The Erectheion at the Acropolis, The Porch of the Maidens, Photo by R. Davis

Welcome to the Home Page for
Ancient Greek Philosophy at Carleton College, Fall 2008!

The source of much of the Western way of thinking about the world can be located in the issues and problems that fascinated Greek philosophical thinkers. Consequently, in our investigation of ancient Greek philosophy we shall also be examining some of the foundations of Western culture.

The focus of discussion will be on ancient Greek philosophical theories of knowledge. What is knowledge? Can anyone know anything for certain? Is knowledge innate or is it acquired by sense perception? Should we be skeptics and withhold our assent from everything we believe? We trace the debates on these topics beginning with the presocratic philosophers—The Milesians, Xenophanes, Heraclitus, Parmenides, and Zeno—and moving to Plato’s view that knowledge is innate in his works, Meno, Symposium, Phaedo, and Republic. We look at Aristotle’s argument that knowledge requires a foundation of first principles that are acquired by sense perception. We conclude with Sextus Empiricus, who argued that we should withhold assent from believing anything. A highlight of the class will be a series of class debates between these different thinkers. Connections will also be made, where relevant, between debates in ancient philosophy and contemporary epistemology.

Course books:
1. Readings In Ancient Greek Philosophy: From Thales To Aristotle
(Paperback), Third Edition
2. Plato's Theory of Knowledge: The Theatetus and The Sophist

(Philosophical Classics) | by Plato (Author), Francis M. Cornford (Translator)

3. Readings on E-Reserve

OPTIONAL
Writing Philosophy: A Student's Guide to Writing Philosophy Essays by Lewis Vaughn.