Ancient Philosophy: Plato & His Predecessors
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Course Summary
Explore the philosophy of Plato and learn about his views on politics, ethics, and the nature of reality in this introductory course.Key Learning Points
- Understand the key concepts of Plato's philosophy
- Explore Plato's views on morality and ethics
- Learn about Plato's political philosophy and its relevance today
Job Positions & Salaries of people who have taken this course might have
- USA: $65,000 - $130,000
- India: INR 6,00,000 - INR 12,00,000
- Spain: €30,000 - €70,000
- USA: $65,000 - $130,000
- India: INR 6,00,000 - INR 12,00,000
- Spain: €30,000 - €70,000
- USA: $45,000 - $85,000
- India: INR 4,00,000 - INR 8,00,000
- Spain: €20,000 - €50,000
- USA: $65,000 - $130,000
- India: INR 6,00,000 - INR 12,00,000
- Spain: €30,000 - €70,000
- USA: $45,000 - $85,000
- India: INR 4,00,000 - INR 8,00,000
- Spain: €20,000 - €50,000
- USA: $50,000 - $100,000
- India: INR 5,00,000 - INR 10,00,000
- Spain: €25,000 - €55,000
Related Topics for further study
Learning Outcomes
- Understand Plato's philosophy and its relevance today
- Apply Plato's ideas to contemporary ethical and political issues
- Develop critical thinking and analytical skills
Prerequisites or good to have knowledge before taking this course
- No prior knowledge of philosophy is required
- A willingness to engage with complex ideas and texts
Course Difficulty Level
IntermediateCourse Format
- Online
- Self-paced
- Interactive
Similar Courses
- Aristotle's Ethics
- Introduction to Moral Philosophy
- Philosophy and Critical Thinking
Related Education Paths
Related Books
Description
What is philosophy? How does it differ from science, religion, and other modes of human discourse? This course traces the origins of philosophy in the Western tradition in the thinkers of Ancient Greece. We begin with the Presocratic natural philosophers who were active in Ionia in the 6th century BCE and are also credited with being the first scientists. Thales, Anaximander, and Anaximines made bold proposals about the ultimate constituents of reality, while Heraclitus insisted that there is an underlying order to the changing world. Parmenides of Elea formulated a powerful objection to all these proposals, while later Greek theorists (such as Anaxagoras and the atomist Democritus) attempted to answer that objection. In fifth-century Athens, Socrates insisted on the importance of the fundamental ethical question—“How shall I live?”—and his pupil, Plato, and Plato’s pupil, Aristotle, developed elaborate philosophical systems to explain the nature of reality, knowledge, and human happiness. After the death of Aristotle, in the Hellenistic period, Epicureans and Stoics developed and transformed that earlier tradition. We will study the major doctrines of all these thinkers. Part I will cover Plato and his predecessors. Part II will cover Aristotle and his successors.
Outline
- The Milesians & Heraclitus
- Introduction to Ancient Philosophy
- How We Study the Pre-Socratics
- Fragments and Sources
- Philosophers or scientists?
- The Material Principle
- God in Nature?
- Heraclitus on the LOGOS
- Heraclitus on Change
- Milesians Readings
- Heraclitus Readings
- Milesians
- Heraclitus
- Parmenides to Plato
- Parmenides' Prohibition
- Parmenides Against Change
- Responses to Parmenides
- Naturalism after Parmenides
- Plato and Socrates
- Socrates in the Apology
- Piety in the Euthyphro
- Morality and Religion
- Parmenides
- Plato's Apology
- Plato's Euthyphro
- Parmenides and His Legacy
- Plato’s Apology and Euthyphro
- Plato on Virtue, Teaching, & Justice
- Virtue in the Meno
- Teachers of Virtue?
- Theory of Recollection
- Was Socrates Teaching?
- Meno's Paradox
- Knowledge vs. True Belief
- Is Justice a Virtue?
- The Just City
- The Just Soul
- Rational Injustice?
- Plato's Meno
- Republic Book 1
- Republic Book 2
- Republic Book 4
- Plato's Meno
- Plato's Republic
- Plato on Reality & Goodness
- Plato's Theory of Forms
- The Real and the Good
- The Creation of the World
- The World Soul
- Plato's Mathematical Physics
- Conclusion to Part 1
- Republic Book 5
- Republic Books 6-7
- Plato's Timaeus
- Credits
- Republic Books 5-7
- Plato's Timaeus
Summary of User Reviews
This course on Plato has received positive reviews from many users. They have appreciated the in-depth analysis of Plato's philosophical ideas and the engaging teaching style of the instructor. The course has been praised for its ability to make complex ideas easy to understand and relatable to everyday life.Key Aspect Users Liked About This Course
The in-depth analysis of Plato's philosophical ideasPros from User Reviews
- Engaging teaching style
- In-depth analysis of Plato's philosophical ideas
- Easy to understand complex ideas
- Relatable to everyday life
Cons from User Reviews
- Not enough emphasis on Plato's personal life
- Some users found the course too challenging
- Limited interaction with other students
- Not enough discussion on the relevance of Plato's ideas in modern times
Susan Sauvé Meyer
4.8 Raiting
Ancient Philosophy: Plato & His Predecessors
- 4.8
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What is philosophy? How does it differ from science, religion, and other modes of human discourse? We will study the major doctrines of all these thinkers....
Ancient Philosophy: Aristotle and His Successors
- 4.8
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What is philosophy? How does it differ from science, religion, and other modes of human discourse? We will study the major doctrines of all these thinkers....
