PHIL 2040 Ancient Philosophy

This course is designed for students who want to engage the ideas of ancient Greek philosophers alongside the cultural and political contexts that make up Magna Graecia. We will study Athenian and non-Athenian philosophers in relation to the varieties of social customs and political systems throughout the ancient Greek world, including the development and collapse of Athenian democracy. We will be able to discern and evaluate a variety of concepts and practices integral to political life, including the defining features and cultural requirements of a democracy, different historical instantiations of these features and requirements, and multiple accounts of citizenship and "justice."