read the assigned material
at least once before hearing it discussed in class.)
Part I
Aug 19
Aug 21
Aug 26
Aug 28, Sept 2, 4
Sept 9, 11. 16
Sept 18
Sept 23
The Presocratic Philosophers (Aug 19-Sept 23)
Thales, Anaximander, and Anaximenes (read Readings, pages 1-14)
Xenophanes of Colophon (21-23)
Pythagoras of Samos (15-20)
Heraclitus of Ephesus-3 sessions (24-34)
Parmenides of Elea-3 sessions (35-41)
Some Images Relating to the Presocratics
Exam on the Presocratics (IN-CLASS)
Part II
Sept 25
Sept 30
Oct 2
Oct7
Oct 9
Oct 14
Oct 16
Oct 21
Oct 23
Oct 28
Oct 30
Nov 4
Nov 6
Nov 11
Socrates and Plato (Sept 25-Nov 11)
The ‘Socratic Question’: Plato’s Apology (115-140)
Socrates on Civil Disobedience: Plato’s Apology and Crito (141-153)
The Socratic Elenchus: Plato’s Euthyphro (97-114)
Socrates’ Contributions to Western Thought (handout)
Plato’s Meno: the search for essential definitions (203-228)
Knowledge as ‘Recollection’: Plato’s Meno (203-228)
Fall Break
Does Justice Pay? Plato’s Republic (360-364, 430-445, 591-603)
Plato’s Proposals for Reforming Society (453-476)
Plato’s Attitude toward Women (445-465)
Plato’s Theory of Knowledge and Reality (471-528)
Plato’s Theory of Love; the Symposium (282-330)
Plato’s Parmenides (604-613)
Some Images Relating to Socrates and Plato (TERM PAPERS DUE TODAY)
Part III
Nov 13
Aristotle (Nov 13-Dec 2)
Aristotelian Science: Main Features and Limitations (645-654, 676-693, 707-709)
Nov 18
Nov 20
Nov 25
Nov 27
Dec 2
Dec 11
The Pursuit of Happiness: the Ergon Argument (832-845)
Aristotle’s Ethical Theory: Some Pros and Cons (845-852)
The Search for Substance: Aristotle’s Metaphysics (771-780)
Thanksgiving Break
Aristotle’s God: Metaphysics (800-808)
Final exam (8:00 a.m.)
Grading Policy: You will have three ‘grading opportunities’: one (in-class) exam on September 23rd, one term
paper due November 11th, and the final exam on December 11th. Review questions will be handed out in
advance of both exams (and are already available on the web site). For information on the term paper see the
handout entitled ‘Term Paper Topics’. Each of these three grades will represent one-third of your semester
grade. If the resulting average is on or near a borderline, some consideration will be given to class attendance
and the extent of your participation in class discussions (within limits, more participation is better than less).
Office Hours: I have listed the hours immediately before this class as my official office hours but I would
be happy to meet with you at any mutually convenient time. Just e-mail me at jlesher@email.unc.edu and
we will find a day and time to meet.
.
Excused Absences: If you have special needs or plan to be absent from class on a particular date, please
send me an e-mail in advance to explain your situation. Otherwise you are expected to attend each and
every class and take the exams as scheduled.
The web site for this course (which contains all the handouts and a few links to other sites):
http://www.unc.edu/~jlesher