Course Catalogue

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In this course, we will study seminal texts in Ancient Philosophy from Plato, Aristotle or Hellenistic Philosophy (including Stoicism, Epicureanism, and Skepticism). Possible texts could include Plato's Republic, Symposium, and Phaedrus; Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics or Politics; Epictetus' Discourses and Marcus Aurelius' Meditations; Lucretius, On the Nature of Things. The focus of the course will be close-reading, covering the text from cover-to-cover, and exploring issues in ethics, moral psychology, political philosophy, metaphysics, aesthetics, and epistemology as they arise.

There will be 2 x 1-hour lectures, per week, over 8 weeks, and 4 x 1-hour seminars, as scheduled on MyCampus.

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The standard assessments for this course are: 

1 x 2500 word essay 50%

1 x 2500 word essay 50%

(For translation students: the second essay must demonstrate understanding of the original Greek and prepare their own translations of texts quoted.)

If required, for instance where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, the following alternatives are available: 

■ There are no alternatives to the essays, but flexible deadlines can be offered as reasonable adjustment (Students should follow the usual process for extensions). 

Further reasonable adjustments may be provided where necessary. Students are encouraged to consult with the course convenor.  

The aim of this course is to:

■ Provide Philosophy students with a scholarly understanding of Ancient Philosophy, recognising its place in the development of Western Philosophy.

■ Provide Classics students with a scholarly understanding of a major cultural influence for Greek people and politics.

■ Provide students outside classics and philosophy an opportunity to deepen their understanding of a popular philosophical tradition.

■ Develop the skills of close reading, with an emphasis on reading whole books and grasping them holistically.

■ Provide students with an opportunity to read philosophical texts in the original language.

■ Enable students to engage in experiential learning with Greek and/or Roman philosophy, guiding them in applying it in their own lives through habit formation, and philosophical reflection.

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

■ Evaluate the arguments and views in key philosophical texts clearly and accurately.

■ Synthesise competing scholarly interpretations of arguments in key philosophical texts.

■ Analyse the philosophical commitments underlying ancient approaches to ethical and political questions, situating them within their broader intellectual context.

■ Assess the philosophical arguments for and against the contemporary application of ancient ethical techniques for character development.

■ Construct an original, independently researched argument about the influence of ancient philosophy on the development of Western philosophical traditions.

■ (For translation students:) Produce scholarly translations of Greek philosophical texts with critical commentary on the key interpretive choices involved.