Dr. S. Rodde
roddesw@yorku.ca

This course is an introduction to the main figures and problems in ancient Greek philosophy. The course focuses on the views of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle but aims at a broader understanding of ancient Greek philosophy by relating the views of these thinkers to those of their predecessors (the Presocratic philosophers) and successors (the Hellenistic philosophers). Through a close reading of primary sources students gain a basic understanding of these thinkers’ views on a range of topics, such as the nature of reality, the nature of the soul and its relation to the body, the acquisition of knowledge and wisdom, and the good life for human beings. This is an introductory course. No prior knowledge of ancient Greek philosophy is required.

Technical requirements for taking the course:

Lectures: The lectures for this course will be delivered fully online. You will need a stable internet connection to access the lectures, participate in online discussions and upload your work. The lectures will be delivered synchronously (live) and recordings of the lectures will also be posted on eclass

Tutorials: Some of the tutorials are in-class and others will be online. If you are registered for an online tutorial, you will need a computer with a microphone. A webcam is desirable, but not required.

Here are some useful links for student computing information, resources and help:

Student Guide to Moodle

Zoom@YorkU Best Practices 

Zoom@YorkU User Reference Guide

Computing for Students Website

Student Guide to eLearning at York University

To determine Internet connection and speed, there are online tests, such as Speedtest, that can be run.]

Times and locations:

Lectures: The lectures for this course will be delivered synchronously (live) on Mondays and Wednesdays, 11:30-12:20. Recordings of the lectures will be posted on eclass after each lecture.

Tutorials: The tutorials are coded “TUTR” for in-class or “REMT” for online. If you are registered for an in-class tutorial, you must come to class at the scheduled day/time (students are expected to follow appropriate safety protocols). Online tutorials will only be delivered synchronously (live), so if you are in an online tutorial, you must attend at the scheduled day/time. There will be no recordings of tutorials.

Virtual Office Hours: Online office hours will be held on Mondays and Wednesdays, immediately following the lectures.

If the situation with COVID changes, it might be necessary to move the in-person tutorials to an online format.

Plato. Plato,Five Dialogues: Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, Meno, Phaedo, 2^nd edition.

Trans. by G.M.A. Grube, revised by John Cooper. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, 2002.

Aristotle. Aristotle: Introductory Readings. Trans. by Terence Irwin and Gail Fine.

Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, 1996.

Hellenistic Philosophy: Introductory Readings, 2^nd edition. Trans. by Brad Inwood

and L.P. Gerson. Indianapolic: Hackett Publishing Company, 1997.

Additional readings will be made available online.

Note: All of the readings in this course are translated from ancient Greek or Latin. Some translations are better than others. If you would like to use a different translation than one from the assigned texts, please talk to me first.

Reflective Summary (1). . . . . 25% (Due before material is covered in lecture)

Online Commentaries (10) . . 10% (Due before material is covered in lecture)

Essay (1). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35%

Tutorial participation. . . . . . . .10%

Final Exam. . . .  . . . . . . . . . . .20%

This course has both synchronous (live) and asynchronous elements. The lectures will be delivered live on Mondays and Wednesdays 11:30-12:20, and recordings will be posted on eclass after class. Students must attend their tutorial on the scheduled day/time. The online final exam in December must be written at a time scheduled by the Registrar’s Office. All other assignments can be completed asynchronously.

Although the lectures will be recorded, students are strongly encouraged to participate in the lectures synchronously (live), as it allows them to ask questions while the material is being covered.

By the end of this course you will have read selections from the works of a number of philosophers and you should have a basic familiarity with their views. In addition, you should have developed your ability to:

• Read and understand difficult and challenging texts
• Critically assess the strengths and weaknesses of arguments
• Appreciate unfamiliar ideas and points of view
• Express yourself clearly in discussion
• Write clearly, concisely and effectively in support of your claims

• At the end of the course you will have the opportunity to complete a course evaluation. These evaluations are taken seriously. They enable us to improve the course design, and they figure prominently in the evaluation of instructors.
• A late penalty of 2%/day will be given for late assignments or essays.
• The online commentaries must be submitted before the start of lecture. The reflective summaries must be submitted before the material has been covered in class.
• Students may not duplicate, copy and/or distribute recordings of the lectures without the instructor’s permission. These recordings are protected by copyright laws, and the university may take disciplinary or legal action against students who violate copyright.